In the original dustsheet. Black cloth binding with gilt title on the spine.

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The fourth and final volume in the acclaimed Emperor series, in which Conn Iggulden brilliantly weaves history and adventure to recreate the astonishing life of Julius Caesar. Caesar must fight his toughest battle yet – with Rome itself. Julius Caesar, fresh from triumph in Britain and Gaul, is marching on Rome with his legions of hardened veterans. His goal: to unseat Pompey, now dictator of the Empire. But waging war on your own people is never easy. And even after the city itself is taken and Julius, Brutus, Mark Antony and Octavian re-enter in triumph, there are many battles left to fight. For across the Empire – in Spain, Africa, Greece, across Asia Minor – there are legions loyal to Pompey. How will Caesar prevail? And at what cost?

‘The Gods of War’ is the story of ambition and loyalty, of friendship and power, of love and war. A famous tale, of truly epic dimensions, it ranges from Rome to Greece to Egypt and back to Rome; it shows how brilliant generalship can completely turn the odds, how overwhelming success can change even the best of men; it depicts brilliantly those famous names – Caesar, Marcus Brutus, Mark Antony, Pompey, Cicero, Cleopatra, Ptolemy – so that they appear anew. This is a triumphant conclusion to the outstanding Emperor series.

Review: Read this book in 2006, and it’s the 4th volume of the incredible “Emperor” series. This book starts in 53 BC, and we find Julius Caesar and his hardened veterans in and around Rome in an attempt to unseat the dictator of the Empire, Pompey the Great. What Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, Mark Antony and Octavian will achieve is a short lived victory, because other territories are to be conquered and time can’t be wasted.

The choices that Julius Caesar eventually makes will finally determine whether his path will end in eternal glory or in a loss of life. What will follow is a magnificent addition to this tremendous series, and that’s why I like to call this episode: “An Awesome Gods Of War”!

Born in London, Conn Iggulden read English at London University and worked as a teacher for seven years before becoming a full-time writer. Married with four children, he lives in Hertfordshire. Since publication of ‘The Gates of Rome’, Conn has written a further twenty books including the wildly successful ‘The Dangerous Book for Boys’, ‘The Double Dangerous Book for Boys’ and his most recent series, set in the Athens of Pericles.

Gaius Julius Caesar (12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and subsequently became dictator from 49 BC until his assassination in 44 BC. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.

In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed the First Triumvirate, an informal political alliance that dominated Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass political power were opposed by many in the senate, among them Cato the Younger with the private support of Cicero. Caesar rose to become one of the most powerful politicians in the Roman Republic through a string of military victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, which greatly extended Roman territory. During this time he both invaded Britain and built a bridge across the Rhine river. These achievements and the support of his veteran army threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. In 49 BC, Caesar openly defied the Senate’s authority by crossing the Rubicon and marching towards Rome at the head of an army. This began Caesar’s civil war, which he won, leaving him in a position of near-unchallenged power and influence in 45 BC.

After assuming control of government, Caesar began a program of social and governmental reforms, including the creation of the Julian calendar. He gave citizenship to many residents of far regions of the Roman Republic. He initiated land reform and support for veterans. He centralized the bureaucracy of the Republic and was eventually proclaimed “dictator for life” (dictator perpetuo). His populist and authoritarian reforms angered the elites, who began to conspire against him. On the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated by a group of rebellious senators led by Brutus and Cassius, who stabbed him to death. A new series of civil wars broke out and the constitutional government of the Republic was never fully restored. Caesar’s great-nephew and adopted heir Octavian, later known as Augustus, rose to sole power after defeating his opponents in the last civil war of the Roman Republic. Octavian set about solidifying his power, and the era of the Roman Empire began.

Caesar was an accomplished author and historian as well as a statesman; much of his life is known from his own accounts of his military campaigns. Other contemporary sources include the letters and speeches of Cicero and the historical writings of Sallust. Later biographies of Caesar by Suetonius and Plutarch are also important sources. Caesar is considered by many historians to be one of the greatest military commanders in history. His cognomen was subsequently adopted as a synonym for “Emperor”; the title “Caesar” was used throughout the Roman Empire, giving rise to modern descendants such as Kaiser and Tsar. He has frequently appeared in literary and artistic works, and his political philosophy, known as Caesarism, has inspired politicians into the modern era.