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Vindolanda

Written by: Adrian Goldsworthy
Narrated by: Peter Noble
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Publisher's Summary

AD 98. The bustling army base at Vindolanda lies on the northern frontier of Britannia and the entire Roman world. In just over 20 years' time, the Emperor Hadrian will build his famous wall. But for now, defences are weak as tribes rebel against Rome.

It falls to Flavius Ferox, Briton and Roman centurion, to keep the peace. But it will take more than just a soldier's courage to survive life in Roman Britain.

©2017 Adrian Goldsworthy (P)2017 W.F. Howes Ltd

What listeners say about Vindolanda

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As Excellent An Author As a Historian

Goldsworthy is one of my favorite Roman historians and I have quite a few of his books, so I was quite curious to see what he was offering as an author. I am pleasantly surprised at how fantastic this book was and I enjoyed it immensely. I'll be picking up the next two in the series!

1 person found this helpful

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  • Daniel P. Fradl
  • 2018-06-28

Much like Bernard Cornwell in style

I really enjoyed this and already bought the 2nd in the series (only two so far) on kindle -- 2nd not out in audio at the time of this writing. It's very much like Cornwell's books (The Last Kingdom series, Sharpe's Rifles, etc). The author has written many histories of the Roman era and so his fiction is very authentic. Five stars for those who like rugged historical fiction.
Note I gave only 3 stars for performance. The narrator would not maintain volume when he was in the various characters, and sometimes basically whispered when a character whispered. Sometimes he would trail off the end of sentences, for effect. The problem is that I had to turn up the volume, then BAM he's at full volume again, I turn down, he goes soft, I turn up, then BAM. I am not sure if this is narrator or the sound engineer not compensating but I don't normally have to do continually adjust my volume like this.

22 people found this helpful

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  • KC
  • 2018-02-07

Action, Adventure, Mystery

Enjoyed the story, which is complete with action, adventure, and mystery. Very compelling plot and I did not want to stop listening. The historical context was vivid and I felt like I was there. Recommended!

17 people found this helpful

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  • Eric Kuniholm
  • 2018-12-04

If only all historical novels were this accurate!

An impeccable historical novel by someone who coincidentally happens to be an authority in the field. Not academic at all though, quite dramatic and enjoyable.

15 people found this helpful

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  • Dennis Jameson
  • 2018-06-02

Historical Fiction written by an Historian!

What a concept. Fiction written by an actual scholar of the times. Probably as plausible a narrative of the times as any. It's worth a second read.

11 people found this helpful

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  • Alvin
  • 2018-09-18

Really, really good

As far as historical fiction goes this has to be one of the best works I’ve read (or listened to) apart from Bernard Cornwell and Simon Scarrow. As someone who loves history the level of detail described in the historical notes at the end add a lot to the story. Look forward to seeing more fictional work from this author!

10 people found this helpful

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  • Zecheriah
  • 2018-11-11

Entertaining and Informative

Goldsworthy has been a go to author when it comes to Ancient Rome in his non-fiction writings, and now his historical fiction too. This fast past novel drips with pathos, and you feel like you are getting enlightened on how Romano-Britain functioned.

#AncientRome #historicalfiction #AncientBritain #Tagsgiving

7 people found this helpful

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  • Joshua
  • 2018-12-28

Yeah I loved it

So I am new to this portion of Roman History. Or I should say fictional history. Many of the terms used in the beginning were very foreign to me but as the story progressed and I did some side investigation I came to understand. The story and the narration are amazing. First with the story, it drew me in and established the characters, without leaving me in the dust. The narration, voices and accents brought it to life... Side note I’m pretty sure one or two sounded like Sean Connery.

6 people found this helpful

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  • Neil Ring
  • 2020-04-24

A Vivid Journey to Roman Britain...Outstanding!

The author, Adrian Goldsworthy, is a scholar of Roman history. In ``Vindolanda'' he writes a masterful novel solidly based on history and exciting fiction. Without doubt the best historic fiction I've read in very long time. As a suggestion, I would recommend that one read the author's notes at the end of the book. These notes explain the historic events upon which the novel is based. (YouTube has some interesting videos showing the archaeological work that is being done at Vindolanda.)
The narrator, Peter Noble, does wonderful work in portraying all the book's characters. He gives a distinct voice and accent to each.

4 people found this helpful

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  • Jose A.
  • 2020-02-25

Who to those who know nothing of Ancient Rome

The book is great, but the character names get confusing to keep straight through the first half of the book. Also, unless you are familiar with the ancient Roman army, its weapons, and its tactics, you might be a bit lost.

4 people found this helpful

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  • BVerité
  • 2020-04-14

Excellent historical fiction!

This author has written definitive Roman histories of so many important people, so many important times. He’s more than well-versed to create historical fiction that truly keeps the”historical” front and center, without neglecting the fascinating “fictional” heart of the work. Excited for the next 2 books!

3 people found this helpful