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The first volume of the Emperor trilogy.
In his literary debut, Conn Iggulden captures the essence of a land, a people, and a legend. The Emperor : The Gates of Rome brings to life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In this stunning historical novel, Iggulden guides you on a thrilling journey through Ancient Rome, a kingdom of tyrants and slaves, of sordid intrigues and overwhelming passions.
The first title in the Emperor trilogy, about the life of Julius Caesar, and a book that the renowned Bernard Cornwell (author of the Chronicles of Arthur and The Quest for the Grail trilogies) expressed a desire to have written. The most legendary of all monarchs, a dominant figure in the final years of the Roman Republic, Julius Caesar rose from political leader to military leader, and from military leader to dictator. To tell this story, English author Iggulden follows the trajectory of two young men, raised as brothers, though one of them is illegitimate, through the collapse of the Republic and the rise of Julius Caesar.
On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence, beauty and bloodshed. The adventures and misadventures of Gaius and Marcus into adulthood, their dreams of battle, fame, and glory in the service of the mighty empire, serve as a microcosm of Ancient Rome. One is the son of a powerful senator, born into an environment of great privilege and ambition. A boy to whom much is given and much is expected in return. The other is his adoptive brother, a bastard of great strength and cunning, whose love for his adoptive family, and especially for his brother, will be the driving force of his entire life. As their paths diverge and their desire for a beautiful slave girl comes between them, Gaius and Marcus will experience love, loss, and violence. And the land they love so much loses its innocence and plunges into a civil conflict that will pit Roman against Roman. And their friendship is put to the test.
A saga that is to Rome what the Ramses series is to Ancient Egypt.
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