Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Hadrian's Wall : A Novel by William Dietrich ISBN: 0-06-056371-0 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 02 March, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.62 (8 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: If you like romance novels, this one is pretty good
Comment: I was fooled by the cover and endorsements on the jacket. I was expecting Roman Legions battling it out with barbarians. There is one great battle at the end, but this is really a romance novel set in 375 AD Britain. Tribune Galba Brassidius expects to be the new commander of the Petriana cavalry at the Hadrian Wall fort Petrianais, but he is supplanted by an inexperienced Praefectus, Marcus Flavius, from Rome. Marcus has obtained the post through a financial arrangement with a Roman senator. In exchange for money, Marcus gets the new posting and the hand of the senator's daughter, Valeria. This arrangement gives him the prestige of a senatorial connection, and a field command to further his career. An irate Galba has his own agenda. He has been dealing on both sides of Hadrian's Wall, and he enlists the aide of a Celtic Chieftain, Arden Caratacus, to kidnap Valeria. Galba hopes to incite war between the Celts and Romans and get Marius killed, take his wife, and in the process, become a hero. A naive Valeria loathes Galba's crude advances, is puzzled by her husband's indifference, ignores the worship of young tribune Clodius, and struggles with her growing feelings for the young Celt, Arden. Valeria also ignores the advice of her wise slave Savia. Much of the story is related in the aftermath by Roman investigator Draco, who is trying to piece together the cause of the catastrophe.
Rating: 3
Summary: Not Penman, but not bad
Comment: Author Info:
William Dietrich
09/29/1951-
Two centuries after it was built by the Emperor Hadrian, a Roman couple has come to Britannia to take charge of the Wall, which keeps the barbarian Celts out of Roman Britain. Young Valeria is the daughter of a senator, as dowry she's brought this command to Marcus Flavius, who badly needs some military experience to advance his career. But plumping down the beautiful Valeria and the Marcus in the wilds of Rome's frontier provokes jealousy and passions that lead to war. In particular, the brutal and ambitious soldier Galba Brassidias and the Celtic chief Arden Caratacus are both drawn to Valeria and despise her husband.
If some of the characterizations seem kind of idiosyncratic and ahistorical--their actions, emotions, and openness are awfully modern--there's nonetheless ample enough action and romance to speed us past any tendency to overanalyze it as a work of history. There's also a fascinating tripartite culture clash, with the conflict between the somewhat rigid social conventions of Rome and the wilder, freer life of the Celts and then percolating beneath both the burgeoning influence of the new religion, Christianity, which will plow them both under eventually. It's all framed by the device of an investigation into events that have already transpired, which allows for some discursive passages on the background of the tale but does fracture the narrative at times. You may find yourself wondering why Mr. Dietrich doesn't just get back to the main story.
As historical romances go it's not up to the standards of a Sharon Kay Penman, but it's an ideal beach book, one that you can hand to the spouse when you're done with reasonable confidence they'll enjoy it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Lovers of Historical Fiction Will Savor This Novel!
Comment: Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, historian, and author, William Dietrich, recent poignant novel is set in Northern England in 367 A.D, where Hadrian's Wall, which incidentally is the title of the book, once stood. Today, it is a world heritage site in recognition of this magnificent Roman civil engineering project. Built of stone, it was wide enough to permit centurions to march three abreast along most of its length of 55 miles.
During this era, Rome had much difficulty in defending their northern British frontier against the barbarians.
Dietrich crafts an action packed novel making for some heady reading.
A Roman senator, who is deeply in debt and wishing to maintain his career and social status among his peers, pawns off his beautiful young daughter, Valeria, to Lucius Marcus Flavius.
It is a marriage of convenience, for Marcus gains the position of Praefectus and commander of the Petriana Cavalry at Hadrian's Wall, due to his future father-in-law's influence. I guess the adage, who you know and not how much you know, was as important during Roman times as it is today.
Brushed aside for this honorable position was Galba Brassidias, who had waited patiently for years to take over the command of Hadrian's Wall.
Galba cannot hide his rage, when he is told that a new alliance of families had taken place and a position had to be found for a new officer. Apparently, Marcus specifically requested the post of commander of the Petriana cavalry.
And so the drama unfolds as Valeria rides to meet her future husband, who is stationed at the wall, unaware of the brutal events that are about to be unleashed.
To add a little more spice to the plot, Dietrich introduces another character, Arden Caratacus, the barbarian chieftain, who once served Rome, however now disdains all that is associated with this mighty empire, and is determined to smash its power and win Valeria for his own.
This is a powerful story-driven novel, and Dietrich never loses sight of his characters' fundamental flaws, all of which are intertwined with tantalizing themes of love, lust, seduction, treason, revenge, cowardice, conspiracy, expediency, opportunism, and bravery. It is also the story of the passions of women and the yearnings of men.
Moreover, Dietrich must be commended for successfully blending into the saga philosophical discourses pertaining to cultural and sociological differences between Romans and the barbarians.
As the author states in the Epilogue: "one of the challenges of this novel was to convey the prejudices Romans had toward the world outside their empire while suggesting that Celtic tribes were not quite the troglodytes that Roman commentators would have us believe."
Which leaves us to the observation made by the Roman investigator, who was sent to find out what actually happened at the wall, and who asserted, "I could write it in four words: She fell in love. But in love with what? A man? Or a place outside the suffocation of my own empire."
Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com
 |
Title: Legate's Daughter by Wallace Breem ISBN: 1590710193 Publisher: Rugged Land Pub. Date: 21 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
 |
Title: Legion by William Altimari ISBN: 0972872604 Publisher: Imperium Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
 |
Title: The Last King: Rome's Greatest Enemy by Michael Curtis Ford ISBN: 0312275390 Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Pub. Date: 15 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
 |
Title: The Judgment of Caesar by Steven Saylor ISBN: 0312271190 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 01 June, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
 |
Title: The Princes of Ireland : The Dublin Saga (RUTHERFURD, EDWARD) by EDWARD RUTHERFURD ISBN: 0385502869 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 02 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
