Nero's Killing Machine Audiobook By Stephen Dando-Collins cover art

Nero's Killing Machine

The True Story of Rome's Remarkable 14th Legion

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Nero's Killing Machine

By: Stephen Dando-Collins
Narrated by: Robert Fass
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Audie Award Finalist, History, 2014

The 14th Gemina Martia Victrix Legion was the most celebrated unit of the early Roman Empire - a force that had been wiped out under Julius Caesar, reformed, and almost wiped out again. After participating in the a.d. 43 invasion of Britain, the 14th Legion achieved its greatest glory when it put down the famous rebellion of the Britons under Boudicca. Numbering less than 10,000 men, the disciplined Roman killing machine defeated 230,000 rampaging rebels, slaughtering 80,000 with only 400 Roman losses - an accomplishment that led the emperor Nero to honor the legion with the title "Conqueror of Britain."

In this gripping book, second in the author’s definitive histories of the legions of ancient Rome, Stephen Dando-Collins brings the 14th Legion to life, offering military history aficionados a unique soldier’s-eye view of their tactics, campaigns, and battles.

©2005 Stephen Dando-Collins (P)2012 Audible, Inc. Ancient Solider Military

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Fascinating History • Gripping Stories • Good Narrator • Excellent Drama • Detailed Accounts • Skilled Performance
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This book will easily keep your attention throughout. I cannot recommend this strongly enough.

Very entertaining

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Misleading title. Not about Nero. But a very good discussion of history of one legion.

Was looking for something about Nero.

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no better book on the 14th legion, i promise. good way to see the history of rome, through the eyes of a legion

masterpiece

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Really well done. Great content, well read and presented. A great read for military historians.

A great read for Roman history buffs

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Fascinating and well written history of this legion that is filled with facts but still keeps you at the edge of your seat. Also great narrator.

Well written and engrossing

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Any additional comments?

Read anything by this author. His books are excellent and full of detail.

Read anything by this author.

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I’ve seen complaints about the book making assumptions and the title being misleading which I find comical. I’m not sure how the title could be any more accurate without sounding encyclopedic. As for the assumptions made, it adds excellent drama to the gripping stories and the author does well to point out when he is making assumptions instead of historical accounts passed down to us.

Excellent

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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, unless you want to hear an entire textbook devoted to the ancient Romans. If only I had looked closer and noticed that it was non-fiction. The author kept repeating over and over things he had already covered. It was difficult to follow this book because the author would go on wild tangents on the way to explaining the subject. By the time he did finally get there I had forgotten so much that it was not fun anymore.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Queen Boudica. She lead an army and they accepted her even though she was a woman leader which was frowned upon at that time.

Have you listened to any of Robert Fass’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think so but he is a very good narrator and I wouldn't mind listening to him again.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe. Hollywood would have to dress it up a bit and not try to cover so much history as was the case with this book. I loved HBO's Rome and Gladiator so I would welcome any movie featuring Roman soldiers with their little skirts and red capes.

Any additional comments?

No!

Textbook

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Dando-Collins researches his subject well, prepares to write a great biography, then craps on it by musing about this or that, or pretending about the other. I can understand wanting to theorize about certain gaps in the record, but unlike most I've read, D-C tries to fill those gaps like he was there.

Performance was fine, no complaints.

Researches, then blends in his brand of fiction.

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