Hadrian's Wall: A Novel

Hadrian's Wall: A Novel Despatch to me was prompt. It was of my favourite historical period, and was well-written and researched. Recommended for readers of English Ancient Roman books.

Hadrian's Wall was one of my faorite books of the year. I learned so much about that era of British and Roman History. Especially was appreciative of being introduced to both sides in the conflict, and watching the heroine as she made choices as to her future.

Near the end of the fourth century, the Roman Empire was losing its grip in its conquered territories, including Britannia. Never able to completely subdue the barbarians from the north, the Romans built Hadrian's Wall in the second century, to separate the Roman part of Britain from the Celts, who threatened from the north. Spanning over seventy miles, the wall was a marvel of engineering and military prowess. William Dietrich uses this backdrop for his gripping new historical novel. Draco, an inspector for Rome, has been sent to Hadrian's Wall in northern Britannia to investigate a major uprising and invasion. The story of what really happened unfolds as Draco's investigation proceeds. William Dietrich combines intrigue, adventure, politics and romance to create a fascinating portrait of life in the fourth century. Using the character of Draco, the investigator looking into the violent events that occurred at the Wall, Dietrich skillfully spins a story that is so absorbing that you won't be able to put the book down. The richly layered characters - the complex Valeria, the fury-filled, revenge-seeking Galba, the ambitious Flavius and the introspective narrator, Draco - are all brought vividly to life by Dietrich's tightly-written, crisp prose. The battle scenes are gruesomely authentic and not in the least bit romanticized; the reader is thrust right into the middle of the battlefield, with screaming, naked barbarians hacking at opponents with battleaxes and Roman legionnaires swinging deadly swords. This is a sweeping and powerful historical novel, filled with political intrigue, action and romance.

Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, historian, and author, William Dietrich, recent poignant novel is set in Northern England in 367 A.D, where Hadrian's Wall, which incidentally is the title of the book, once stood. Today, it is a world heritage site in recognition of this magnificent Roman civil engineering project. Built of stone, it was wide enough to permit centurions to march three abreast along most of its length of 55 miles.During this era, Rome had much difficulty in defending their northern British frontier against the barbarians. Dietrich crafts an action packed novel making for some heady reading.A Roman senator, who is deeply in debt and wishing to maintain his career and social status among his peers, pawns off his beautiful young daughter, Valeria, to Lucius Marcus Flavius.It is a marriage of convenience, for Marcus gains the position of Praefectus and commander of the Petriana Cavalry at Hadrian's Wall, due to his future father-in-law's influence. I guess the adage, who you know and not how much you know, was as important during Roman times as it is today.Brushed aside for this honorable position was Galba Brassidias, who had waited patiently for years to take over the command of Hadrian's Wall. Galba cannot hide his rage, when he is told that a new alliance of families had taken place and a position had to be found for a new officer. Apparently, Marcus specifically requested the post of commander of the Petriana cavalry.And so the drama unfolds as Valeria rides to meet her future husband, who is stationed at the wall, unaware of the brutal events that are about to be unleashed. To add a little more spice to the plot, Dietrich introduces another character, Arden Caratacus, the barbarian chieftain, who once served Rome, however now disdains all that is associated with this mighty empire, and is determined to smash its power and win Valeria for his own. This is a powerful story-driven novel, and Dietrich never loses sight of his characters' fundamental flaws, all of which are intertwined with tantalizing themes of love, lust, seduction, treason, revenge, cowardice, conspiracy, expediency, opportunism, and bravery. It is also the story of the passions of women and the yearnings of men.Moreover, Dietrich must be commended for successfully blending into the saga philosophical discourses pertaining to cultural and sociological differences between Romans and the barbarians. As the author states in the Epilogue: "one of the challenges of this novel was to convey the prejudices Romans had toward the world outside their empire while suggesting that Celtic tribes were not quite the troglodytes that Roman commentators would have us believe."Which leaves us to the observation made by the Roman investigator, who was sent to find out what actually happened at the wall, and who asserted, "I could write it in four words: She fell in love. But in love with what? A man? Or a place outside the suffocation of my own empire."Norm Goldman Editor of Boo

Over two centuries old Hadrian's Wall was built to keep the feral Celtic tribes away from easy attacks on the Roman fortresses. However, the Roman Empire seems weaker than ever to the Celtics, especially Chieftain Arden Caratacus, who wants the invaders off the island. His enemy amoral brilliant tactician Senior Tribune Galba Brassidias understands the Wall and the people on both sides of it as he leads the deadly Petriana cavalry in keeping the Celts at bay.Feeling he earned the position, Galba expects his success and his loyalty will have Rome name him in charge. Instead he learns that an island born Roman citizen is beneath those born in Rome for an aristocratic scholar Marcus Flavius arrives to take charge of the Petriana. Marcus is accompanied by the even more blue-blooded fiancée to Lady Valeria. Knowing that he is a victim of prejudice, an angry Galba pretends loyalty to his new Commander while encouraging Arden to attack. Marcus is a helpless warrior. Only Valeria, who has fallen in love with the dynamic Arden, might stop a bloody war.The story is actually told in flashback form by a Roman investigation into what happened at the Wall in 368 AD. That technique not only adds to the sense of history that readers will feel, but sounds so eerily close to how western nations look back at scandal and traumatic events. The story line is action packed and the audience will feel they are trudging alongside Inspector Draco as he makes inquiries. The prime foursome seems genuine especially in their interactions; they and the support cast furbish readers with a powerful Ancient Rome tale that will elate historical novel readers.Harriet Klausner