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The Barbarian

The Barbarian

Summary

Set during the twilight years of Rome's once all-powerful empire, The Barbarian is the action-packed, thrillingly authentic new historical novel from one of the genre's best.

‘Exhilarating reading . . . full of incident and adventure’ SCOTSMAN
Jackson has created another blockbuster historical fiction ASPECTS OF HISTORY
‘Rightly hailed as one of the best historical novelists writing today’ DAILY EXPRESS

AD 406. Abandoned by friends and hounded by enemies, Roman cavalry commander Marcus Flavius Victor and a small band of loyal warriors know that the time has come to leave an increasingly fractured Britannia.

Their journey takes them across the bleak, pirate-infested seas of the Mare Germanicum to Saxonia and on into the dark heart of barbarism. It seems the Britons' only salvation lies with an old comrade, General Stilicho - based far to the east but still within the sanctuary of the Empire. But the general has troubles of his own: his influence with the Emperor Honorius is waning, and a great warrior people are on the march - for Radagaisus, king of the Ostrogoths, has promised his subjects all the riches of Italia, and they will leave a sea of Roman bones in their wake.

But as Marcus and his companions battle their way towards what they hope will a safe haven of sorts, they stumble across a secret which could decide the fate of the Empire. But who can they really trust, and can Marcus reach Stilicho in time - because his every step is dogged by a son who wants him dead...

Praise for Douglas Jackson:
‘Amazing historical novel, such a treat to read’ *****
‘WOW . . . WHAT A STORY’ *****
‘Jackson continues to excel in his books’ *****
‘Full of action, interesting characters, great battle scenes’ *****
‘DOUGLAS JACKSON IS ONE HECK OF A WRITER’ *****

Reviews

  • A novel steeped in history . . . his battle scenes are as bloody and violent as any Tarantino movie. Yet he does this in a matter of fact way. There is no horror for horror’s sake . . exhilarating reading . . . full of incident and adventure, the product of the author’s fertile imagination and knowledge of the period.
    Allan Massie, SCOTSMAN

About the author

Douglas Jackson

A journalist by profession, Douglas Jackson transformed a lifelong fascination for Rome and the Romans in to his first two highly-praised novels, Caligula and Claudius. His third, Hero of Rome, introduced readers to a new series hero, Gaius Valerius Verrens. Eight further acclaimed 'Rome' novels followed, confirming Doug as one of the UK's foremost historical novelists. His latest novel, The Wall, was published to coincide with the 1900th anniversary of the construction of Hadrian's Wall. A member of the Historical Writers Association and the Historical Novel Society, Douglas Jackson lives near Stirling in Scotland.
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