A Day in the Life of a Gladiator

Magnificent… Was I not entertained? I absolutely was.

Dominic Sandbrook, Times Books of the Year

Wonderfully panoramic … as an account of the games and the lives of the gladiators alone it is endlessly informative, rich with unexpected detail but never heavy to read.

Literary Review

Blends extensive research with a talent for vivid storytelling to distil 700 years of gladiator history into the 24 hours around match day, from eve-of-fight rituals to stripping the corpses.

The Times

Vivid [and] gripping... a detailed chronicle of what a gladiator's life was actually like.

Economist

A grippingly original way of making the alien world of the Roman amphitheatre both accessible and comprehensible.

Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History and Sunday Times bestselling author of Rubicon

Harry Sidebottom manages to break out of a crowded field... a vivid portrayal of the mindscape that created these fighting entertainers.

Times Literary Supplement

A most enjoyable book. Ingeniously, Sidebottom uses twenty-four hours in the life of a gladiator as a springboard for a fascinating exploration of Roman ways and the Roman mind.

Matthew Kneale, Sunday Times bestselling author of Rome: A History in Seven Sackings

Prepare yourselves to enter the arena! Once again, Sidebottom brings the ancient world vividly and dazzlingly to life. A thrilling book... every page sizzles.

Alice Loxton, Sunday Times bestselling author of Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives

Packed with wit, scholarship and gripping storytelling.

Aspects of History

This book is two splendid things at once. It is the most readable and up-to-date scholarly account of the ancient Roman gladiatorial games, and it is also a fine introduction to Roman culture in general.

Ronald Hutton, author of Oliver Cromwell

A masterful journey which takes the reader into the heart of Roman culture by exploring the lives of its gladiators. Sidebottom combines meticulous scholarship with electrifying storytelling, revealing how the arenas shaped Roman ideals of courage and freedom. A vivid window into the ancient mind.

Donald J. Robertson, author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

Buy the book; it's very entertaining.

David Aaronovitch, The Times on The Mad Emperor

The decadence, debauchery and sexual promiscuity that marked the adolescent’s time on the imperial throne make for a rollicking read.

Daily Mail on The Mad Emperor

Ancient history was never less dry than in Harry Sidebottom’s superbly entertaining and always scholarly account of the reign of Heliogabalus... There is something for every reader: sex, politics, scandals and a compelling portrait of imperial society and culture.

Financial Times on The Mad Emperor

Wonderfully panoramic … as an account of the games and the lives of the gladiators alone it is endlessly informative, rich with unexpected detail but never heavy to read

Literary Review

Blends extensive research with a talent for vivid storytelling to distil 700 years of gladiator history into the 24 hours around match day, from eve-of-fight rituals to stripping the corpses

The Times

Vivid [and] gripping... a detailed chronicle of what a gladiator's life was actually like

Economist

A grippingly original way of making the alien world of the Roman amphitheatre both accessible and comprehensible

Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History and Sunday Times bestselling author of Rubicon

Harry Sidebottom manages to break out of a crowded field... a vivid portrayal of the mindscape that created these fighting entertainers

Times Literary Supplement