Spartacus: The Gladiator
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  • Published: 2 February 2012
  • ISBN: 9781409051664
  • Imprint: Preface Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 528
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Spartacus: The Gladiator

(Spartacus 1)

Formats & editions
EBook
2 Feb 2012
Audiobook
19 Jan 2012
Paperback
1 Aug 2012
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The first of two epic novels which tell the story of one of the most charismatic heroes history has ever known - Spartacus, the gladiator slave who took on and nearly defeated the might of Rome, during the years 73-71 BC.

The first of two epic novels which tell the story of one of the most charismatic heroes history has ever known - Spartacus, the gladiator slave who took on and nearly defeated the might of Rome, during the years 73-71 BC.

Historically very little is known about Spartacus. We know that he came from Thrace, a land north of Greece, that he once fought in the Roman legions and that, during two fateful years, he led a slave army which nearly brought Rome to its knees.

In Ben Kane's brilliant novel, we meet Spartacus as he returns to Thrace, ready to settle down after a decade away. But a new king has usurped the throne. Treacherous and violent, he immediately seizes Spartacus and sells him to a Roman slave trader looking for new gladiators.

The odyssey has begun which will see Spartacus become one of the greatest legends of history, the hero of revolutionaries from Karl Marx to Che Guevara, immortalised on screen, and now brought to life in Ben Kane's great bestseller - a novel which takes the story to its halfway point and is continued in Spartacus: Rebellion.

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine and University College, Dublin, but after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging in his passion for ancient history. He lives in North Somerset with his wife and two young children.
  • Published: 2 February 2012
  • ISBN: 9781409051664
  • Imprint: Preface Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 528
Categories:
Share…

About the author

Ben Kane

‘History is more than facts on a page. It’s the sounds, the smells, the people, the passion. History should make you think: “I was there”. My books are born from my obsession with Roman history. I’ve followed Spartacus’s trail across Italy. I’ve stood at Cannae and pictured Hannibal’s army meeting the massed legions of Rome. I’ve watched the sea lapping against the fortifications of Syracuse, besieged by the Romans for close to two years. Immerse yourself in these incredible stories and – like me – remind yourself why the legend of Rome endures.’ To find out more about BEN KANE, his world and his novels, visit: www.benkane.net. Twitter@@BenKaneAuthor / Facebook.com/benkanebooks

portrait photo of Ben Kane

Also by Ben Kane

Eagles in the Storm
Hannibal: Enemy of Rome
Spartacus: Rebellion
Hannibal: Fields of Blood
Hannibal: Clouds of War
Hunting the Eagles
The Arena (A gripping short story in the bestselling Eagles of Rome series)
See all

Praise for Spartacus: The Gladiator

A breathless romp…a real feel for the grit and the mad excitement of fighting and a fascination with a culture, Rome, that was obsessed with blood-lust.

History Today

Ben Kane manages to bring a freshness to the saga ... Told with Kane's usual panache and historical knowledge, this book is highly recommended

Kathy Stevenson Daily Mail

Eyes are merciless, blows are wicked and screams are piercing, but this is a compulsive if relentless story, vividly recounted in muscular prose. Definitely one for the boys

Daily Telegraph, 4 stars

Gritty, passionate and violent, this thrilling book is a real page-turner and a damn good read. It brings Spartacus - and ancient Rome - to vivid, colourful life

Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire

If you want to become familiar with the lanista and the rudus, to know your scutum from your licium, then Kane's your man ... plenty of action

Independent

Like many choosing to read a book like this, I was seeking an active and exciting plot, and in this respect, Spartacus: The Gladiator delivers handily

Medieval Bookworm

Spartacus has returned home to Thrace to find a new king has usurped his throne. He is seized and then sold to a Roman slave trader but he is a fighter and is destined for greater things. Historically little is known about the real Spartacus but in the hands of Ben Kane his legend has been crafted into two fantastic novels and this is the first.

Charlotte Vowden, Daily Express