This is the second book by the author on the life of the most famous Roman of all time Julius Caesar. The first book was excellent relating the period of his boyhood, this one is just as good and I can't wait for the next. At the start of the book the young Julius Caesar is on board a war galley, and he is gaining a fearsome reputation. Then the ship is captured and he is offered for ransom. After gathering a force of men to defeat his captors as he had promised them he would, he returns to the city of Rome in triumph. He then becomes embroiled in a new crisis that is threatening the city, an unknown but rebellious gladiator by the name of Spartacus. These books take you into the streets of Rome and the minds of the people, as though you were there yourself. You can smell the aromas of the street vendors selling their wares, the wine shops and squallor of the masses. The author has a unique talent for story telling. I couldn't put it down.