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Attila

The Scourge of God

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About this listen

 In the fifth century, the Western Roman Empire has been overrun by German tribes. In a series of brilliant campaigns, Aetius, last of the great Roman generals, forces the Germans to settle peacefully. But his old friend Attila, leader of the Huns, has turned his attention to the West, and a confrontation between the two, now bitter enemies, is inevitable.©2004 Ross Laidlaw (P)2007 Oakhill Publishing Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military Imperialism War Military Middle Ages

Critic reviews

"Laidlaw...gives a vivid picture of a distant, bloody time, and tells his story splendidly." ( The Scotsman)
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I found this disappointing book the Narrator Stephen Thorne I fond very good and attempted to put some life in to the frankly dull story. The author jumps from person to person and in time I still do not know who the majority of the cast where. This is a pity as Attila was a fascinating person. The author was determined to make Attila out as a good guy and it was not his fault that he kills so many innocent people. The battles where brief as if they were not worth going in to. On every aspect this is a bad book and to enjoy this you will have to be a huge Rome or Attila fan, and as I love Rome you may still dislike this. 10/1

Slow dull and no idea what is going on

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This is a fascinating period of history and the author shows that he's done his research. But as a novel, it failed for me. The characterisation is negligible, leaving the reader with no idea of motivation. Worse, the narrative has been spiced up with occasional descriptions of massacres and cruelties which seem quite gratuitous since they neither contribute to the narrative nor give you any sense of what it meant to suffer under such circumstances. It's just blood and guts for its own sake.

I was unable to listen to both parts because it was just too boring to sustain my interest. Conn Iggulden or Bernard Cornwell would've made it into a ripping yarn. Ross Laidlaw hasn't done the history justice.

Worthy but dull

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