Customer Reviews

Theoderic

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Despite being one of the political giants of the late 5th - early 6th centuries A.D., Theodoric the Great generally has been ignored by writers of historical fiction. Fortunately for us, Ross Laidlaw's brilliant 2008 novel finally sets things right.

Fine research as much as Laidlaw's narrative talents go into making THEODERIC a true saga. Reading this story virtually drops you into the chaotic social and political turmoil which prevailed throughout much of the 5th century Mediterranean world: where petty German chieftains, taking advantage of both native apathy as well as corruption, were grabbing vast territories and holding them either as nominal imperial vassals or outright independent "kings."

These are the nitty gritty details of life during the late Empire which are the backdrop to Theodoric's tale as young hostage and scholar in Constantinople (that made him, in many ways, a Goth more "Roman" than most Romans), through to his complex rise to power both as a Roman ally and king of the Ostrogothic nation, to ultimately becoming one of the greatest rulers Italy has ever had.

If you haven't done so, also check out Ross Laidlaw's excellent Attila: The Scourge of God

I found this a bit disjointed. A great subject that could have been treated more expansively by the author as I thought it too short at 250 pages. The great dour Scottish writer Nigel Tranter appears positively verbose compared to this. This is a subject of great scope & I particularly like novels on the old Germanic tribes and their leaders though they are as scarce as hens teeth. I liked it all the same.

The dramatic story of the rise to power of Germanic leader Theoderic the Great (454-526), king of the Ostrogoths, ruler of Italy, regent of the Visigoths and viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire, should have made an exciting and stirring novel. Sadly, it never comes to life in Laidlaw's hands. It remains frustratingly flat and bogged down in detail; its storyline lacking direction, its characters passionless and one-dimensional.

"Theoderic" makes frankly tedious fiction. It does work well as a narrative biography, though, and the endless footnotes (a killer in a novel) add interest if seen in this light. Mr Laidlaw has missed the mark here, and would have done better to categorize his book as non-fiction.