Customer Reviews

Give Me Back My Legions!

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I've always enjoyed reading Turtledove's historical fiction, even those that he wrote under the name of H N Turteltaub. With his grasp of history and his talents as a writer, he's generally managed to make everything from the reign of Justinian II to the massacre at Ft Pillow interesting and compelling.


He doesn't quite reach up the same standard with his newest work, but to be fair, that's at least in part due to the subject matter. While the slaughter of three Roman legions at the hands of German barbarians is an impressive story, it's by its nature a short one. This therefore requires a great deal of, for lack of a better word, filler and background. While this is helpful, it can't help but feel somewhat tacked-on.

Still, Turtledove's filler is at least more interesting that some other writer's main course, and this is no exception. You do get a good feel for why Varus might've been stupid enough to ignore reality and lead his troops into an ambush. You see how the internal politics of Germany might have influenced his choices. It's all speculation on the part of Turtledove, but it's speculation that, rather like Justinian's Crimean nose-job in "Justinian", makes sense.

This isn't a novel I'd really recommend to the casual fan. You do have to have an interest in Roman history to find this story... well, interesting. I do, so I did. Whether or not you will is something I leave for you to decide.

I had hopes after the first 12 pages that this would be a real page turner. However, things settled into several hundred pages of dialogue that lent very little to the plot or the feeling of the 1st century northern borders of Rome. The book is scarce on history or setting. I was very dissapointed. Life is short, there are better books to read.

This mind numbingly boring diatribe never develops any of its characters and consequently you cannot, try as you might, care about any of the personalities. You can skip to page 250 and all you will need to know is that Arminius hates Rome and Varus likes Arminius despite everyone telling him not to trust him. Turtledove constantly repeats this theme over and over and over and over. There is no character developement beyond that mantra. No sense of suspense is built for the reader only a longing for a quick end. Turtledove delivers as the battle is short and unimaginative. Save yourself and your money. It's too late for me. "TURTLEDOVE, GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY!"

Harry Turtledove takes a fictious look at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest in "Give Me Back My Legions!" In this horrific battle, German barbarians under Arminius, a prince of the Cherusci tribe, wiped out three Roman legions, led by the Quinctilius Varus, the governor of Germany.

Primary sources of the battle are sparse, giving Turtledove great leeway in developing his characters' motivations and personalities. Unfortunately, he fails to do this: with the exception of just Varus and Arminius, all his characters are flat and thin, and there's little to either Varus and Arminius, as well.

Varus, pampered and arrogant, and softened by his successful administration of the wealthy and long-pacificed province of Syria, is sent by Augustus Caesar to bring Germany into the Roman fold. Of course, it's a tough job, but nothing an aging plutocrat and his Greek slave can't handle. He quickly discovers Germany's not quite as civilized as he's been led to believe, so he sets out to win over the locals with tax collectors and an increased military presence.

Enter Arminius. He's a Roman citizen and an officer-auxillary in their army, but he hates Rome, because, well, because he hates Rome, leave it at that. He starts the story with someone woman-problems, but a Roman perfect didn't ravish his woman, she was instead pledged to another man, a German. Then there's the issue of slavery: Rome wants to "enslave" Germany, but since his people has slaves, he doesn't have an issue with slavery, as long as he's not a slave. So he rallies his countrymen, such as they are, to resist the Romans.

Long story made short, Arminius finds his perfect location for an ambush, and leads the dimwitted Varus straight into it. (Despite intelligence to the contrary, Varus believes Arminius is a fine Roman German, or German Roman. Reminds him of his own boy, you see.)

Arminius' lack of reason to hate Rome is never explored. Instead, you see many examples of how he respects the Roman way: its efficiency, technology, luxary, and discipline. Turtledove could have just said Arminius disliked Rome simply because it had what Germany didn't. Turtledove does, however, successfully contrast German virtues against Roman vices, like the Germans' devotion to women against Roman's casual attitude to divorce and adultery, German honesty against Roman duplicity, etc.

If you've read Turtledove's novels before, you're acquainted with his limitations as a writer: the redundant descriptions, repetitive phrases, and the "you're right, but ..." conversations. So many of the scenes played out in this book have occurred in others. Even the deflowering scene is the same. And, while we're spared the Germans discussing how much better a Confederate cigarette is over a Yankee drag, we know that everyone prefers Roman wine to German beer.

I guess that explains why nobody in the United States drinks Budweiser.

I have been a Harry Turtledove fan for many years and have read and thoroughly enjoyed most of his books. Until now. If he even wrote this is questionable in my mind as it is so poorly written that I am ashamed to say I stuck it out to the end. Save your time and money. What a bummer. Give me back the old Harry Turtledove!

I have read most of Harry Turtledove's previous books but this one is terrible.
I only wish I could recover the time wasted reading it, I was bored the entire time I was reading and kept hoping it would get better. Never did.

I had high hopes. Could have been so much more given the scope of the subject given to work with. Spends most of the book trying to give an insight into Arminius' double dealing the Romans and why Varus trusted him. Failed in that respect also I thought. Also failed on the social aspects of Germanic culture at that time.Only about 40 odd pages devoted to the battle. Is there a good historical fiction on Teutoburg Wald battle? Only other possibility I have come across is Arminius by Clint Von Hummel. I have not read it yet.

This was my first Harry Turtledove book & it will be my last. I've read close to 100 books about this era in Roman history, both fiction & non-fiction, Give Me Back My Legions was the worst. Turtledove used close to a quarter of the book having the characters rerpeating thier feelings & thoughts about the other characters. I guess that's how he fills out all his books, if he can't come up with something to say, just repeat & repeat whats be said already. Just like Augustus who wanted his Legions back, I'd like my money & time wasted ready this book back.

Harry Turtledove is one of my favorite authors and Roman history - especially military history - is one of my favorite subjects. Yet despite all that, I kept wondering why my interest in "Give Me Back My Legions!" faded as I read it. The book's competently written, includes plenty of period details about the legions, the German tribes, Roman and German values and goals, potentially interesting characters and a climactic battle but it was a chore to finish (don't worry, I did!).

The reason why came to me when the author (for the second time)notes that when breaking camp the legions took any iron objects to prevent the tribes from fashioning them into weapons. That was it! Turtledove repetitively tells us Arminius hates Rome, Varus doesn't listen to his officers, the Romans are short and orderly, the Germans are tall and disorganized. I started to remember that maxim: show, don't tell. Speaking of show and tell, the writing reminded me of the children's books on Rome I started out with; the ones where they'd point out "notice the Roman short sword, the well-made roads, the orderly camp, the Roman preference for wine and olive oil..." to cross off a checklist. The net result is a lack of passion, tension, and a book that feels more like a Young Adult novel in many ways (no offense to young adults).

None of the characters are ever developed. Arminius hates Rome 'cause he hates Rome. There was no real passion to his hate. I think Turtledove recognized that because he reminds us, over and over, that Arminius doesn't mean it when he tells General Varus he's Rome's friend. Nor do I buy that silver coins, well-made roads, slavery, wine, etc. are all that hateful to Arminius. How he convinces entire tribes of warring Germans to unite isn't shown or told. Of General Varus, all we really know is that he'd rather be in Rome, he doesn't listen to every officer, and he prefers diluted wine to beer. And these are the major characters, we learn less about the minor ones. They're mostly there to illustrate a theme: the "Yes,sir" sycophantic officer, the "Cassandra-like" disregarded experienced officer, the arrogant and weak civilized Greek slave, the gruff and blunt German chieftain, etc.

Finally, beyond the "the Germans drink beer and the Romans wine" tourist-book writing and the papyrus-thin characters, there's virtually no drama in a book that shouts out "Give me back my legions!". Frankly, for me, a lengthy and vivid depiction of the life-or-death struggle of three legions, thousands of Rome's finest fighting men, caught in ambush at Teutoberger Wald would have redeemed the whole work. A strong battle representation covers a lot of faults, but the battle occupies less than 10% of the book and there's little particularly evocative scenes or dramatic combat. As we hardly know the characters, we aren't as moved by their ultimate fates as we might have been.

I know I wasn't.

I won't quite rate this a one-star, but the one-starrers are right; there's nothing here. Little plot, little character development (even if the German barbarians had little character) etc. It comes off as though it were written just to knock out another novel every 3 months. (Which, I think is about Turtledove's pace.)

Stereotyping? Sure, Turtledove repeats ad nauseum Tacitus' claim that all Germans were a head taller than Romans. Doesn't Turtledove recognize that this is probably part of Tacitus' moralizing that oozes throughout Germania? For a Ph.D. historian to not even consider that possibility isn't a good recommendation to read him further. (This is the first, and quite possibly, the only, book of his I have read/will read.)

Poorly written? He beats everything to death. True, he doesn't have a lot to work with. So? Shorten the book. Expand its scope. Don't fluff it with repetitive dialogue.

As for not 100 percent historical, the Teutoberg was a multiple-day battle. If you're going to compress it to one day for dramatic reasons, at least make it more dramatic.

That said, I'll be charitable and give Harry a second star. Don't expect me to read you again, though. I Wiki-ed you and indeed, it looks like you crank books off an assembly line, meaning most probably are no better than this.