Caligula (Hardcover)

'gripping Roman thriller'

'...gripping Roman thriller. It's certainly well placed to take on the Simon Scarrow/Conn Iggulden audience.'

Jackson brings a visceral realism to Rome in the days of the mad Caligula. There are jolting surprises as it builds to a climax via a series of dazzling, sometimes disquieting images.

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the third Roman Emperor, is better known by another name: Caligula, a name synonymous with decadence, cruelty and madness. His reign was marked by excess, huge building projects, the largest gladiatorial battles Rome was ever to see - men and animals killed in their hundreds - conspiracies, assassination attempts and sexual scandal. Rufus as a young slave grows up far from the corruption of the imperial court. His master is a trainer of animals for the gladiatorial arena. Rufus discovers that he has a natural ability with animals, a talent for controlling and schooling them. It is at the arenas that Rufus meets his great friend Cupido, one of Rome's greatest gladiators. It is his growing reputation as an animal trainer and his friendship with Cupido that attracts the cruel gaze of the Emperor. Caligula wants a keeper for the imperial elephant and Rufus is bought from his master and taken to the imperial palace. Life here is dictated by Caligula's ever shifting moods. Caligula is as generous as he is cruel, he is a megalomaniac who declares himself a living god and simultaneously lives in constant fear of the plots against his life. But his paranoia is not misplaced, intrigue permeates his court, and Rufus and Cupido find themselves unwittingly placed at the centre of a conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor.

'Douglas Jackson takes us by the hand and heart and leads us into the crazy, power-saoked world of Caligula, maddest of the mad Roman emperors . . . It's light and dark in equal measure, colourful, thoughtful and bracing.' Manda Scott, bestselling author of the Boudica series

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the third Roman Emperor, is better known by another name: Caligula, a name synonymous with decadence, cruelty and madness.

Rufus, a young slave, grows up far from the corruption of the imperial court. His master is a trainer of animals for the gladiatorial arena, and Rufus discovers that he has a natural talent for controlling and schooling the animals. It is at the arenas that Rufus meets his great friend Cupido, one of Rome’s greatest gladiators.

His growing reputation as an animal trainer and his friendship with Cupido attracts the cruel gaze of the Emperor, who wants a keeper for the imperial elephant. Rufus is bought from his master and taken to the imperial palace, where life is dictated by Caligula’s ever-shifting moods. He is as generous as he is cold-blooded, a megalomaniac who declares himself a god and simultaneously remains in constant fear of the plots against his life. But his paranoia is not misplaced. Intrigue permeates his court, and Rufus and Cupido find themselves unwittingly at the centre of a conspiracy to assassinate Caligula. But can a slave decide the fate of an Emperor?

Can a slave decide the fate of an Emperor?

Rufus, a young slave, grows up far from the corruption of the imperial court. He is a trainer of animals for the gladiatorial arena. But when Caligula wants a keeper for the emperor’s elephant, Rufus is bought from his master and taken to the palace.

Life at court is dictated by Caligula’s ever shifting moods. He is as generous as he is cruel - a megalomaniac who declares himself a living god and simultaneously lives in constant fear of the plots against his life. His paranoia is not misplaced however: intrigue permeates his court, and Rufus will find himself unwittingly placed at the centre of a conspiracy to assassinate the Emperor.

‘Light and dark in equal measure, colourful, thoughtful and bracing’ Manda Scott, bestselling author of the Boudica series

‘A gripping Roman thriller’ Scotland on Sunday
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Douglas Jackson was born in Jedburgh in the Scottish borders and now lives in Bridge of Allan. He is an assistant editor at the Scotsman.