The Last Legion: A Novel (Paperback)

~ Valerio Massimo Manfredi (Author) "The light pierced through the clouds covering the valley, and the cypresses straightened up suddenly like guards, alert on the ridge of the hills..." (more)
Key Phrases: last legion, barbarian soldiers, sentry walk, Flavia Serena, Romulus Augustus, Julius Caesar (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ancient Rome, Roman history, gladiators. This novel has them all. So it comes as no surprise to learn that Dino De Laurentiis, producer of Gladiator, wants to make the film of this historical epic by the author of the bestselling Alexander Trilogy. Set in the twilight years of the Roman Empire, a band of British Roman soldiers try to save the decadent crumbling Empire by rescuing Romulus Augustus, the young son of the last Emperor, and installing him as the figurehead of a rejuvenated Empire. But it all comes to nothing and they return to Britain where further adventures await them. Stirring, atmospheric and factually accurate historical fiction (the author is an archaeologist and historian) that certainly makes the most of the current interest in Roman adventures, Hollywood style. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

The Roman world is in the throes of death, but a new myth, destined to span the centuries, is waiting to be born.

The camp was quiet. Mist shrouded the plains and the Nova Invicta Legion, the legendary warriors charged with protecting the last emperor of Rome, settled in for another cold and bitter night. Then, through the fog, the barbarians appeared. In a space of a few hours, all was lost -- the Roman Empire lay in ruins. But not all the Romans are dead. From the dust of the battlefield, a band of seemingly immortal legionaries rise up. They are the Last Legion. Risking their lives, they attempt an audacious mission to free the young emperor and his enigmatic tutor from the hands of their captors.

The Last Legion is a bewitching novel of bravery, love, myth, and magic. Valerio Massimo Manfredi has written an epic that will hold you spellbound until the very last page.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Washington Square Press (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074349198X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743491983
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #692,275 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good historical fiction....., February 13, 2005

By	Juan C Villamil (Bogota, Colombia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Last Legion (Hardcover)

If what you're looking for is a profound, meaningfull novel, with extreme depth in the characters, this is not for you. Manfredi is not (and does not try to be) Joyce, or Dickens, or García Márquez.

As simply a piece of historical fiction, as is also Alexander (trilogy by Manfredi), I think this is a pretty good read.

The story is mainly narrated by a druid, who, years after the action took place, wants to leave testimony of how things happened. It is the year 476 AD and a handfull of legionaries, belonging to the last existing roman legion, accompanied by a couple of quite picturesque characters, embark in a very intense adventure. They continuously find themselves in life threatening situations, which they sort out in diverse and imaginative ways.

This is a story full of of adventure, fraternity, honor, loyalty, love, and even magic, which is difficult to put down. I consider it to be just fun, relaxing reading. At the end, you are left with a warm, satisfying feeling. You will not however, be left pondering the meaning of your own existence....

What makes this novel unique is in my opinion, the amount of research that went into it. It ties up nicely to historical and common mythical events, which makes it worth your time. I guess it is to the reader's advantage that Manfredi is not only an archeologist, but a highly regarded and reknown history professor.

As with other Manfredi books, the plot is interesting, and the book is very well written, even though one is to assume something is probably lost in the translation from Italian.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A suprise twist, August 3, 2005

By	Lavanya R - See all my reviews

I found this book at London Heathrow airport book shop while I was on a lengthy stop over. Oh my, what a find! I didnt see it on the US book stores yet at that time, which was surprising. The first thing I would say that is that you have to allow a little bit as far as the style is concerned because it is a translation. Once past that, you are in for an adventure. The characters stick around in your mind for a long time and the twist in the tale absolutely blindsides you. At least, I never saw it coming. For any one interested in the Roman rule in Britain (before the last of the roman legions pulled out following fall of the Roman empire), this is a must!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historal Fiction Meets Mythology, May 4, 2005

By	C. Yadon (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Last Legion (Hardcover)

This review is for the English language version of Valerio Manfredi's 'The Last Legion'.

I am a fan of Colleen McCollough's (Great Men of Rome) work and thought it would be interesting to try some Roman-era fiction from a different viewpoint. I, therefore, picked up the Last Legion, and read it over the course of the last few days. I liked the book, and the story was quite fun. McCollough's work is much more intricate, but Manfredi's has a lot more action and adventure to it.

This is the story of Aurelius, one of the few survivors of the Nova Invicta Legion, last of the Roman legions in the year AD 476. With the orders of a dying general, he searches for the deposed emperor Romulus Augustus (Augustulus in the history books). Once found, he must keep the boy safe from recapture by the barbarian warlord Odoacer and his lieutentant Wulfilla. Along the way they are accompanied by a Venetian woman named Livia, the emperor's tutor Ambrosinius, two Greek slaves turned gladiators, and the only other two remaining legionaires, Batatius and Vatrenus. The band of soldiers must fight brigands, barbarians, and the elements, all while Aurelius must deal with his troubled and forgotten past, which Livia knows far too much about.

The characters, with the exception of the two Greeks (who are so secondary I can't remember their names without getting the book out), are fairly well developed (which makes the two Greeks somewhat disappointing), and are written as human beings with faults, desires, hopes, and feelings. It makes them believable, such as when the young boy, distraught over the death of his parents, does something stupid, or when a wound Aurelius can't pick something up with a damaged arm, no matter how hard he tries. The dialogue is believable and readable, with the soldiers being bawdy between themselves, but still trying to show some formality to their ostensible emperor.

The action is quick and has a certain economy of verbiage that lets it communicate what it has to without attempting to spend too much time on one particular thing, so that the scene moves as quickly as it is meant to. Though, I had the occasional problem with needing to reread a paragraph or two to understand exactly what was happening in a situation due to how quickly Manfredi relates what is going on. This might be attributed to the fact that this is a translation from the original Italian, but I can not be certain.

There is a link to mythology in the end where the book trails out of Historical Fiction to some historical retelling of mythology, but I do not want to go into it too much without spoiling the events of the book. It should not be hard to guess after reading the opening section of the book, but I will not give it away. This linking is well done and a good way to end it. The ending felt like it made sense, and I was able to put the book down feeling content.

I do recommend this novel to anyone who likes historical fiction, or anything with a bit of action/adventure.