Nero

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Brought to you by Penguin.

TYRANTS AREN'T BORN. THEY'RE RAISED.

Travel to the heart of a Roman dynasty drenched in danger and intrigue in master storyteller Conn Iggulden's bold and brilliant return to Rome as he tells the story of NERO – last of the the Julio-Claudian emperors . . .

ANCIENT ROME, AD 37

It begins with a man’s hand curled around another’s throat.

Emperor Tiberius first dispatches a traitor.

Then his whole family.

Next all his friends. It is as if he never existed.

THIS IS ROMAN JUSTICE.

Into this fevered forum, a child is born.

His mother is Agrippina, granddaughter of Emperor Augustus. But their imperial blood is no protection. The closer you are to the heart of the empire, the closer you are to power, intrigue, and danger.

She faces soldiers, senators, rivals, silver-tongued pretenders, each vying for position. One mistake risks exile, incarceration, execution. Or, worst of all, the loss of her infant son.

For Agrippina knows that opportunity waits, even in your darkest moments. Her son is everything. She can make this boy, shape him into Rome itself – the one all must kneel before.

BUT FIRST, THEY MUST SURVIVE . . .

This then is the story of Nero's birth and raising under the watchful and scheming eye of his mother Agrippina – a woman every man crossed at his peril.

'A master storyteller' Daily Express
'Epic and in a class of his own' Daily Mirror

PRAISE FOR CONN IGGULDEN
'Breakthtakingly good’ Bernard Cornwell

‘Magnificent’ The Times

'Pacy and propulsive, cracking with energy, violence and stirring speeches, Iggulden chronicles power struggles, political machinations and the bloodthirsty ravages of up-close combat' Daily Mail
Readers love Nero
'Iggulden draws you into Rome, its brutality and its glory, and brings it back to life with such seamless ease' ***** Reader Review
'Absolute quality from first to last page, atmospheric with a real feel for time and place' ***** Reader Review
'It was fascinating to see the seeds being planted that will lead to the Nero becoming the tyrant we know through the ancient historians, but told in such a contemporary and accessible way' ***** Reader Review
'An absolutely immersive experience throughout that throws you into the politics of Ancient Rome' ***** Reader Review

© Conn Iggluden 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024

Critics Review

Deft and robust storytelling, that whips through the history with plenty of blood, guts and plot-twists
The Times
This pacy, bloody and impeccably researched novel will have you on tenter-hooks throughout
iNews
It’s another stonking read from one of the world’s leading authors of historical fiction, Iggulden’s flair for bringing the past to life and passion for historical sparkling like a polished legionary's gladius . . . Conn Igguden remains a hero to history . . . [A] Blockbuster historical novel
Daily Express
With merciless power and back-stabbing violence, this is an enticing trilogy
Woman's Weekly
Iggulden, a master of the historical novel, again turns his attention to ancient Rome [. . .] He is uncommonly adept at summoning appearance and personality, at building exhilarating action scenes [. . .] Lydia Leonard narrates the novel [. . .] her strong voice carries the ring of the notorious woman's forceful will but softens into tenderness when she addresses her horrid little son, Lucius. Leonard modulates her tones to capture the many other characters, including the subtly stammering Claudius, and does it so deftly that there is no confusion about who is speaking when
Washington Post, audiobooks to get you through the summer heat

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
JontyO 06/05/2025

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