Germanicus: The Magnificent Life and Mysterious Death of Rome's Most Popular General

"...both meticulously scholarly and absorbing to read as it delves into a great man's life marked by military glory, political intrigue and a murder mystery."--Philip Matyszak, author of The Sons of Caesar and Legionary: The Roman Soldier's Handbook "Toy Solder & Model Figure" "...gives us a comprehensive account of the life, character, campaigns, and curious death of Germanicus (15 BC-AD 19), son of the great Drusus, the subject of one of Powell's earlier books, and adoptive son of his uncle the Emperor Tiberius. Today primarily remembered as the talented father of the maniacal Emperor Caligula and his sisters of dubious character or as the elder brother of the Emperor Claudius, Germanicus was among the more successful of Roman generals of all times, but is not well represented in the literature; this seems to be the first ever English biography. But Powel has not just given us a book about one man. He uses the life of Germanicus as a way of telling the story of Roman campaigns against the Germans during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius. H e sets the life of Germanicus fully within the framework of the politics and society of the early empire. While Powell is perhaps overly enthusiastic about his subject, rather glossing over some of Germanicus's major blunders, he does refute some traditional views of the man's life. For example, he argues that the hostility of Tiberius toward Germanicus, his adoptive son and heir, which constitutes the central theme of the ancient historian Suetonius which was picked up by Robert Graves in his novel I, Claudius is probably very overstated . He also offers some interesting thoughts on the curious death of Germanicus . Germanicus is an excellent read for anyone interested in the Roman Empire,"--Major Chris Buckham "StrategyPage" "I particularly like Powell's narrative style. It is extremely readable, providing an educational narrative on a fascinating period of history. ... Powell has done an exemplary job of shedding light upon the character and accomplishments of this noteworthy Roman. I strongly recommend this book"--Major Chris Buckham "Ancient Warfare, Issue VIII.4" "What the author has achieved here [in GERMANICUS] is to describe not only a personality, but to carefully place that individual within the context of his time.... We learn not only about the man and his deeds, but his influence in history, literature, and art. It also happens to be a well written account and a good read, which means I now face an agonizing decision on which volume to discard on my bookshelf to make way for it."--Philip Matyszak, author of The Sons of Caesar and Legionary: The Roman Soldier's Handbook "UNRV" 'Biographies of Germanicus Caesar - arguably one of Rome's finest generals - are few and far between, sadly. When one is published, therefore, it gives cause for celebration - particularly when it's as good as the volume penned by Lindsay Powell. Meticulously researched, absorbing and well written, this is no dusty, academic tome, but a 'must have' text for any reader with an interest in Rome. Powell knows his subject matter inside out, and is to be highly commended on a most welcome addition to the biographies of Rome's most famous sons.'--Ben Kane, The Forgotten Legion Chronicles and Spartacus series. "A modern, impartial study of the life of Germanicus is not only timely but overdue. For, apart from the enduring mystery of his death, Germanicus did come as close as anyone in the attempt to re-establish Roman rule from the Rhine to the Elbe. Had he succeeded, the history of the Roman Empire - and therefore of subsequent ages - would have been greatly different. It is worth examining how and why the attempt failed, and learning more about the man who made it."--Philip Matyszak, author of The Sons of Caesar and Legionary: The Roman Soldier's Handbook "GERMANICUS brings the reader face to bloody face with

Lindsay Powell writes for Ancient Warfare magazine and his articles have also appeared in Military Heritage and Strategy and Tactics. He is author of the highly acclaimed Marcus Agrippa: Right-Hand Man of Caesar Augustus, Germanicus: The Magnificent Life and Mysterious Death of Rome's Most Popular General and Eager for Glory: The Untold Story of Drusus the Elder, Conqueror of Germania, all published by Pen & Sword Books. His appearances include BBC Radio, British Forces Broadcasting Service and History Channel. He divides his time between Austin, Texas and Wokingham, England.