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The Great Revolt

(Marius' Mules #7)

S.J.A. Turney (Goodreads Author)

4.55 · Rating details · 653 ratings · 19 reviews

The pieces are in place. After many months of clandestine organisation, Vercingetorix, backed by the druids and leading an army of rebellious tribes, is ready to make his first moves towards independence for his people and the annihilation of Rome's presence in Gaul.

Meanwhile, Caesar attends to business in Aquileia, unaware that he is cut off from the bulk of his army in t ...more

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Kindle Edition, 516 pages

Published October 31st 2014 by Victrix Books; 1st edition (first published October 27th 2014)

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Oct 17, 2014 Paul Bennett rated it it was amazing

I have a pretty full plate right now when talking about reading and in my case now, writing. I have at least three Kindle books to read not including the one I am currently reading and a couple paperbacks as well. This is now coupled with the writing of my first novel and I would be hesitant to add anything else for the time being. However when given the chance to beta read a new Marius Mules then hesitancy is forgotten, current read is put on hold and the writing slows for a bit. Marius Mules I have a pretty full plate right now when talking about reading and in my case now, writing. I have at least three Kindle books to read not including the one I am currently reading and a couple paperbacks as well. This is now coupled with the writing of my first novel and I would be hesitant to add anything else for the time being. However when given the chance to beta read a new Marius Mules then hesitancy is forgotten, current read is put on hold and the writing slows for a bit. Marius Mules VII - The Great Revolt covers the events of 52 BC, the year that Vercingetorix gathers the tribes of Gaul under his banner and wages war against the Roman Pro-Consul Gaius Julius Caesar for the control of Gaul. Given the many difficult situations Caesar has faced and will face in the future, this revolt I think comes closest to destroying him and in this book the author does a masterful job in portraying the ebb and flow of events. In a cataclysmic, history defining period such as this it is not enough to hear the story from just the Romans and so in a departure from previous Marius Mules volumes we have an in depth telling of the Gaul point of view as well. Character development is once again on form; we see and feel the moods, the doubts, the confidence, the emotional toil of both Gaul and Roman. Fronto our old friend is back to his customary position of fighting in the front ranks but at the same time is beginning to show his age. We also meet some very interesting new characters especially on the Gaul side. But to balance out the additions the war takes its toll and we lose some cherished friends...I think there is a point in every one of the Marius Mules series that I start hurling vulgar laden invective at Mr. Turney for killing off various favorites and that trend continues in number 7...but I must state for the record that I really don't have a problem with it, after all rule number 1 in war is that people die. Another strong aspect of this book is the amount of research the author did, walking the ancient battlefields and oppidums of Bibracte, Gorgovina and Alesia to name a few. You get a real feel for the topography, the makeup of the Gaulish oppidum and the circumvalations of Caesar. Suffice to say that when I finished #7 I knew I had read an excellent retelling of this make it or break it year for Caesar and am already looking forward to #8 - we still have that pesky group of nobles to deal with; you know; Cato, Brutus Cicero and the big man himself, Pompey Magnus. 5 stars and highest recommendation. ...more

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May 16, 2019 Kd rated it it was amazing

A classic page turner

It was easy to forget the fictional elements and to lose oneself in the narrative as though it were all fact. And try as you may to see from the Gaulish point of view, eympathy stays with Rome and Caesar and Legate Fronto

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Jun 29, 2015 Leonard Bacica rated it it was amazing

Let me start with a huge spoiler: Caesar has won the war on Gauls. The readers that don't know that are very lucky, as they will have on their hands a very tense historical novel, whose conclusion hangs on a thread up until the very end. For the rest of us, the point of interest rests more with the journey than with the destination. Of course Caesar or Marc Anthony survive and, to an extent, we all know what happened to Vercingetorix in the aftermath of the battle of Alesia, but there's uncertai Let me start with a huge spoiler: Caesar has won the war on Gauls. The readers that don't know that are very lucky, as they will have on their hands a very tense historical novel, whose conclusion hangs on a thread up until the very end. For the rest of us, the point of interest rests more with the journey than with the destination. Of course Caesar or Marc Anthony survive and, to an extent, we all know what happened to Vercingetorix in the aftermath of the battle of Alesia, but there's uncertainty over the faith of our main (fictional) heroes. There are a lot of layers to this book and I guess it speaks to different audiences in different ways: for teens and pre-teens it is an excellent introduction to the Roman world and they should certainly read this or something similar before they take on Gibbon; for laypersons with little to no interest in history it does the same job the popular science books do, in that it teaches a few history lessons while being a very entertaining read; for readers familiar with Roman history and Julius Caesar's writings, it puts a lot of flesh over the skeleton of a book that De Bello Gallico is. Even within this last category we could make a separation between historians - interested in dates, numbers and hard facts, military historians - curios to find out about battle tactics, weaponry, siege engines and the like and re-enacters of one sort or another - interested in costume, way of life, way of thinking. There really is something for everyone in this heavily documented account of Caesar's most important campaign in Gaul that, although follows very close the official version of the emperor-to-be, it is over 40 times longer.

Now, there's one thing to be said about Gaius Julius Caesar: the man excelled in everything it did and his merits far expand beyond the limits of any one area. He was a masterful soldier, commander, politician, historian, writer, sociologist and perhaps many others. Although my first serious introduction to character was Alexander Dumas' less-than-flattering account in the namesake book, the more I learn about the man, the more I appreciate it. And there is a lot to be said about how, despite all his merits, he is such a controversial and often negative character of history. However, for the purpose of this article, let us concentrate on just his writing merits. Despite his Commentaries being first and foremost a journalistic account for the senate and the people of Rome, the man certainly kept a view to posterity when writing it. He must've had. There are hints and smells in his writings that is talking not only to his contemporaries, but possibly to many future generations. And while it certainly it does not pass as what it would be called entertaining writing nowadays, there is a clarity and concision in his style that leaves a lot to be admired. Besides, at times his writing is no less than a literary master-stroke, to the point that poor Aulus Hirstius, who wrote the eighth and last book of De Bello Gallico says about the other seven that "no composition was ever executed with so great care, that it is not exceeded in elegance by these Commentaries".

Writing about these same events and willingly submitting your writing to the inevitable comparison with that of the great man is an enterprise bold if nothing else. But Simon does a beautiful job at it and, with the understanding of the difference in purpose, it does exceed Caesar's merits in ways which more than make up for the ones that he falls short in. For example, here's Caesar speaking to the troops in the wake of the reckless failed attack on the walls of Gergovia: "That as much as he admired the greatness of their courage, since neither the fortifications of the camp, nor the height of the mountain, nor the wall of the town could retard them; in the same degree he censured their licentiousness and arrogance, because they thought that they knew more than their general concerning victory, and the issue of actions: and that he required in his soldiers forbearance and self-command, not less than valour and magnanimity."

And here's Simon: " Indeed, I am, on a base level, proud of the daring and fearlessness of you all. For, though by your arrogant insubordination you brought about our defeat here, the manner in which it occurred will become a tale of heroism someday. For no terrain or enemy or even the walls of that great oppidum stopped you when your blood was up. So, from this, take away not a loss for our army, but the knowledge that only our own pride and fierceness brought about our downfall, not the strength or daring of our enemy."

Which one is better? That is for each man to decide. I will say two things about this particular moment:

1. while I see nothing wrong to copy, at times, the general's words letter by letter, Simon tends to avoid that thinking probably it would be in some ways dishonest or unethical. Likewise, he considers it his duty to stick to the letter and to the official account at times when, to my mind, there is a lot of room for fictionalization, fantasy and what if-s.

2. there is something in Simon's books that is entirely missing from Caesar's: the view from the lines, from the other side. Simon continues: "There was almost an imperceptible straightening of the backs". It is, in my opinion, the big plus of the Marius' Mules books. This kind of detail that makes the reader really see the times and events depicted and it is as close as you can get to being an eyewitness from a man which, although has not been an eyewitness himself, he sure wishes he was. It is also what makes the Marius' Mules books - like I said before - only one step away from movie scripts and I sure as hell would like to see this series brought to the screen.

I find Fronto a much less likeable character now that he was in the first book. Which is good, I like myself a good anti-hero. It is admirable from the author to try and show things from different perspectives, including the Gauls in the fist person depiction of events. However, it is clear as daylight that there is a lot less hard historical information available about the Gauls than it is about the Romans. And it shows in the book, and this is one instance where Simon could have babbled on about gods, about Ogrimos, master of the dead and how he's viewed and revered by Gauls and their druids or how he's entered the Gallic pantheon via Greece. Or about anything, really. But, because I spoke of gods, I might have touched on the wrong topic as the author himself is clearly a deeply secular man, with a strong conviction that there is no superior order to the world than the one we see and understand. And he borrows this feature to the two main characters: Fronto and Cavarinos the Gaul. Fair enough.

For comparison, he takes all the liberties in depicting the German warriors and their fighting style - to the point where they seem to be the deciding factor in two of the key battles, which both makes them one of the most colourful, vivid and likeable presence in the book and betray where the author's true interests lie: of the categories of readers described above, he's one of the re-enacters.

For some reason, I particularly liked Masgava, the big Numidian mercenary, ex-gladiator and one of Fronto's bodyguards. I would be really curios on reading an account of the events from his prospective, as a complete neutral and alien to this fight and because of the exotic element he brings. The short forays into the minds of Gauls fighting against Gauls I found particularly attractive.

The book is a hugely entertaining reading and you can get anything but bored. If anything, it is a bit too dense and one might be left with the impression that it is nothing more than a series of sieges. By the time we get to the siege of Alesia, I found it hard to recall what happened at Avaricum or Noviodunum. In fairness, I think the siege of Alesia alone would have been deserving of a whole book and I reiterate the idea that this one book could easily have been split into two. Nevertheless, the reader is not forced to race through it like I did and is free to take it all in at its own pace. Oh, and do not be afraid to use those maps in the beginning. They are another great feature which is sorely absent from Caesar's journals and incredibly useful in Marius' Mules. Unlike in the first book, I have now learnt to refer to them every few pages, and they are incredibly useful in figuring out the battle plans and strategies that the characters talk about. ...more

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Oct 28, 2020 Jaybour rated it liked it

Jenny and Lilian Should Be Sacked

The editing of this book is an absolute travesty. Endless sentences, total disdain for correct pronoun usage (e.g., he vs. him, I vs. me), homonym abuse (e.g., reign vs. rein, counsel vs.council), and innumerable word omissions made for a very unpleasant read. Yet Turney thanks Jenny and Lilian for their editing! The mind boggles.

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Oct 24, 2018 Gerald Zemlo rated it it was amazing

.

Romans at their best. Gruesome delivery of words take you into the action. Best book yet in the series. Can't wait to read the next. ...more

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Jul 08, 2019 Daniel E. rated it it was amazing

Great read!!

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Jun 30, 2020 Tony Pursel rated it it was amazing

Again Great

The saga of MARIUS'S Mules keeps getting better and better.
This book is longer than some of the past works but well worth the time. ...more

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Jan 08, 2019 David Miles rated it it was amazing

Ave Caesar!

Wow. That was a fantastic depiction of the Roman subjugation of the Gallic tribes.

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Mar 18, 2015 Robin Carter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Review:
As anyone who follows my blog knows I’m a friend and fan of Simons work, but I like to think I can still be objective in my reviews. The good thing is I don’t have to try that hard, because every book Simon writes at the moment learns from the last, improves on the last and provides powerful exhilarating characters, intricate plotting and as the series has progressed, a breakneck speed.
MM7 is no exception, in fact it is probably that and a lot more. For me the Marius Mules series has alwa ...more

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Nov 21, 2014 Francis Mulhern rated it it was amazing

I think the Fronto series is my favourite Roman read. The great revolt harks back to the earlier books with more warfare and a complex plot which draws the reader into the action. I really must add that anyone wanting a good story, plenty of battles and book that you can hardlyput down because it is so good - this is the one for you.
I really liked the addition of different character views brought in through the narrative and felt that the story was better for it. I loved the extensive battles an ...more

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Oct 16, 2015 Guy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: roman-fiction

I just love this series; what more can I say. You must start at the beginning or you will lose a lot. The characters and the writing have developed over the series and the plots have become more sophisticated. I am praying that Fronto will fight on against Pompey and through the the Civil Wars. That way there will be so much more to read!

If you love Roman military fiction, this is a must.

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Dec 24, 2014 Bill Campbell rated it it was amazing

Wondering about Alesia?

Tourney is a great writer and it is always great to read one of his books. He studies the history so you don't need to.

If you know something about Alesia and are curious about the events surrounding this great battle, this is an entertaining way to become educated concerning this history. ...more

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Nov 18, 2014 Kate rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: out-in-2014-and-read

A thoroughly researched and action-packed account of Caesar's campaign against the mighty Gaul - Vercingetorix.

...more

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Jul 19, 2015 John Warren rated it it was amazing

probably the best series I have read in long time cant wait to pick it up again after gaul and lead into the civil war

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Dec 06, 2014 Roger rated it really liked it

At times I really needed a map to see where we were in Gaul, it can be very confusing. Draws a lot of threads together in a monster of a final narrative.

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May 28, 2015 Robert rated it really liked it · review of another edition

as good as the rest of them. waiting for the next one.

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Mar 17, 2016 M J COTTAM rated it really liked it

Great read

Great read but a bit wordy, could have been more to the point in many place's hence 4 star's not 5 ...more

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About S.J.A. Turney

S.J.A. Turney

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Simon lives with his wife and children and a menagerie of animals in rural North Yorkshire, where he sits in an office, wired on coffee and digestive biscuits, and attempts to spin engrossing tales out of strands of imagination while his children drive toys across his desk and two dogs howl as they try to share a brain cell.

A born and bred Yorkshireman with a love of country, history and architect ...more