- Paperback: 296 pages
- Publisher: Phoenix; New Ed edition (6 Oct 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0753818957
- ISBN-13: 978-0753818954
- Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 2.1 x 19.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 188,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The scene is Rome in the troublesome year 24 B.C. Emperor Augustus is in ill health and the city is seething with intrigue. There is speculation about the succession, uncertainty in the capital and unrest on the frontiers. The question of an heir is acute. Augustus has only one child, a daughter, Julia. She is married to Marcellus, marking the young man with the Emperor's favour, but some disagree with the match. Powerful rivals engineer crisis and conspiracy. These events are seen through the eyes of Curtius Rufus, ex-centurion, gambler, and a man dissatisfied with life. He comes to the attention of Augustus's lieutenant, Marcus Agrippa, who leads Curtius into the puzzling affair of the legate's daughter, kidnapped, it appears, by pirates and held in captivity in the African desert.
About the Author
Wallace Breem was born in 1926 and educated at Westminster School. In 1944 he entered the Indian Army Officers Training School and later joined a crack regiment of the North West Frontier Force. After the war he joined the staff of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, where he became Chief Librarian and Keeper of Manuscripts. He died in 1990.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Sadly Wallace Breem wrote too few books. But of those he did write, this is one of my favourites.
It tells the story of man, an ex-centurion desperately adrift in Roman society, who can't keep a job, drinks and gambles too much, and is running out of money.
The he's handed a mission, but not just any mission.... Sound familiar? Sure, but in Breem's hands what could be hackneyed is wonderful.
Our hero is off on a mission to rescue a young woman kidnapped by pirates. But in fact the mission has greater significance.
It's a lovely tale and Breem deftly conjures up late first century Rome, with its rich aristocrats in their villas on the Palatine or Esquiline Hills and poor masses in the over-crowded tenements in the stinking slums of the Subura. If you love Roman history, do read this.
It tells the story of man, an ex-centurion desperately adrift in Roman society, who can't keep a job, drinks and gambles too much, and is running out of money.
The he's handed a mission, but not just any mission.... Sound familiar? Sure, but in Breem's hands what could be hackneyed is wonderful.
Our hero is off on a mission to rescue a young woman kidnapped by pirates. But in fact the mission has greater significance.
It's a lovely tale and Breem deftly conjures up late first century Rome, with its rich aristocrats in their villas on the Palatine or Esquiline Hills and poor masses in the over-crowded tenements in the stinking slums of the Subura. If you love Roman history, do read this.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Let me start of by saying that this is a very different book from 'Eagle in the snow'. Whereas the latter is more concerned with battle, courage and steadfastness against all odds, 'The Legate's daughter' is about diplomacy, deceit and intrigue in the last years of Augustus' reign, and about the relationships between men and women too.
In 'Eagle in the snow' the straightforward language also reflects the character of the men (there's few women in that book) figuring in the book: soldiers all, who mean what they say and say what they mean. Not so here: in 'The Legate's daughter' nothing is what it seems, and men and women speak in veiled terms, and as a reader you must really keep your wits about you to keep up with the story.
Having said that, this is without a shadow of a doubt a very fine historical novel, as was (is) 'Eagle in the snow'. It's so sad Breem never had the time to write some more!
In 'Eagle in the snow' the straightforward language also reflects the character of the men (there's few women in that book) figuring in the book: soldiers all, who mean what they say and say what they mean. Not so here: in 'The Legate's daughter' nothing is what it seems, and men and women speak in veiled terms, and as a reader you must really keep your wits about you to keep up with the story.
Having said that, this is without a shadow of a doubt a very fine historical novel, as was (is) 'Eagle in the snow'. It's so sad Breem never had the time to write some more!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is the first Wallace Breem book I've read and I must say it was a pleasant experience. I found his dialogue a little difficult at times - it is full of interruptions which, I admit, reflects the reality of conversation between people, but makes for uncomfortable reading. The story - the rescue of the eponymous Legate's daughter - is almost inconsequential, while the greater events that seem to almost flicker in the background are never really explored. As such it reflects the rather lowly status of the hero of the story, Curtius Rufus, who is often kept in the dark and is always unsure as to what the big picture might be. The whole thing leaves the reader feeling a little unsatisfied, while the ending is somewhat ill-defined.
All of which makes for a thoroughly great read. The book reflects real life - unsatisfactory and uncertain. There is no real happy ending as such, merely a continuation of life. The reader is left hanging and wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of this author's work
All of which makes for a thoroughly great read. The book reflects real life - unsatisfactory and uncertain. There is no real happy ending as such, merely a continuation of life. The reader is left hanging and wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of this author's work
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Legate's Daughter
I was glad to purchase this book at such a resonable price as I thought it was out of print and it arrived very quickly.
Published 2 months ago by Archangel
A MYSTERY
An odd book - the story is entertaining and keeps you guessing, it's well written but....I spent the whole time when reading it thinking that I was missing something. Read more
Published 19 months ago by A. Taylor
Could've been better
I bought this book on the strength of Breem's epic Eagle In The Snow and looked forward to it so much. Read more
Published on 16 July 2006 by Cheeky Monkey
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Fiction > Historical
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
