The best in the series. So far :)I've long wanted to find out how the Roman Empire became, well, an empire. This book is a perfect peek into the Roman legion—the well-known secret (pardon the oxymoron) behind Rome's rise to historical glory. Pair that with J.M. Roberts' enviable writing (a perfect blend of wit, philosophy and drollery), and you've got a solid winner in Nobody Loves a Centurion. I know that I have been gushing nonstop about the books in JMR's SPQR. But if you are at least curious about Ancient Rome and you want to be thoroughly entertained, I strongly suggest that you give this series a try. This book can even be read as a standalone; no wonder that some fans of this series got hooked on SPQR after reading Nobody Loves a Centurion first.My favorite lines in Nobody Loves a Centurion:1) "Blame it all on Alexander the Great. Ever since that little Macedonian twit decided that he had to conquer the whole world before he was old enough to shave, every fool with a sword and a decent pair of boots has sought to do the same." —Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger2) "No man can undo history. We must seize the moment and bend the present to our will." —Caius Julius Caesar3) "Decius, here in Gaul we are playing the highest-stakes game in the world. When you set a game in motion, you must see it through, however the dice fall." —Caius Julius CaesarI know that I've been giving JMR four stars (from The King's Gambit to Saturnalia. It's about time to give him five.
What do You think about SPQR VI: Nobody Loves A Centurion (2003)?
Another book where we venture out of Rome while our hero is being shuffled off the scene for various reasons. Here Decius has joined Caesar's staff in Gaul in the early days of what will be the making of Caesar militarily. A centurion is found dead and the son of Burrus, a client of Decius, along with his men are suspected because they had been singled out for punishment by the dead man. Caesar puts Decius in charge of the investigation. Germans and Gauls are mixed up in the investigation and we get an interesting look into the workings of the Roman legions. As usual all the pieces are there but so obliquely that you can't solve the particulars ahead of time even when you have the shape of the motive.
—Argum
