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Marching With Caesar #2
Conquest of Gaul
Marching With Caesar-Conquest of Gaul is a first-person narrative, written in the form of a memoir as dictated to a scribe of Titus Pullus, Legionary, Optio, First Spear Centurion of Caesar's 6th and 10th Legion. The memoir is written three years after his retirement as Camp Prefect, when Titus is 61 years old.
Titus, along with his boyhood friend Vibius Domitius, joins the 10th Legion in the draft of 61 BC, when Gaius Julius Caesar is the governor of Spain. Titus and Vibius are assigned to a tent group, with seven other men who will become their closest friends during their times in the legion. Titus, Vibius and their comrades endure the harsh training regimen that made the legions the most feared military force in the ancient world. The 10th Legion is blooded in a series of actions in Spain, led by Caesar in a campaign that was the true beginning of one of the most brilliant military careers in history.
Three years after joining the legions, the 10th is called on again, this time to be part of the subjugation of Gaul, one of the greatest feats of arms in any period of history. During the subsequent campaigns, the 10th cements its reputation as Caesar's most favored and trusted legion, and is involved in most of the major actions during this period.
This first book of a completed trilogy closes with Caesar crossing the Rubicon, and the 10th preparing to march to war, this time against fellow Romans.
Titus, along with his boyhood friend Vibius Domitius, joins the 10th Legion in the draft of 61 BC, when Gaius Julius Caesar is the governor of Spain. Titus and Vibius are assigned to a tent group, with seven other men who will become their closest friends during their times in the legion. Titus, Vibius and their comrades endure the harsh training regimen that made the legions the most feared military force in the ancient world. The 10th Legion is blooded in a series of actions in Spain, led by Caesar in a campaign that was the true beginning of one of the most brilliant military careers in history.
Three years after joining the legions, the 10th is called on again, this time to be part of the subjugation of Gaul, one of the greatest feats of arms in any period of history. During the subsequent campaigns, the 10th cements its reputation as Caesar's most favored and trusted legion, and is involved in most of the major actions during this period.
This first book of a completed trilogy closes with Caesar crossing the Rubicon, and the 10th preparing to march to war, this time against fellow Romans.
709 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
161 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
R.W. Peake
51 books107 followersThe first adult author with whom RW Peake developed a long-term relationship
was Louis L’Amour, whose body of work shaped his life philosophy.
After retiring from the Marines, RW proceeded to earn a BA in History from
the Honors College at the University of Houston.
Although RW wrote a novel as a kid, he didn't publish his first novel until
age 50.
In addition to is time in the Marines, and before the tech bubble burst in 2000, he was
a paper millionaire in the software industry.
A native Houstonian, RW recently relocated to the Olympic Peninsula of
Washington, where he lives with his yellow Lab, Sadie.
was Louis L’Amour, whose body of work shaped his life philosophy.
After retiring from the Marines, RW proceeded to earn a BA in History from
the Honors College at the University of Houston.
Although RW wrote a novel as a kid, he didn't publish his first novel until
age 50.
In addition to is time in the Marines, and before the tech bubble burst in 2000, he was
a paper millionaire in the software industry.
A native Houstonian, RW recently relocated to the Olympic Peninsula of
Washington, where he lives with his yellow Lab, Sadie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
June 25, 2012
I am an avid reader of Roman fiction and have read Scarrow and Sidebottom among others so bring a certain critical frame to this novel set in the period when Caesar embarks on his career into Gaul. It is a long work and very detailed in its descriptions of the day to day life as viewed through the eyes of its main protagonist Titus Pullus. As he embarks on a life as a legionary he takes the reader deep into the routines and training and battles of the legion. At first I was daunted by the length but I have to say that I was gripped from the first page onwards. Peake is able to infuse a lot of detail into character interaction and drama and so the action and description never feels like a lecture or out of place. This is a tricky act to pull off and Peake does it superbly. Vary rarely was I aware of lengthy descriptions or details except to read of them in the context of the ongoing action and drama. As a result, I thoroughly recommend this work to anyone interested in the this period of the Roman history. There is a gritty realism to it which makes it stand apart from the works of Scarrow and Sidebottom, for example, as the latter have always struck me as being a little too anachronistic in their characters and events - more as if a nostalgic British Empire is re-dressed in togas and sandals! Much as I do like their work, Peake here has crafted a solid and bloody novel which really plunges you into the day to day life a legionary on the march - and as Pullus rises up through the ranks and the grades in the exercitus of Rome, so too do you.
December 28, 2012
If you have read Caesar's 'Gallic Wars', you will be familiar with the territory this book covers. However, it is interesting to hear the story from the viewpoint of a legionary. It also has a ring of authenticity and the author's experience living as a US Marine gives the relationships between the men a sense of reality.
I have to admit that in the middle of the book I did think "God, not another battle!", but if the author was to follow history then I guess it had to be. One aspect that made me think was the pure element of slaughter that the Romans were responsible for. I suspect today, Caesar would have been arraigned in the Hague!
All in all a good read and I look forward to the next book.
June 2, 2012
Marching with Caesar is an extremely interesting account of a young soldier's experiences in the Roman Legion during the reign of Gaius Julius Caesar. Titus Pomponius Pullus is a young farm boy whose father has not much use for him, so he enlists in the Roman army. There, he demonstrates his skills as both a devoted career soldier with great potential. R.W. Peake traces first part of the fascinating career of Pullus in fine detail, from early basic training with his friend Vibius through the battles (ending with the "Rubicon") in graphic detail as though he himself lived it, all told from the main character's point of view. The dialogue contributes to the realism and authenticity of the time. Although I am not a history buff, I found myself engrossed in the story right from the beginning. This is is much more than a mere novel, but an epic story that I recommend highly for its historical accuracy and entertainment value. Seldom do readers find both; R.W. Peake will be a name to watch for in the Historical Fiction genre, especially since this is the first in a trilogy!
October 23, 2012
So, here we have a book about history. Not only history but Caesar. I’m not one that is much for history but the very first chapter was so bloody that I knew this had me hooked. The writing is fantastic and apparently the history is pretty dead on. Or so my hubby says since I kept exclaiming all the really good parts out to him!!
Although I like history, I’m more the type of person to read about historical romances, anything about the Tudors (OF course!!), stuff like that. But Caesar has always held a special interest for me. Much like King Henry VIII, Gaius Julius Caesar seems invincible, someone that nobody, even now can hold a candle to. RW Peake’s writing brings the story to us and why we love, or love to hate Caesar. He wasn’t invincible but the man was Great.
It is written in first person from the view of Titus Pomponius Pullus and that is what makes this story so real. From start to finish you can feel what this man, first a boy, goes through as he joins this great army. What makes it extra special to me was the training. I was in the military and the training can be excruciating. Your leaders are there for a reason and whether you think so or not, those leaders know better than you. Pullus is smart but he knows when to keep his mouth shut, when to speak up and when to move out.
I can say this, if you’re not looking for “bloody” history this book may not be for you. If you’re not squemish however, and like me enjoy the story of Caesar, pick this up straight away, you will not be disappointed.
Although I like history, I’m more the type of person to read about historical romances, anything about the Tudors (OF course!!), stuff like that. But Caesar has always held a special interest for me. Much like King Henry VIII, Gaius Julius Caesar seems invincible, someone that nobody, even now can hold a candle to. RW Peake’s writing brings the story to us and why we love, or love to hate Caesar. He wasn’t invincible but the man was Great.
It is written in first person from the view of Titus Pomponius Pullus and that is what makes this story so real. From start to finish you can feel what this man, first a boy, goes through as he joins this great army. What makes it extra special to me was the training. I was in the military and the training can be excruciating. Your leaders are there for a reason and whether you think so or not, those leaders know better than you. Pullus is smart but he knows when to keep his mouth shut, when to speak up and when to move out.
I can say this, if you’re not looking for “bloody” history this book may not be for you. If you’re not squemish however, and like me enjoy the story of Caesar, pick this up straight away, you will not be disappointed.
October 14, 2012
Published 2012, Smashword Edition, 652 pages
Marching with Caesar is the historical fiction story of Titus Pullus, as dictated to his scribe and companion, told from a legionary’s point-of-view commencing when Titus is 16 and determined to enter Rome’s legions.
It is his sole dream, one that is nourished by his brother-in-law, Cyclops, a former legionary, who trains Titus and his best friend, Vibius, for a military career.
Titus Pullus is a big boy, standing over 6 feet tall and heavily muscled. This size is both a downfall and a blessing. The downfall is his father despises him because his mother died giving birth to such a large baby. The blessing becomes apparent when he becomes a soldier in the ranks of the legions, although it does make him a target for the enemy who want to kill such a large foe.
Fortunately, for Titus, he has two loving sisters and a slave couple who raised him. Yet, this is not enough to protect him entirely from his father’s hatred. Residing on a fallow farm with his alcoholic father, Titus fantasizes about the day he can leave forever.
Although he is underage by one year, the promise of never seeing his son again and a belly full of booze convinces his father to swear to officials Titus is 17 years old, the minimum age Rome legions will accept tiros for training.
Titus is smug and full of pride at his size and his fighting capabilities. His time with Cyclops has him convinced he knows pretty much all there is becoming a legionnaire. His smugness quickly evaporates the first day when harshly disciplined by his superior for minor infractions.
Rome’s strength was the absolute obedience of its legions regardless of whether they agreed with commands. Titus, Vibius and their tent mates complete their intensive training and are now ready for action under their new Praetor, Gais Julius Caesar, in the newly raised 10th Legion. Caesar will rely heavily on the 10th Legion in the years and campaigns to come.
Marching with Caesar is 652 pages long. Fortunately, Caesar was a busy, ambitious man building an empire. In conquering such an empire, Caesar is forced to repeatedly subdue tribes in Gaul bent on rebelling against Rome’s rule.
Marching with Caesar details the daily lives of legionnaires, complete with the killing lust, comradeship, vulgarities (Peake has a glossary of Latin terms, a few of which made me laugh out loud), harsh punishments dealt for infractions and the joy of victories. Peake makes no excuses for actions that would be viewed as atrocities, in that day and today. It was what it was.
I won’t go into any detail of the plot, as to do so would contain spoilers.
Marching with Caesar is not just a man’s book. Peake captivated me throughout this entire epic work. I marched in the mud, huddled in wet misery, dug trenches, brutally killed enemies and massacred villages, buried bodies, built and destroyed Roman camps with incredible efficiency, was the enemy’s target, lost and loved with Titus. I was present at his every move compliments of Peake’s superior prose.
My recommendation is to read the foreword. It contains vital information which assists in understanding military operations, formation of legions and ranks.
Marching with Caesar is the historical fiction story of Titus Pullus, as dictated to his scribe and companion, told from a legionary’s point-of-view commencing when Titus is 16 and determined to enter Rome’s legions.
It is his sole dream, one that is nourished by his brother-in-law, Cyclops, a former legionary, who trains Titus and his best friend, Vibius, for a military career.
Titus Pullus is a big boy, standing over 6 feet tall and heavily muscled. This size is both a downfall and a blessing. The downfall is his father despises him because his mother died giving birth to such a large baby. The blessing becomes apparent when he becomes a soldier in the ranks of the legions, although it does make him a target for the enemy who want to kill such a large foe.
Fortunately, for Titus, he has two loving sisters and a slave couple who raised him. Yet, this is not enough to protect him entirely from his father’s hatred. Residing on a fallow farm with his alcoholic father, Titus fantasizes about the day he can leave forever.
Although he is underage by one year, the promise of never seeing his son again and a belly full of booze convinces his father to swear to officials Titus is 17 years old, the minimum age Rome legions will accept tiros for training.
Titus is smug and full of pride at his size and his fighting capabilities. His time with Cyclops has him convinced he knows pretty much all there is becoming a legionnaire. His smugness quickly evaporates the first day when harshly disciplined by his superior for minor infractions.
Rome’s strength was the absolute obedience of its legions regardless of whether they agreed with commands. Titus, Vibius and their tent mates complete their intensive training and are now ready for action under their new Praetor, Gais Julius Caesar, in the newly raised 10th Legion. Caesar will rely heavily on the 10th Legion in the years and campaigns to come.
Marching with Caesar is 652 pages long. Fortunately, Caesar was a busy, ambitious man building an empire. In conquering such an empire, Caesar is forced to repeatedly subdue tribes in Gaul bent on rebelling against Rome’s rule.
Marching with Caesar details the daily lives of legionnaires, complete with the killing lust, comradeship, vulgarities (Peake has a glossary of Latin terms, a few of which made me laugh out loud), harsh punishments dealt for infractions and the joy of victories. Peake makes no excuses for actions that would be viewed as atrocities, in that day and today. It was what it was.
I won’t go into any detail of the plot, as to do so would contain spoilers.
Marching with Caesar is not just a man’s book. Peake captivated me throughout this entire epic work. I marched in the mud, huddled in wet misery, dug trenches, brutally killed enemies and massacred villages, buried bodies, built and destroyed Roman camps with incredible efficiency, was the enemy’s target, lost and loved with Titus. I was present at his every move compliments of Peake’s superior prose.
My recommendation is to read the foreword. It contains vital information which assists in understanding military operations, formation of legions and ranks.
December 24, 2012
If you ever wondered exactly what it was like to be a Roman Legionary in the first century B.C. , this is your book! The author, R.W. Peake has a strong military background and a firm grasp of the psychology of both the common soldier and his higher ranking leaders. He also has extensive knowledge of Caesar’s army and the events of the day. Besides a thorough devouring of Caesars’ Commentaries, a whole host of historical research has obviously gone into this book. As a result, the experience of reading it is intimate and real.
The story is narrated by Titus Pullus, a legionary born in Astigi, a Roman town in Hispania. Titus and his friend Vibius yearn from an early age to be soldiers, and Titus has the advantage of having a brother-in-law, whom he calls Cyclops from want of an eye, who is a veteran of the Roman army and who is willing to teach Titus and Vibius basic military skills. Titus also has the advantage of being very large, well over six feet and solidly built. Titus’ father is a mean drunk who hates Titus because he blames him for the death of his wife who died bearing Titus, an overly large baby. Although the age for joining the legions is seventeen, Titus, at sixteen, persuades his father to swear to the military authorities that is son is seventeen, something he is willing to do just to be rid of the son he loathes. The only affection Titus has ever received was from his sisters and his father’s slaves, Phocas and Gaia. He determines to buy the freedom of the slaves when he accumulates enough money.
Possessed of both great strength and uncommon skill, Titus makes an exemplary soldier and quickly rises in the ranks. He survives battle after battle against the Gauls through this combination of strength, skill, and sometimes, luck. He develops strong emotional attachments to most of his tent mates. There are originally ten who share the tent but, by the end of the book at least four have perished.
Peake spares the reader nothing with regard to the viciousness and cruelty of the legionary’s life. Oft times Caesar grants clemency to the defeated, but at other times he allows massacres, rapine and plunder. Pullus describes an incident where Caesar orders the complete destruction of a tribe, and Pullus finds himself pursuing and killing women and infants. He must comply with the orders, but scenes of these depredations haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. Discipline in the Roman army was also exceedingly harsh, and at one point Pullus must preside over the scourging and crucifixion of a former tent mate who has raped and killed townspeople during a drunken binge.
I highly recommend Marching With Caesar for anyone who wants a clear picture of Roman Legionary life.
The story is narrated by Titus Pullus, a legionary born in Astigi, a Roman town in Hispania. Titus and his friend Vibius yearn from an early age to be soldiers, and Titus has the advantage of having a brother-in-law, whom he calls Cyclops from want of an eye, who is a veteran of the Roman army and who is willing to teach Titus and Vibius basic military skills. Titus also has the advantage of being very large, well over six feet and solidly built. Titus’ father is a mean drunk who hates Titus because he blames him for the death of his wife who died bearing Titus, an overly large baby. Although the age for joining the legions is seventeen, Titus, at sixteen, persuades his father to swear to the military authorities that is son is seventeen, something he is willing to do just to be rid of the son he loathes. The only affection Titus has ever received was from his sisters and his father’s slaves, Phocas and Gaia. He determines to buy the freedom of the slaves when he accumulates enough money.
Possessed of both great strength and uncommon skill, Titus makes an exemplary soldier and quickly rises in the ranks. He survives battle after battle against the Gauls through this combination of strength, skill, and sometimes, luck. He develops strong emotional attachments to most of his tent mates. There are originally ten who share the tent but, by the end of the book at least four have perished.
Peake spares the reader nothing with regard to the viciousness and cruelty of the legionary’s life. Oft times Caesar grants clemency to the defeated, but at other times he allows massacres, rapine and plunder. Pullus describes an incident where Caesar orders the complete destruction of a tribe, and Pullus finds himself pursuing and killing women and infants. He must comply with the orders, but scenes of these depredations haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. Discipline in the Roman army was also exceedingly harsh, and at one point Pullus must preside over the scourging and crucifixion of a former tent mate who has raped and killed townspeople during a drunken binge.
I highly recommend Marching With Caesar for anyone who wants a clear picture of Roman Legionary life.
December 27, 2012
Brilliant - just brilliant! This is a book about a young wannabe roman legionaire who volunteers for the Roman army at the age of 16, pretending to be the requisite 17. The book details his training, his experiences in battle, including the acquisition of the spoils of war. Julius Caesar is the Commander of the force and we learn just how strategic a man he was, but also he inspiring he was. Our hero, Titus Pullus engages fully in battle and we follow his journey as a career soldier, comrade and friend and laugh and weep with him. Full of detail which evidences the undoubtable and considerable research that the author has covered. I cannot praise this book highly enough - tremendous value too - more than 500 pages worth of reading.
September 16, 2012
The detailed look at the common soldier was an appealing issue, and everyone loves a hero who is a hero, but the actually living through a campaign gives such good insight to the overall perspective of the Roman Centurion. I enjoyed this book and wish Titus well.
January 20, 2013
I'm giving this 4 stars - originally it was going to be close on 5, but I think it's really closer to 4 after reading the whole thing. My usual "Roman" reading is either MASSIE, ALLAN (a sort of up-to-date earthy I, Claudius series) or the Decius Metellus senator-detective SPQR series by John Maddox Roberts. This is a very different kettle piscorum.
An immaculately researched book. Not only does the author have a very good grasp of the Commentarii de Bello Gallico, and the details of the military campaigns and tribal politics of that age as described by one Caius Julius Caesar, he also took the trouble to dress up in legionary armour and tramp around the place to get a feel for what it was like to be a legionary. In addition, he has parlayed his experience with the US Marine Corps into the Roman legionaries' attitude and speech. Some of the swearing comes off a little falsely, perhaps (though I do like "by Pluto's thorny cock" - it has a certain ring to it), but the relationship between grunts and NCOs, and that between the enlisted men and the officers ring true. There's a very gritty realism in the descriptions, and the main character has enough interest and flaws for me, at least, to want to find out more about him, as well as what happens to him.
There was one part where things didn't ring completely true - where Titus Pullus is being instructed in mathematics. Since the Romans didn't use zero in their numbers, the trick that is taught to him and described here wouldn't work. On the other hand, going through the same process using Roman notation would have taken several technical and boring pages.
Why not 5 stars? Because in many ways it is repetitive - as was the life that he describes. March, build a camp, sleep, destroy the camp, march, fight, march, build a camp, sleep... The descriptions of battle are not for the squeamish, but then neither was battle in those days. Cutting off a man's limbs or head is a somewhat different experience to today's often remote-control methods of waging high-tech war. There were a couple of editing slips here and there (but then I'm fussy about these things, and I know with my own books how easy it is for one or two to slip through, as they did here).
This book is definitely worth a read if you have an interest in military history, or Roman history, but I do recognise that it's not everyone's cup of tea.
An immaculately researched book. Not only does the author have a very good grasp of the Commentarii de Bello Gallico, and the details of the military campaigns and tribal politics of that age as described by one Caius Julius Caesar, he also took the trouble to dress up in legionary armour and tramp around the place to get a feel for what it was like to be a legionary. In addition, he has parlayed his experience with the US Marine Corps into the Roman legionaries' attitude and speech. Some of the swearing comes off a little falsely, perhaps (though I do like "by Pluto's thorny cock" - it has a certain ring to it), but the relationship between grunts and NCOs, and that between the enlisted men and the officers ring true. There's a very gritty realism in the descriptions, and the main character has enough interest and flaws for me, at least, to want to find out more about him, as well as what happens to him.
There was one part where things didn't ring completely true - where Titus Pullus is being instructed in mathematics. Since the Romans didn't use zero in their numbers, the trick that is taught to him and described here wouldn't work. On the other hand, going through the same process using Roman notation would have taken several technical and boring pages.
Why not 5 stars? Because in many ways it is repetitive - as was the life that he describes. March, build a camp, sleep, destroy the camp, march, fight, march, build a camp, sleep... The descriptions of battle are not for the squeamish, but then neither was battle in those days. Cutting off a man's limbs or head is a somewhat different experience to today's often remote-control methods of waging high-tech war. There were a couple of editing slips here and there (but then I'm fussy about these things, and I know with my own books how easy it is for one or two to slip through, as they did here).
This book is definitely worth a read if you have an interest in military history, or Roman history, but I do recognise that it's not everyone's cup of tea.
September 9, 2013
Being a lover of the Under the Eagle series I was drawn to this one right away, I wanted to see how Mr. Peake did with his telling (I respect Mr. Peake’s experience and I was certain he’d provide some interesting insight to what a legionnaire might see under Caesar) and I was hoping for some good gritty descriptions. Something that really earned kudos from me was Mr. Peake wanting to understand the load a legionnaire carried and experiencing it himself (especially in Big Bend National Park. I’d almost expect him to be writing about Legion X Fretensis at Masada instead).
This has been an interesting read and Mr. Peake’s personal experiences and ability to overlay them have made this a fun good read if slightly long read. He seems to have taken some of the varnish off of what Julius Caesar and the historians have written about the conquest of Gaul which is to be expected given the boots on the ground perspective. Having said that I found myself missing something in Titus’s “memoir” was passion and feeling. Yes he’s telling his tale from many years afterward but he seems too distant and there’s lots of “focus” within the combats that seems to drag a little. This is probably due to the length of the operation (the actual operations took 8 years and the book is over 600 pages) and that Titus doesn’t seem to reflect much during the non-campaigning season (I’m sorry, I was heavily influenced by The Forgotten Soldier and with Mr. Peake’s “personal” accounting there a natural alignment to it) or on the non-combat aspects (Roman legionnaires were as famous for their road building as they were for combat; I will tip my hat though that Mr. Peake does tell us about the Roman’s as combat engineers). That said there’s much goodness in this work, especially reading about the training experienced and the fear and unpredictable nature of combat.
Rating wise I’ve been all over the place on this one. At high tide marks it’s close to 5 stars, at low tide it’s headed to 3. Given this swing I’ll call it a 4 star book and it’s worthy of it due to the insight provided on the conquest of Gaul and Mr. Peake providing what I believe realistic insight into how a legionnaire would feel.
This has been an interesting read and Mr. Peake’s personal experiences and ability to overlay them have made this a fun good read if slightly long read. He seems to have taken some of the varnish off of what Julius Caesar and the historians have written about the conquest of Gaul which is to be expected given the boots on the ground perspective. Having said that I found myself missing something in Titus’s “memoir” was passion and feeling. Yes he’s telling his tale from many years afterward but he seems too distant and there’s lots of “focus” within the combats that seems to drag a little. This is probably due to the length of the operation (the actual operations took 8 years and the book is over 600 pages) and that Titus doesn’t seem to reflect much during the non-campaigning season (I’m sorry, I was heavily influenced by The Forgotten Soldier and with Mr. Peake’s “personal” accounting there a natural alignment to it) or on the non-combat aspects (Roman legionnaires were as famous for their road building as they were for combat; I will tip my hat though that Mr. Peake does tell us about the Roman’s as combat engineers). That said there’s much goodness in this work, especially reading about the training experienced and the fear and unpredictable nature of combat.
Rating wise I’ve been all over the place on this one. At high tide marks it’s close to 5 stars, at low tide it’s headed to 3. Given this swing I’ll call it a 4 star book and it’s worthy of it due to the insight provided on the conquest of Gaul and Mr. Peake providing what I believe realistic insight into how a legionnaire would feel.
November 17, 2012
This is probably a man's book. It is immensely long and most of it is about fighting. The author has certainly done his research; he has studied Roman history, even to the extent, he tells us, of kitting himself out in authentic Roman legionary's kit and going for long marches in it to find out how it felt. He has himself served in the US marines and uses that experience to imagine how a Roman soldier would have acted and felt. He does this well. He pulls few punches - except possibly about rape - and the battle and massacre scenes are vividly described and truly shocking. This is war as it must have been for those in Caesar's armies - horrible, personal, and bloody. It is also quite amazing and sobering, for someone who has not specialized in this period, to read of the size of the armies of the Gauls which the Romans - mostly - defeated; not just Asterix and Obelix, but hundreds of thousands of men from many different tribes. These ancient wars were no sideshow, but a colossal struggle for dominance.
Despite its length, the book is well written and easy to read. There are several maps at the beginning, but the kindle doesn't do maps well, and if I had read it in a print edition I would have hoped for many more smaller maps to illustrate the different battles, the tactics of which are not always easy to follow completely. The author provides a glossary of Latin phrases, but those which I searched for in it, such as acies triplex, were not there. The story is told by the hero, Titus Pullus, in the first person. He is a wholly believable character, as are his friend Vibius and the other legionaries, but there are only two necessarily minor female characters, and because the story is constructed around a series of campaigns which the soldiers have little choice but to follow, it lacks the dramatic tension common to most novels, where the story is driven by the choices and decisions the characters make.
Nonetheless the story is very readable, very memorable, and a considerable achievement. Caesar's army brought to life.
Despite its length, the book is well written and easy to read. There are several maps at the beginning, but the kindle doesn't do maps well, and if I had read it in a print edition I would have hoped for many more smaller maps to illustrate the different battles, the tactics of which are not always easy to follow completely. The author provides a glossary of Latin phrases, but those which I searched for in it, such as acies triplex, were not there. The story is told by the hero, Titus Pullus, in the first person. He is a wholly believable character, as are his friend Vibius and the other legionaries, but there are only two necessarily minor female characters, and because the story is constructed around a series of campaigns which the soldiers have little choice but to follow, it lacks the dramatic tension common to most novels, where the story is driven by the choices and decisions the characters make.
Nonetheless the story is very readable, very memorable, and a considerable achievement. Caesar's army brought to life.
October 11, 2013
I have no idea how I missed this book and the others that follow in the series, especially as I read everything I can in this genre. However, I've found them now and all I can say is WOW, well done Ron on producing a truly epic read. As a former serviceman myself of twenty five years (got my citizenship), I can really identify with the characters and atmosphere that are created in this wonderfully crafted book.
I began reading Marching With Caesar one Friday night after work at about 6pm and before I knew it, it was nearly 1am, where the time went I just have no idea. What is blatantly apparent when reading this book is the amount of study that went into it before the author even put pen to paper or finger to keypad more likely, which is paramount when being a product of this nature for it to be credible. Then I found out that Ron had dressed as a Roman legionary just to get a feel for how they felt, fantastic.
Within the bigger picture in this book is the minute detail of what it was like to be a legionary, the equipment they carried, the food they ate, what it was like to live in a tent party, the weapons they used and how they felt when facing death or a battle that they knew they may not live through. A lot of authors merely write about these things but as a former US Marine, Ron can tell you what it's like and it's something else I can relate to.
Kudos to you Mr Peake and I salute you for your efforts, determination and a writing triumph, now I've got to get hold of book two.
I began reading Marching With Caesar one Friday night after work at about 6pm and before I knew it, it was nearly 1am, where the time went I just have no idea. What is blatantly apparent when reading this book is the amount of study that went into it before the author even put pen to paper or finger to keypad more likely, which is paramount when being a product of this nature for it to be credible. Then I found out that Ron had dressed as a Roman legionary just to get a feel for how they felt, fantastic.
Within the bigger picture in this book is the minute detail of what it was like to be a legionary, the equipment they carried, the food they ate, what it was like to live in a tent party, the weapons they used and how they felt when facing death or a battle that they knew they may not live through. A lot of authors merely write about these things but as a former US Marine, Ron can tell you what it's like and it's something else I can relate to.
Kudos to you Mr Peake and I salute you for your efforts, determination and a writing triumph, now I've got to get hold of book two.
February 11, 2014
Military Historical fiction as good as any contemporary or legendary author.
Marching With Caesar- conquest of Gaul was my first taste of R.W. Peake's literary talents. As a retired military man (23 yrs) and an avid historian, I can say that Peake ranks with Jeff Shaara, Bernard Cornwell, Christian Cameron and Shelby Foote, in his ability to blend well-researched history with the narrative conversational style of this first person story regarding the exploits of a Roman Legionaire as he serves with Gaius Julius Caesar. Peake's experience as a soldier vividly portrays the experiences of the soldier virtually unchanged over the centuries. Hard, brave men who bitch and moan loudly, but will give their life for comrade or cause. Peake also provides an in-depth look at the logistics, tactics and strategy necessary to effectively utilize 20,000-40,000 men over long distances before availability of modern communications or transport. Salve Sgt Peake, Jerry A. Weihe, Colonel, USAF (ret),
Marching With Caesar- conquest of Gaul was my first taste of R.W. Peake's literary talents. As a retired military man (23 yrs) and an avid historian, I can say that Peake ranks with Jeff Shaara, Bernard Cornwell, Christian Cameron and Shelby Foote, in his ability to blend well-researched history with the narrative conversational style of this first person story regarding the exploits of a Roman Legionaire as he serves with Gaius Julius Caesar. Peake's experience as a soldier vividly portrays the experiences of the soldier virtually unchanged over the centuries. Hard, brave men who bitch and moan loudly, but will give their life for comrade or cause. Peake also provides an in-depth look at the logistics, tactics and strategy necessary to effectively utilize 20,000-40,000 men over long distances before availability of modern communications or transport. Salve Sgt Peake, Jerry A. Weihe, Colonel, USAF (ret),
June 5, 2013
If you like historical fiction with realistic depictions of ancient world warfare, you will love this novel. It is the first of a series telling the story of Pullus, a legionary in Caesar's army. Many of the scenes in the book are not necessarily pleasant to contemplate, such as the torture and executions of civilians and violent deaths of the soldiers, but are likely accurate. Life back then was not easy.
I loved this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Ancient history, both fiction and nonfiction, is one of my favorite genres and this series ranks up there with the best of them.
I loved this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Ancient history, both fiction and nonfiction, is one of my favorite genres and this series ranks up there with the best of them.
November 24, 2012
This was an excellent book. For the price I wasn't sure what to expect, but the characters and story really pulled me in and I read the book almost non stop.
Peake does a really good job with putting his characters in a historical setting and props to him that he opted to tell the story of the grunts in the legions rather than the movers and shakers.
I really enjoyed the realism of Titus' character. He isn't without faults and is very ambitious.
This is one of my favorite books set in ancient Rome.(less)
Aug 07, 2012 04:19pm · delete
Peake does a really good job with putting his characters in a historical setting and props to him that he opted to tell the story of the grunts in the legions rather than the movers and shakers.
I really enjoyed the realism of Titus' character. He isn't without faults and is very ambitious.
This is one of my favorite books set in ancient Rome.(less)
Aug 07, 2012 04:19pm · delete
October 8, 2012
I enjoy books about ancient Rome's Legions. The cover to this book on Amazon caught my attention and so did the numerous 5 star ratings it had. In fact all of the 28 ratings were 5 star ratings and nothing lower. I thought to myself that no book could be that good to only have 5 star ratings, so I decided to read it, and I was right, it didn't deserve a 5 star rating . . . it deserved 6 stars because that's how good the book was. If you like books about ancient Rome - then read this one. You won't be disappointed.
February 3, 2013
3.5 stars for the story, 1 star for the writing. I enjoyed the story even though it bogged down in places; however, the author needs to hire an editor who knows what he/she is doing as regards English grammar, syntax, and punctuation. It's obvious that Peake loves Roman history, especially the time of Caesar; however, it is just as obvious that he is weak in the rules of English. There are also historical errors, but they are not egregious, and this is after all, a historical novel and not history.
January 26, 2016
A great read and a wonderful look into the organization and rank of a Roman Legion. They were a machine of discipline, routine, honor and engineered victories through hard work and skill. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of 'science' and thought that went into great armies of the ancient world: Spartans, Romans and the like. War and warfare were given utmost talents to hon skills necessary to conquer and hold. R W Peake had done a great job of re-telling this fascinating story of Titus, a man that went onto great glory for Rome.
April 10, 2014
Check of a good read!!
Great characterizations. Definitely get a feeling of being transported back in time and seeing the times and places through the eyes of the Roman soldiers. Definitely found myself getting fully immersed in most of the battle sequences. Am ready to start the second in the series and if it is as good as the first (which I expect it will be) then I look forward to reading them all.
Great characterizations. Definitely get a feeling of being transported back in time and seeing the times and places through the eyes of the Roman soldiers. Definitely found myself getting fully immersed in most of the battle sequences. Am ready to start the second in the series and if it is as good as the first (which I expect it will be) then I look forward to reading them all.
May 26, 2016
A good Marine knows what the troops go through and Peake hit the nail on the head. I still remember my D.I.s.. Historically accurate as well as a novel can be. Though I'd have put the glossary in the front and added maps.
Our closest brothers are those whom we fight alongside. Peake brought this fact out and seems he couldn't help adding a Marine flavor to his novel. Sen per fiction.
Our closest brothers are those whom we fight alongside. Peake brought this fact out and seems he couldn't help adding a Marine flavor to his novel. Sen per fiction.
June 1, 2013
Cannot say enough good things about this series. Very well done, action-packed, a total page-turner. Nothing worse than getting to the middle of a battle when it's bed time! Thoroughly enjoyed! Be warned, there's some NSFW language, but it's not gratuitous and it is germane to the story and feel of the book. Looking forward to more from R.W. Peake!
June 30, 2013
This was an excellent story in desperate need of an editor. While I thoroughly enjoyed the yarn about life in the legions from the standpoint of the ordinary solider, the clumsy syntax and sloppy grammar were a constant irritant. Notwithstanding, it says something for the quality of the story that I was spellbound through all 600 pages.
January 11, 2014
Great read, lots of detail
This book was a true joy to read I was very impressed by the fact that the author didn't really dumb down all the Latin parts to the daily lives of the legionaries. The book is very detailed and anyone with an interest in the Roman time period should find it very satisfying. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
This book was a true joy to read I was very impressed by the fact that the author didn't really dumb down all the Latin parts to the daily lives of the legionaries. The book is very detailed and anyone with an interest in the Roman time period should find it very satisfying. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
March 13, 2013
Compelling story of life in the Roman army.
August 9, 2013
Good military adventure, but suffers from insufficient editing...
August 5, 2013
Exactly what I was hoping it would be. A great narrative from a fellow grunt, demonstrating that some aspects of military life have not changed over the centuries. On to Volume 2.
December 31, 2016
An extremely engaging exploration of what it might have been like to serve under the great Caesar. The authors attention to detail serves to educate the reader in an extremely captivating way.
September 18, 2018
Maybe I read too much historical fiction or am to familiar with the exploits of Caesar in Gaul but this story was a bit boring to me.
So what's wrong with it? Almost all events and or plot lines happen in sequence like then this happened and then that and then we went to there and then we fought there.
What I like about other historical fiction is when there are a few plot lines playing against a bigger background and that you feel for the characters. Here they are rather stereotyped.
The only interesting part is the campaign itself but for that I had more fun reading and rereading De Bello Gallico.
So what's wrong with it? Almost all events and or plot lines happen in sequence like then this happened and then that and then we went to there and then we fought there.
What I like about other historical fiction is when there are a few plot lines playing against a bigger background and that you feel for the characters. Here they are rather stereotyped.
The only interesting part is the campaign itself but for that I had more fun reading and rereading De Bello Gallico.
March 16, 2024
The second book in the series. If you have read book one, start with Chapter 5.
I liked the first book but see there are more in the series and I thought in future books there could be lots of fighting and not much else, which was the case. They fight the troublesome Gauls a number of times, fight the Germans and with the Germans, twice sail to Britain to fight there, and so on.
Being a top fighter, and a favourite of Caesar, Pallus is promoted to Sergeant, to Optio and then to Pilus Prior, a leader of Centurions of the tenth.
Friend Vibius is a bit of a thorn in his side with his many criticisms but in the end, they stand by each other.
I liked the first book but see there are more in the series and I thought in future books there could be lots of fighting and not much else, which was the case. They fight the troublesome Gauls a number of times, fight the Germans and with the Germans, twice sail to Britain to fight there, and so on.
Being a top fighter, and a favourite of Caesar, Pallus is promoted to Sergeant, to Optio and then to Pilus Prior, a leader of Centurions of the tenth.
Friend Vibius is a bit of a thorn in his side with his many criticisms but in the end, they stand by each other.
February 7, 2021
I wrote myself a book on Roman history about ten years ago, part of a school project, and dedicated an entire chapter to the Conquest of Gaul. And I must say that this novel is exceptionally true to history, not only telling us the history of this war, but also showing us how this was lived by the very men who participated to it. We strongly bind with the characters, loving them and hating them at the same time, as we see the hardships they face as soldiers of the Roman Republic, but also the crimes and horrors they both witness and commit along the way.
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