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Rome

The action-packed, rip-roaring historical epic from the Sunday Times bestseller!

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Rome

By: Ben Kane
Narrated by: Emer Heatley
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Summary

 'Highly recommend for anybody who loves Roman history, written by one of its true masters' PETER GIBBONS

'Epic in scope and intimate in historical detail' MATTHEW HARFFY

'Authentic, fast-paced and immersive' CHRISTIAN CAMERON

'A masterpiece of late Rome' S.J.A. TURNEY

'Historical settings and characters that leap into life straight off the page' SCOTT MARIANI

'A vivid page-turning epic' ANNE O'BRIEN



For an empress to rise, a city must fall...

Rome, 410 AD

Half-sister to Emperor Honorius, unmarried and powerless, twenty-year-old Galla Placidia watches from the shadows as imperial policies are made and unmade.

Her plans to gain power and influence are halted when the city is besieged and captured by a vast army led by Alaric the Visigoth. Taken hostage, travelling out of Italy, Galla Placidia falls in love and marries a barbarian king.

At a time when Rome's power is fast dwindling, its authority diminishing year upon year, she embarks on a dangerous and remarkable journey towards the imperial throne.

But what price must a woman pay for power?

This is the compelling story of a little-known, remarkable woman whose burning ambition saw her, against all odds, become empress of Rome.


What your favourite authors have to say about Ben Kane:

'A rip-roaring epic' PAUL FINCH
'A truly vibrant and gripping read' HELENA GUMLEY-MASON
'Historical fiction has never been more visceral' JAMES ROLLINS
'A tour de force on an epic scale' DOUGLAS JACKSON


Readers are loving Ben Kane:
'Powerful evocation of our history' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'An engaging and exciting read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Gripped me from start to finish' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Epic tales, gorgeous prose, non-stop action' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Rich in period detail and lively in narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐©2025 Ben Kane Ancient Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Rome War & Military
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Critic reviews

Ben Kane returns triumphantly to Rome in this compelling account of an incredible woman's rise to power in a period of great upheaval. Epic in scope and intimate in historical detail, Rome has everything fans of the genre are looking for.
A rich pageant of the end of the Roman Empire, Rome is a brilliant evocation of the end of the era by a writer who is THE master of the classical world. I particularly enjoyed Ben's treatment of Galla, the Emperor's sister, aspiring to rule and surviving against long odds. Authentic, fast-paced, and immersive; hits you like a thrown roof-tile, something at which the protagonist is very skilled!
Kane's new novel is a masterpiece of late Rome. The early life of one of Rome's most fascinating, important and powerful women is skilfully told, presenting a believable and sympathetic heroine against the backdrop of a world of change and decay, where Roman and barbarian as terms are becoming almost obsolete with the blurring of lines. Bravo.
Rome by Ben Kane is an engaging and immersive dive into the late Roman Empire. Ben clearly has a deep understanding of the period and that shows through in the writing, from descriptions of Rome itself, the army and its components, to the intricacies of the court Galla Placidia must negotiate to reach her goal. The story is thrilling and fast paced, and features brutal Visigoths, and the fearsome warriors fighting on Rome's side in what is a crucial period in the eternal city's history. Galla Placidia's journey is full of obstacles and danger as she battles to achieve the heights within a crumbling empire. Highly recommended for anybody who loves Roman history written by one of its true masters.
What a vivid page-turning epic of a novel this is, when all was to play for in the final bloody and turbulent days of the fall of the Roman Empire. Galla Placidia proved to be a worthy heroine, fighting for her life and the power she considers should be hers. As with all Ben Kane's books it is a story thoroughly researched and magnificently well told.
If you like dark, twisting intrigues filled with treachery and deception, gritty combat scenes that make you feel like you were right there in the thick of the action, historical settings and characters that leap into life straight off the page . . . then step into the world of Ben Kane.
All stars
Most relevant
I'll start of by saying I had no complaints about the narration of this book, I dont know whether it had been rerecorded or some of the other reviews were just being picky but I found no problem with the lady's reading of the story or her accents used for various characters. Bens dedication to historical facts shine through with this book and by the time I had finished I had learnt a lot about the later years of rome whilst being entertained by the story. definitely worth a read (listen).

Another great Ben Kane book

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Unfortunately I couldn’t get even half way because of the narration. The words came out like bursts of machine gun fire with gaps in between. There was no flow at all. Sorry

Difficult to listen to

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Good- I liked the fact this book sheds a light on the latter stages of Rome when it was past its prime as I think that period doesn’t get as much “love” in history and story telling. I also appreciated how the story subtlety feeds you historically accurate insights into why certain names are so, social attitudes in Rome at that stage and a few other fascinating aspect.

Characters- I really liked the overall plot of the story was trying to tell and liked the direction it took, but found it hard to develop any true attachment to the key characters. While the story follows them
and they have distinct personalities, I never quite got enough depth to confidently understand them or get a real sense of their inner thoughts, personality, etc. To reword my meaning, the characters just never left a lasting impression on me, be it good or bad.

Narration- I think the narrator did an “ok” job for most of the book but the editor needs to hang their head in shame. At the early and in the middle of the book, there is a very irritating and distracting swallowing noise the lady makes when she pauses between sentences which should have been edited out. The biggest faux pas I did have about the narrator, is when she used a strong and deliberate distinct Irish accent for a key barbarian leader that had nothing to do with that part of the world.

Overall I do feel the book had so much potential and will be a better read as an actual book. I would encourage anyone reading this comment to not be put off and to try Bens earlier Rome based books, superb stories you will not regret.

Lots of Potential

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Wish I’d listened to a sample before buying, I’m a Ben Kane fan but This narrator actually manages to make a Ben Kane book as exciting as watching grass grow, I can’t give an honest review on the story as I could only listen as far as chapter 6, will never buy another narrated by a female.

So disappointed

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Difficult to follow and with a female narrator it’s like a Motörhead track sung by Celine Dion.
If this is the way forward then I’m cancelling my Audible subscription.

Absolute pants!

Not one of his best.

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