The main character, Roman centurion Tullus, was very well developed. It gave a clear picture of how the Roman army could be so dominant in its time; the centurion was the key to their success. Tullus was masterfully woven into every part of the story and seeing the Teutoborg battle from his perspective brought it all to "reality." The descriptions of combat and the soldiers' progress along the ambush route were compelling. Inserting historically accurate facts into the story made it all the better. Great read!

A novel about the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest told from the view points of the (fictional) Roman centurion Lucius Cominius Tullus and the (real) German leader Arminius.

Some details in the prologue did make me wonder just how gory the description of the battle was going to be but there was only one scene (testified in the ancient sources) that I had to pass over quickly.

There were times when I thought the author was trying to build up some suspense which didn't really come off since I knew what had to happen historically, but all in all it was a great read. ( )

Nice fictional historical novel. Kane knows to bring the emotions to you as reader. ( )

Tribes in Germania are hostile to the Roman Empire. They are led by the charismatic Arminius a supposed ally of Rome. The Romans west of the Rhine are under the command of centurion Lucius Tullus and provincial governor Varus. A battle is about to take place one in which the Romans have seriously underestimated the strength and cunning of the enemy.

There is little doubt that Ben Kane has a deep knowledge of his subject. Like many historical fiction authors, he uses the facts and the leading players of that time to create a fictional account of a certain happening in history. (Publius Quinctilius Varus was indeed a Roman general and is best remembered for losing 3 Roman legions when ambushed by Germanic tribes under the command of Arminius) However the quality of the story is very poor. We learn very little about the Roman Empire instead we are faced with a laborious monologue some 430 pages long (paperback edition) about a confrontation the outcome of which is already known. The most irritating feature of this story is the constant reference to the “gods” as if this adds anything to an otherwise mediocre tale….”The gods be with you, he said”….”May the gods be with us”…”May the gods grant it be so”…”Preparing himself asking Mars for his help”…”offering up silent prayers of thanks to Mars”…”Mars was kind to me”…”Fortuna appeared to have cast her capricious gaze elsewhere”…”Only the gods knew what time of day it was”…”as if the gods were laughing”…”Fortuna wasn’t finished with him yet”…”truly the gods blessed you”…”the gods were unhappy with them”……These constant references to divine beings only emphasize the poor quality of the writing. ( )

The Roman army was not invincible and the impact on history of the defeat at the battle of the Teutoborg forest in AD9 is huge. In this book Ben Kane writes a fictional account of the events leading up to the battle and of the loss of three legions in the mud of Germany.

The leader of the tribes was a naturalized Roman called Arminius, a member of the Cherusci tribe who had risen high in the ranks of the Roman military, but who betrayed his former colleagues and planned an ambush with devastating precision. Kane’s key figure is that of Tullus, an experienced Roman centurion who leads his men from the front but with humanity as well as. Tullus is a fictional character but many of those he interacts with are known in history.

Kane has very obviously researched this book in great detail. His confident knowledge and use of roman terminology is augmented by a glossary so that narrative is not slowed by endless explanations of vocabulary. His knowledge of the movements of the army and the terrain is clear and his descriptions of the battle are bloody and visceral.

This is top notch historical fiction, melding research, passion and quality storytelling.
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