Hunting the Eagles (Eagles of Rome) - Hardcover

Kane, Ben

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 184809406X ISBN 13: 9781848094062

Publisher: Random House UK, 2016

Synopsis

From 'the rising star of historical fiction' (Wilbur Smith) a new Eagles of Rome novel, by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Eagles at War.

AN ARMY DEFEATED

AD 14: Five long years have passed since the annihilation of three legions in the wilds of Germania. Although the bones of 15,000 soldiers now moulder in the Teutoburg Forest, not all the Romans were slain in the bloody ambush.

A CENTURION OUT FOR VENGEANCE

Demoted, battle-scarred and hell-bent on revenge, Centurion Tullus and his legionaries begin their fightback. Ranged against them is the charismatic chieftan Arminius, who is gathering thousands of hostile tribesmen, and determined to crush the Romans for a second time.

AN EAGLE RECOVERED

The eagle belonging to Tullus' old legion is still in enemy hands, but as the Romans' reprisals take their army deep into German tribal lands, he remains convinced that it is within reach. But Arminius and his warriors are perilously close. As battle begins, Tullus and his comrades know they must fight as never before - just to stay alive...

About this title

About the Author

The battle of the Teutoburg Forest in September AD 9 saw three Roman legions annihilated by German tribes in a masterful ambush. While the defeat was a considerable setback for Rome, such humiliations were never taken lying down. By the time five years had passed, an experienced general – Germanicus – and a massive army were in place on the frontier, ready to cross the Rhine in search of revenge. Recovery of the three lost eagle standards was paramount. So too was tracking down and killing Arminius, the chieftain who had masterminded the Teutoburg massacre.

Before the campaign could get underway, events took an unexpected direction with the emperor Augustus’ sudden death in autumn AD 14. An air of unease settled over the entire empire, and simmering grievances held by the soldiers of the Rhine garrisons flared into open mutiny. Restoring law and order would test Germanicus’ skills to the limit, and make his task in the wilds of Germania that much harder.

Although Hunting the Eagles is a work of fiction, it is peopled by historical characters and is based on real events in north-western Germany during the years AD 14 and 15. I hope, like me, you too will want to lose yourself in this remarkable story, and to march step by muddy step with the Roman legionaries as they fight for their lives against Arminius and his bloodthirsty horde.

Review

"The portrayal of the characters was sublime. Totally believable. The battle scenes were vivid and were very real in the telling. It was like being there, without the threat of being brutally maimed or killed, of course! Eagles at War is now definitely on my 'to be read' list." —Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

"Kept me riveted to the page for every word. You will honestly struggle to find any more real characters in any Roman book. I highly recommend this and all Ben Kane’s books, if you have not read his work . . . why?? please go do so." —Parmenion Books

"A triumph." —Sunday Express

"Excellent . . . another compelling, dark tale." —the Times

"Hunting the Eagles is a fantastic novel, a triumph of Roman historical fiction, as thrilling as you could ask for, while still showing how complicated the situation was, how frenzied, on the borders of the empire. The setting is so well done. Ben Kane’s thorough research into the period, warfare and the location really pays off. Hunting the Eagles is not only a terrific follow up to Eagles of War, one of the best books of 2015 in my opinion, but also superb in its own right." —For Winter Nights

"This brutal and bloody book should be at the top of your must-read list" —CultureFly "6 Must Read Books for Autumn"

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House UK
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 184809406X
• ISBN 13: 9781848094062
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 528