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Conquest

A History of Roman Britain

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Conquest

By: Ferdinand Addis
Narrated by: Ferdinand Addis
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Bloomsbury presents Conquest: The Roman Invasion of Britain, written and read by Ferdinand Addis.

An epic, visceral history of the Romans in Britain, from Caesar's first invasion attempt in 55 BC to the fall of the Roman empire.

Britain wasn’t conquered in a day. Caesar invaded twice, but didn't try to complete a conquest of the island. It was only when Claudius and his legions arrived in AD 43 that true colonization was possible. Forty years later, almost the whole of southern Britain was under Roman control, where it stayed until the final decline of the empire, the weakness of the colony's defences and the quarrels of Roman generals brought the experiment to an end.

Piecing together evidence from the often-propagandistic Roman literary sources – including the writings of Caesar, Tacitus and Livy – and making brilliant use of archaeological and anthropological research, Addis paints a vivid portrait of Roman and British life both in prehistoric times and in the first century AD. He brings the violence and intrigues of British tribal life into vivid relief, but also evokes the ways in which these diverse peoples lived, their monumental burial sites, their customs, their trade with continental Europe, their military organization and the kinds of war they practiced.

Ultimately, Conquest gives us fresh insight into the deep history of the island that the Romans set out to conquer.©2026 Ferdinand Addis (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Ancient Europe Great Britain Rome War Military Imperialism
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Critic reviews

This is a wonderful book, packed full of marvels but grounded in earth, fire and blood. Addis writes beautifully, evoking the mysteriousness of this half-millennium of British history while using the shards of evidence available to construct a picture of life under Roman rule. It’s a magnificent achievement.
Ferdinand Addis is a very gifted writer. His previous book, Rome: Eternal City, was a masterpiece of invention. This one is at least as good. His exuberant panache befits a big topic like Rome ... A rich feast full of fascinating details brought together with superb storytelling. (Gerard deGroot)
This bravura, multifaceted new history of the Roman conquest of Britain brings it to life with such detail and cinematic vividness it’s impossible not to call it ‘epic’ ... Conquest is a riveting narrative that takes an enjoyably winding path through our complex history, a brilliantly fresh and up-to-date account of a most violent and desperate time that changed our island forever. (Christopher Hart)
Gripping
Readers of Conquest will end Addis's cleverly assembled book with a renewed appreciation of this vital phase in our island story.
Epic and visceral, this is a richly satisfying portrait of the island Rome set out to tame.
All stars
Most relevant
The narrative, which is beautifully read by the author, is packed with anecdotes that have been backed up by small details such as the shape of a beaker, the amount of rings in a tree trunk or a letter sent from Britain to Rome some 2,000 years ago. Where the facts are more tenuous Addis tells us what might have happened in an informed and imaginative way so the story is complete.
I have to admit that I have already read the book but wanted to listen to it all over again so I can re-absorb the vast amount of information!

Fascinating

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