| Hadrian's Wall: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: William Dietrich
Publisher: HarperTorch
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 29620
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.6
ISBN: 0060563729
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780060563721
ASIN: 0060563729
Publication Date: March 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A fusion of Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire and the movie Braveheart; a novel of ancient warfare, lethal politics, and the final great clash of Roman and Celtic culture. For three centuries, the stone barrier we know as Hadrian's Wall shielded Roman Britain from the unconquered barbarians of the island's northern highlands. But when Valeria, a senator's daughter, is sent to the Wall for an arranged marriage to an aristocratic officer in 367 AD, her journey unleashes jealousy, passion and epic war. Valeria's new husband, Marcus, has supplanted the brutally efficient veteran soldier Galba as commander of the famed Petriana cavalry. Yet Galba insists on escorting the bride–to–be on her journey to the Wall. Is he submitting to duty? Or plotting revenge? And what is the mysterious past of the handsome barbarian chieftain Arden Caratacus, who springs from ambush and who seems to know so much of hated Rome? As sharp as the edge of a spatha sword and as piercing as a Celtic arrow, Hadrian's Wall evokes a lost world of Roman ideals and barbaric romanticism.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 Hadrians Wall by Dietrich. December 25, 2007
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.
 Granted, the title might be deceiving, but it's fun to read March 31, 2007
I can not agree with the reviewers who gave this novel one star because is not sufficiently historical. These are my reasons: (i) The author does a great job describing the location and the scenery (ii) The historical background around the independent characters is interesting (iii) The drama is engaging even if it involves a love story (iv) the description of the battles between Romans and the Celts is strong and it gets into tactical details which show an strong research about the topic by the author (v) history novels are not history books I guess that is pretty clear for the average reader. Then why 4 and nor 5 stars? Well, at some points the love story is cheesy.
Historical fiction mixed with romance and historical speculation March 6, 2007
Hadrian's Wall by William Dietrich mixes the culture of a declining Roman empire with the "barbaric" non-Romans of early Britain (Celts, Scottis, etc.) in a love triangle (quadrangle) story. As with his other works of historical fiction, Mr. Dietrich researchs the geographical areas and history of where/what he is writing about, and combines fictional characters with historical.
Valeria, a Roman senator's daughter, is sent to marry Marcus Flavius, who is named Tribune at Hadrian's Wall (built by Roman Emperor Hadrian to keep the barbarians out of the Roman part of Britain) because of this arranged marriage to Valeria. Marcus is replacing Galba Brassidias, a career Roman soldier who has spent his life at the wall and resents being replaced for political reasons by someone with less experience. Valeria is almost kidnapped before her marriage by Arden Caratacus, a Celt and former Roman who lives beyond the Wall in the wild north. He eventually does capture her (with Galba's hidden assistance) and takes her back with him to live.
Although I did enjoy this novel, it did not possess as much history, locale and cultuer as Bill's other historical fiction novels, Napolean's Pyramids and The Scourge of God. Hadrian's Wall was more about the story of Valeria and her romances than about the times and surroundings, which were more balanced in the other two novels.
 Hadrian's Fence February 13, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I wish I could have enjoyed this book more. Dietrich treats the era well, and the idea of the Wall is relevant to our times, reminding one of the Berlin Wall and of the current American debate over the Fence on the Mexican Border.
As a Texan, and as a fan of Historical Fiction, I expected more about a collision of peoples and ideas and less of a romance novel.
Nevertheless, all characters were treated fairly and the plot was well developed. I will read more of Dietrich's work, but I do hope he gives up as a romance writer.
Fascinating historical February 1, 2007
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.
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