Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
It was not that authority came without crushing weight, just that the alternative was living at another’s whim.” The main characters in this story are Cimon and Pericles. They are childhood friends and their fathers had fought in the battles at Marathon against the Persians. The Persians have gone quieter of late, but that does not mean there is no danger. The city-states of Greece come together to form the Delian League, they amass a fleet that patrols the Aegean to keep a look out for potential Persian threats. although this is mainly Pericles' story and told through his eyes a few other characters are explored to a lesser extent such as the Spartan general Pausanias and Persian Artabazus. In 2018, Penguin Books released a historical novel called The Falcon of Sparta, about the effort of Prince Cyrus to become King of Persia and the stranded 10,000 Greek mercenaries who walked out of Persia while pursued by the King's armies following the Battle of Cunaxa. A reviewer forPublishers Weeklyrecognized that “Iggulden has a solid grounding in Roman military history,” but found that “anachronisms in speech and attitude roll underfoot and trip up authenticity.”
Conn Iggulden Books | Waterstones Conn Iggulden Books | Waterstones
Now under Genghis Khan, they unite and go against a common enemy, the mighty slumbering walled empire of the Chin. Bones of the Hills The boy who was abandoned by his tribe in the wilderness has now grown into one of the most powerful and feared leader in history. Genghis Khan has gone after tribes fighting against each other and unified them to exist under his rule. United, they battle against their oldest enemies. Behind Pericles lies the greatest city of the ancient world. Before him, on land and at sea, stands the merciless Persian army. Both sides are spoiling for war. Empire of Silver (2010, ISBN 978-0-00-728800-7) (titled Genghis: Empire of Silver 2010, ISBN 978-0-385-33954-4) He eventually left teaching to write his first novel,The Gates of Rome. He is married to Ella, who is from theAmalfi Coastin Southern Italy and whose family are renowned craftpastaandraviolispecialist producers in the region.They have four children and live inHertfordshire, England,nearChorleywood Golf Club. I found it hard to engage with most of the characters. Pericles, the main character, was difficult to understand and contradictory. I did not understand his determination to marry the complete stranger they met on an island. He behaved like he'd never seen a female before. Nor did I understand why he and his wife became so nasty to each other once they were married. Yes, he suspected she was in love with someone else, but given all the talk about Athenian men learning to be calm and mature, you'd think he could do better.The Dangerous Book for Boys, byConnand Hal Iggulden, is aguidebookpublished byHarperCollins, aimed at boys “from eight to eighty.” It covers around eighty topics, including how to build atreehouse, grow a crystal, or tell directions with a watch. Also included are famous quotes, stories, historical battles, and phrases that “every boy should know.” Speaking of Attikos, why didn't anyone kill that old c*** already!? I absolutely adore how Iggulden create the villains in Lion. The worst kind of villains are wimps and fools who don't know their limitations. Never fail to get me frothing in the mouth. Nearly burst a vein or two at Attikos and Ephialtes. I'll be sure to read book 2 just to see them either get killed or redeem themselves (no hopes for Attikos, but Ephialtes might yet be saved, like Pericles - they're not entirely different, I think). Iggulden draws the Greek world convincingly and he is strongest writing battle scenes * THE TIMES * Currently, he lives in Hertfordshire, England. He is married and is a father of four. He has also written poems and short novels. He has written amazing Book Series such as Conqueror. Emperor, Wars of the Roses and Dangerous Books for Boys. The Gates of Rome To write as authentic descriptions as possible, Iggulden spent his school breaks researching in Rome and Pompeii trying to immerse himself in the history he was writing about. To that end, he donned battle Armor and sailed on the open seas in much the same way his characters did.
Lion by Conn Iggulden | Waterstones Lion by Conn Iggulden | Waterstones
The title of the book, Lion, refers to Cimon, the son of Miltiades, who will play the most dominant part in this superb book of victory and conquer of part of Persia, on land and sea, with Cimon in his role as Strategos of the Greek Alliance. We follow Pericles through his early adulthood, as he seeks to carve himself out a reputation to match his fathers in Athens. He fights in the fleet under the command of Cimon, a man who is both a friend and a rival to him. Together they capture the island of Cyprus, a bitter contest in which Pericles is wounded. One of them is a senator’s son, who has been given everything to achieve his dream. The other is an adopted child who is cunning and strong. His love for his adoptive family and brother will be the most powerful force in his life.Iggulden released a four-book series, theWars of the Rosesseries,starting withStormbirdin 2013,Margaret of Anjou(calledTrinityin the United Kingdom) in 2014,Bloodlinein 2015, andRavenspurin 2016. There are a total of 5 books under this series. The Gates of Romerelates the story of two young boys, Gaius and Marcus, as they grow to adulthood during the last years of the Roman Republic, a period of great political turmoil, chaos, and violence. The prologue starts in the point of view of Pausanias, so you'd think he'd be important to the story, right? Wrong. He turns up for some minor passages throughout the first act and then promptly goes home to die quietly. Historically true, but doesn't mean you have to structure the narrative around him. Pray also noted that Iggulden’s “writing shines in battle,” adding that “hand-to-hand combat and military clashes are Iggulden’s forte.” Justin Warshaw in theTimes Literary Supplementalso noted Iggulden’s flair for bloody detail. His descriptions of fighting and other violence wrote Warshaw, “are as convincing as they are horrific.” After completing the fourth book in the emperor series, Iggulden began research for his next series of books, the Conqueror series, based on the life of Mongol warlords Genghis, Ogedai, and Kublai Khan. His first book, Wolves of the Plains, was available from 2 January 2007. Then followed his second book, Lord of the Bows, on 2 January 2008. Bones of the Hills, the third book in the series, was released on 1 September 2008.
Lion by Conn Iggulden | Waterstones
i particularly liked the character of Pausanius as I consider him to be one of the most interesting figures from Sparta and found his chapters very enjoyable especially his first introduction in the prologue and his death scene in the temple of Athena.Pericles is a strong main character. He has strengths and weaknesses, but is a good man determined to prove his worth. He has a strong legacy to live up to due to his father’s actions but fighting is in his blood. Even after an opportunity to settle down to married life, he can’t resist the call to stand by his friends against impossible odds. I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely lighter on the battles compared to the first two, but it was really spent developing our main character going forward, Pericles, and setting up for some battles and adventures to come. Usually books that are mostly spent setting future books up I find a bit of a drag to read, but there was still some great action and politics at play and we got to see a bit more about life and politics in Athens outside of active war times.
Lion | Conn Iggulden | 9780241513125 | NetGalley Lion | Conn Iggulden | 9780241513125 | NetGalley
My own reading of that time period ( Aeschylus, for instance, makes an appearance in The Lion) makes this book even more interesting, but simultaneously can render it a little dull. The characters have to be more compelling, and in this case not all of them were. There are some excellent moments, but I wish that they were followed through on just a little longer. While I understand where he chose to end the book, I think going just a little longer would have offered a more satisfying denouement. The novel follows on directly from the author’s Protector which saw Greek victory in the Persian Wars and focussed on the Athenian leaders Aristides and Xanthippus, and the Spartan general Pausanias. That novel opened in the middle of the battle of Salamis and closed shortly after the Spartan victory at Plataea. This is more the story of Pericles, his decisions and his thoughts as he makes the transition from a young man into an adult and all the responsibilities that come with it. His family, his personal life and made it a more character-based story. There are plenty of other characters but focusing on just one gave a brilliant insight into one of history's figures. Lords of the Bow (2008, ISBN 978-0-00-720177-8) (titled Genghis: Lords of the Bow 2010, ISBN 978-0-385-34279-7)If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us
Great Deal 
New Comment