Spartacus - Ben Kane

The first of two epic novels which tell the story of one of the most
charismatic heroes history has ever known - Spartacus, the gladiator
slave who took on and nearly defeated the might of Rome, during the
years 73-71 BC.

Historically very little is known about
Spartacus.
We know that he came from Thrace, a land north of Greece,
that he once fought in the Roman legions and that, during two fateful
years, he led a slave army which nearly brought Rome to its knees.

In
Ben Kane's brilliant novel, we meet Spartacus as he returns to Thrace,
ready to settle down after a decade away.
But a new king has usurped
the throne.
Treacherous and violent, he immediately seizes Spartacus
and sells him to a Roman slave trader looking for new gladiators.

The
odyssey has begun which will see Spartacus become one of the greatest
legends of history, the hero of revolutionaries from Karl Marx to Che
Guevara, immortalised on screen, and now brought to life in Ben Kane's
great bestseller - a novel which takes the story to its halfway point
and is continued in Spartacus:
Rebellion.

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied
veterinary medicine and University College, Dublin, but after that he
travelled the world extensively, indulging in his passion for ancient
history. He lives in North Somerset with his wife and two young
children.