Synopses & Reviews
The name partacus is one familiar to most. He was the Thracian gladiator who roe up from slavery in 73 B.C. to defeat every Roman army sent to destroy him-efore his defeat and crucifixion. Trained at the gladiatorial school, partacus escaped. Joined by approximately seventy followers, his army icreased to allegedly 140,000 slaves.
Today, his struggle is widelyperceived as the fight for freedom, but this hasn't always ben the case; the ancient Romans were embarrassed by Spartacus's victories oer them; the Greeks admired him; and others viewed his uprisings as the embodiment of cruelty.
In this fascinating and original work, Stothard retraces the journey taken by Spartacus and his army f rebels, taking us back to an ancient world which confronted similar issue to those we face today-the perils of religious belief; the comfort oforganized religion; the virtues of public life. As he travels along the partacus road, Stothard breathes new life into the story of Spartacus and th greatest slave war in antiquity. He tells it, definitively, for our time. REIEW: Now comes a distinguished contribution to the field by the British jounalist and classicist Peter Stothard. Spartacus Road is a work of history, telling us of Spartacus' life and legend, but it is also a travel book, as Mr. Stothard follows Spartacus' rebelious path through 2,000 miles of Italian countryside... Ancient hisory often comes to us in this form-as a kind of mosaic that we must piece toether for ourselves, as Mr. Stothard has done so well here. And it still aruses modern passions. Mr. Stothard's engaging book reminds us that, for al the secrets the story of Spartacus refuses to give up, it still leads us bck to the heart of things. -- The Wall Street Journal
Sartacus Road is not a route you can track on your GPS, and Stothard's book s no conventional guide. It's an eloquent, sometimes hilarious, account of is travels in Italy, as well as a thoughtful and accessible primer on the istory and culture of the ancient world. Unexpectedly, this book is alsoa deeply personal account of the author's battle with cancer...At every stp, ancient or modern, Stothard's erudition and lightheartedness, his familiarty with the classical world and his modern sensibility make this book a dlightful read...Stothard describes this world with clarity and humor...Reader will be tempted to grab a copy of his Parallel Lives to travel on for themelves. --Cleveland Plain Dealer
This is one of thse rare books in which there is something of unexpected interest on evey page, and which makes the reader wish he or she could pack a small bag and accompany the author onhis travels. -Michael Korda, The Daily Beast
Spartacus Rad makes for a wonderfully rich and endlessly thought-provokng brew.... Beautifully written, musing and far-sighted... it's an astoundin success. -Christopher Hart, Literary Review
Stothard proides valuable insights into the nature of Roman society and culture in which s much as a third of the population may have endured various forms of slavery. -- Booklist
Peter Stothrd's account of his journey is the footsteps of Spartacus's army is not just travel book, but also a memoir of surviving cancer... The idea for this boo was...to retrace the steps of the rebel slave Spartacus and his men for 2,00 miles through the Italian countryside. It would be an opportunity to etell one of the great underdog stories of the ancient world: how a motley bnch of slaves repeatedly defeated the might of the Roman army between73 and 71BC. It would be a chance to compare ancient and modern Italy, to mditate perhaps on slavery and liberty, to think about the dynamics of asymmeric warfare and so one. - The Sunday Times
A fusion of memoi, history and travelogue that is unlike any other book ever written about partacus, and all the more precious for being quite so unexpected. -Tom Hollnd, The Spectator
Synopsis
The riveting narrative of the Classical hero Spartacus and his long journey for freedom
Synopsis
Today, his struggle is widely perceived as the fight for freedom, but this hasn1t always been the case; the ancient Romans were embarrassed by Spartacus1s victories over them; the Greeks admired him; and others viewed his uprisings as the embodiment of cruelty. In this fascinating and original work, Stothard retraces the journey taken by Spartacus and his army of rebels, taking us back to an ancient world which confronted similar issues to those we face today
Synopsis
The name Spartacus is one familiar to most. He was the Thracian gladiator who rose up from slavery in 73 B.C. to defeat every Roman army sent to destroy himToday, his struggle is widely perceived as the fight for freedom, but this hasnAt always been the case; the ancient Romans were embarrassed by SpartacusAs victories over them; the Greeks admired him; and others viewed his uprisings as the embodiment of cruelty.
In this fascinating and original work, Stothard retraces the journey taken by Spartacus and his army of rebels, taking us back to an ancient world which confronted similar issues to those we face today
About the Author
Peter Stothard is Editor of the Times Literary Supplement and author of Spartacus Road. From 1992 to 2002 he was the Editor of The Times. In 2012 he was chairman of the judges for the Man Booker Prize.