Hunting the Eagles

A gripping three-part series based on real historical events. Three Roman legions massacred. Three Imperial Eagles lost. One man vies for revenge.

From 'the rising star of historical fiction' (Wilbur Smith) a new Eagles of Rome novel, by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Eagles at War.

The portrayal of the characters was sublime. Totally believable. The battle scenes were vivid and were very real in the telling. It was like being there, without the threat of being brutally maimed or killed, of course!...Eagles at War is now definitely on my 'to be read' list.

Kept me riveted to the page for every word. You will honestly struggle to find any more real characters in any Roman book. I highly recommend this and all Ben Kane’s books, if you have not read his work… why?? please go do so.

Excellent…another compelling, dark tale

Hunting the Eagles is a fantastic novel, a triumph of Roman historical fiction, as thrilling as you could ask for, while still showing how complicated the situation was, how frenzied, on the borders of the empire. The setting is so well done. Ben Kane’s thorough research into the period, warfare and the location really pays off. Hunting the Eagles is not only a terrific follow up to Eagles of War, one of the best books of 2015 in my opinion, but also superb in its own right.

This brutal and bloody book should be at the top of your must-read list

CultureFly ‘6 Must Read Books for Autumn’

Kane puts you right in fighting slog…it’s blood and bravery all the way

A thundering second book in the series from a master storyteller

The battle of the Teutoburg Forest in September AD 9 saw three Roman legions annihilated by German tribes in a masterful ambush. While the defeat was a considerable setback for Rome, such humiliations were never taken lying down. By the time five years had passed, an experienced general – Germanicus – and a massive army were in place on the frontier, ready to cross the Rhine in search of revenge. Recovery of the three lost eagle standards was paramount. So too was tracking down and killing Arminius, the chieftain who had masterminded the Teutoburg massacre. 
 
Before the campaign could get underway, events took an unexpected direction with the emperor Augustus’ sudden death in autumn AD 14. An air of unease settled over the entire empire, and simmering grievances held by the soldiers of the Rhine garrisons flared into open mutiny. Restoring law and order would test Germanicus’ skills to the limit, and make his task in the wilds of Germania that much harder. 
 
Although Hunting the Eagles is a work of fiction, it is peopled by historical characters and is based on real events in north-western Germany during the years AD 14 and 15. I hope, like me, you too will want to lose yourself in this remarkable story, and to march step by muddy step with the Roman legionaries as they fight for their lives against Arminius and his bloodthirsty horde.

From 'the rising star of historical fiction' (Wilbur Smith) a new Eagles of Rome novel, by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Eagles at War. 
 
JUSTICE , HONOUR, REVENGE 
 
 AD 14: Five long years have passed since the annihilation of three legions in the wilds of Germania. 
 
 Demoted, battle-scarred and hell-bent on revenge, Centurion Tullus and his legionaries begin their fightback. Ranged against them is the charismatic chieftan Arminius, determined to crush the Romans for a second time. 
 
 Convinced that the eagle belonging to his old legion is close at hand, Tullus drives ever deeper into enemy lands. 
 
 But with Arminius and his warriors closing in on the Romans, a murderous battle is about to begin…

Eagles at War

From ‘the rising star of historical fiction’ (Wilbur Smith), the first in a new gripping three-part series, based on real historical events. Three Roman legions massacred. Three Imperial Eagles lost. One man vies for revenge.

You can bank on Kane to deliver an accurate version of events fictionalised with verve and served up with a large dose of bloody violence.

Ben Kane has put himself at the top of the historical fiction writing tree, and with Eagles of War he has begun a new trilogy which will leave his fans eager for more

Ben Kane’s ability to illustrate the major turning points in Roman history at the level where the blood gets shed is second to none, and in Eagles at War his ability to put believable characters into the heart of the battle is stronger than ever.

Ben Kane lifts the genre into a space all his own where honour and duty, love and hate, legions and tribes clash in spectacular, bloody, heart-breaking glory... I loved this book. It dragged me in on the first page, held me spellbound to the end and I can’t wait for the next one. More!

'The battle of the Teutoburg Forest, or Varian Disaster, took place in Germany, in September of AD 9. Three Roman legions were massacred by native tribes in a supremely well executed ambush. The defeat was one of the greatest ever suffered by Rome, and the body blow it delivered was one of the reasons that the Empire never again made a serious attempt to conquer Germany. 
 
All my books are born from my obsession with Roman history, and this one was no different. Planning and writing a series of novels about the lead-up to this conflict, the battle itself and its aftermath has been thrilling. I have twice visited the area of Germany in which the battle took place, and its many museums. Seeing the equipment, weapons, coins and even the bones of legionaries who’d died in battle didn’t just fuel my imagination – it stirred my soul. 
 
Eagles at War is the first in my 'Eagles' trilogy of novels about the Varian disaster, and although it is a work of fiction, it is peopled by historical characters and is based on real events. I hope, like me, you will want to immerse yourself in this incredible story, to remind yourself why the legend of Rome endures, and to stand with Varus’ legionaries during the rain-soaked, muddy, bloody terror of Arminius’ ambush.' 
 
To find out more about all my books, please go to my website: www.benkane.net. 
 
 
Ben Kane 
 April, 2015

ONLY THE GODS CAN SAVE THE ROMANS NOW 
 
 AD 9, Germania. East of the river Rhine, tribes hostile to Rome prepare a deadly ambush. 
 
 Their leader is the charismatic chieftain and trusted ally of Rome, Arminius, whose dream is to drive out the brutal invaders of his land. 
 
 Pitted against him are veteran centurion Lucius Tullus and the Roman provincial governor, Varus. 
 
Together with three local legions, they leave their summer camp to begin the march back to the Roman forts on the Rhine. 
 
They have no idea that in the forests and bog of the Teutoburg, mud, slaughter and bloody death await … 
 
‘This is historical fiction at its best' Sunday Express 
 
'Held me spellbound to its spectacular bloody end' Manda Scott 
 
'Gripping, brutal, brilliant' Giles Kristian

Hannibal: Clouds of War

As Rome's war with Carthage continues, two friends - now on opposing sides - confront each other in one of the most brutal sieges of all time. A new Hannibal novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Forgotten Legion series. ‘Who’s the rising star of historical fiction? I say Ben Kane’ Wilbur Smith

Gritty, passionate and violent ... a thrilling page-turner.

You feel the ground tremble beneath the phalanxes, hear the battle cries of the legions, smell the carnage of war.

A compulsive, relentless story, vividly recounted in muscular prose

‘History is more than facts on a page. It’s the sounds, the smells, the people, the passion. History should make you think: “I was there”. My books are born from my obsession with Roman history. I’ve followed Spartacus’s trail across Italy. I’ve stood at Cannae and pictured Hannibal’s army meeting the massed legions of Rome. I’ve watched the sea lapping against the fortifications of Syracuse, besieged by the Romans for close to two years. Immerse yourself in these incredible stories and – like me – remind yourself why the legend of Rome endures.’ To find out more about BEN KANE, his world and his novels, visit: www.benkane.net. Twitter@@BenKaneAuthor / Facebook.com/benkanebooks

As Rome's war with Carthage continues, two friends - now on opposing sides - confront each other in one of the most brutal sieges of all time. A new Hannibal novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Forgotten Legion series. 
 
213 BC. Syracuse. Under the merciless Sicilian sun, a city is at war. 
 
Outside the walls, a vast Roman army waits. Yet the city’s incredible defences, designed by Archimedes, mean that Syracuse will not be taken easily. 
 
A veteran of the bitter war since its beginning, Quintus is ready to give his life in the service of the Republic. But dangers face him from within his own ranks as well as from the enemy - who include his former friend, the Carthaginian, Hanno. 
 
Hanno has been sent by his general Hannibal to aid Syracuse in its fight against Rome. Pledged to bring death to all Romans, he is diverted from his mission by the discovery of Quintus’ sister Aurelia, a captive within the city. 
 
Two friends on opposing sides. A woman caught between them. They are about to meet in one of the most brutal sieges of all time. 
 
Who will survive?

Hannibal: Fields of Blood

‘Who’s the rising star of historical fiction? I’d say Ben Kane’ Wilbur Smith

A master of the details…his research is meticulous

Ben’s research is impeccable…Highly recommended

The killing fields of Cannae provide the setting for one of the bloodiest battles in history. But who will triumph? Hannibal and his warrior army, or the mighty legions of Rome. By the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Forgotten Legion trilogy. 
 
Hannibal's campaign to defeat Rome continues as he marches south to confront his enemy. With him is a young soldier, Hanno. 
 
Like his general, Hanno burns to vanquish Rome. Never has the possibility seemed so likely. 
 
But a stealthy game of cat and mouse is being played as Rome's generals seek to avoid confrontation. 
 
Eventually the two armies meet under a fierce summer sun. The place is Cannae - the fields of blood. 
 
The battle will go down in history as one of the bloodiest ever fought, a battle in which Hanno knows he must fight as never before - just to stay alive.

(Spartacus 2)

Spartacus: Rebellion

He marches to freedom - or to bloody war. The epic story of Spartacus, the gladiator slave who took on the might of Rome.

He marches to freedom - or to bloody war. The epic story of Spartacus the legendary gladiator. From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Hannibal: Enemy of Rome and Spartacus: The Gladiator.

Ben Kane’s superb Spartacus ‘mini series’ takes historical Roman novel writing to heady new heights in the final, pulsating instalment of the slave rebellion that shook the mighty Roman empire... [a] bold and brutal trip to the heat and heart of an ancient legend... tough, uncompromising prose, allied to a refreshingly human and humane portrayal of the principal protagonists... an epic story conveyed with power, passion, gut-wrenching realism and enough emotion to fill the long and gruesomely historic Appian Way from Rome to Capua... Kane approaches the legendary warrior with a fresh eye, a raw and convincing realism...

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine and University College, Dublin, but after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging in his passion for ancient history. He lives in North Somerset with his wife and two young children.

The mighty slave army, led by Spartacus, has crushed all before it, scattering the legions of Rome. Now invincible, he marches towards the Alps and freedom. 
 
But storm clouds are growing on the horizon. Crassus, the richest man in Rome, has raised an army to rival Spartacus, and there are murmurings of rebellion in Spartacus’ own army. 
 
Spartacus, on the brink of glory, must make a crucial decision - to go forward over the Alps to freedom, or back to face the might of Rome and try to break its power forever. 
 
'Compulsive, relentless ... vividly recounted in muscular prose' Daily Telegraph 
 
'A brutal, blood-spattered novel' BBC History Magazine

(Short Story)

Hannibal: The Patrol

The thrilling prequel to Ben Kane's Hannibal: Fields of Blood. An exclusive straight to digital short story.

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine and University College, Dublin, but after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging in his passion for ancient history. He lives in North Somerset with his wife and two young children. 
www.benkane.net

An exclusive straight to digital short story which also includes the first chapter of Ben Kane's Hannibal: Fields of Blood. 
 
WINTER 218 BC 
 
In Cisalpine Gaul, a Carthaginian patrol is moving stealthily through thick woodland. 
 
It’s led by Hanno, one of Hannibal’s young officers, and his second-in-command Mutt. 
 
Famished and cold, they are making for a town full of the grain that they desperately need. 
 
But the local Gauls cannot be trusted; and although defeated, the Romans still have patrols in the area. 
 
With peril on every side and a deadly ambush ahead, there is no certainty that either Hanno or Mutt will survive ...

(Spartacus 1)

Spartacus: The Gladiator

The first of two epic novels which tell the story of one of the most charismatic heroes history has ever known - Spartacus, the gladiator slave who took on and nearly defeated the might of Rome, during the years 73-71 BC.

Gritty, passionate and violent, this thrilling book is a real page-turner and a damn good read. It brings Spartacus - and ancient Rome - to vivid, colourful life

Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire

Ben Kane manages to bring a freshness to the saga ... Told with Kane's usual panache and historical knowledge, this book is highly recommended

Eyes are merciless, blows are wicked and screams are piercing, but this is a compulsive if relentless story, vividly recounted in muscular prose. Definitely one for the boys

Like many choosing to read a book like this, I was seeking an active and exciting plot, and in this respect, Spartacus: The Gladiator delivers handily

If you want to become familiar with the lanista and the rudus, to know your scutum from your licium, then Kane's your man ... plenty of action

Spartacus has returned home to Thrace to find a new king has usurped his throne. He is seized and then sold to a Roman slave trader but he is a fighter and is destined for greater things. 
Historically little is known about the real Spartacus but in the hands of Ben Kane his legend has been crafted into two fantastic novels and this is the first.

A breathless romp…a real feel for the grit and the mad excitement of fighting and a fascination with a culture, Rome, that was obsessed with blood-lust.

The first of two epic novels which tell the story of one of the most charismatic heroes history has ever known - Spartacus, the gladiator slave who took on and nearly defeated the might of Rome, during the years 73-71 BC. 
 
Historically very little is known about Spartacus. We know that he came from Thrace, a land north of Greece, that he once fought in the Roman legions and that, during two fateful years, he led a slave army which nearly brought Rome to its knees. 
 
In Ben Kane's brilliant novel, we meet Spartacus as he returns to Thrace, ready to settle down after a decade away. But a new king has usurped the throne. Treacherous and violent, he immediately seizes Spartacus and sells him to a Roman slave trader looking for new gladiators. 
 
The odyssey has begun which will see Spartacus become one of the greatest legends of history, the hero of revolutionaries from Karl Marx to Che Guevara, immortalised on screen, and now brought to life in Ben Kane's great bestseller - a novel which takes the story to its halfway point and is continued in Spartacus: Rebellion. 
 
Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine and University College, Dublin, but after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging in his passion for ancient history. He lives in North Somerset with his wife and two young children.

Hannibal: Enemy of Rome

The first in a brilliant new series set during the Second Punic War, from the bestselling author of THE FORGOTTEN LEGION Chronicles

Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland.  He studied veterinary medicine and University College, Dublin, but after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging in his passion for ancient history.  He lives in North Somerset with his wife and two young children.

The first in a brilliant series set during Hannibal's war against Rome, from the bestselling author of THE FORGOTTEN LEGION Chronicles 
________________________ 
ENEMY OF ROME 
 
The great Carthaginian general, Hannibal, has never forgotten the defeat and humiliation of his father by Rome. Now he plans his revenge and the destruction of the old enemy. 
 
SOLDIER OF CARTHAGE 
 
While Hannibal prepares for war, the young son of one of his most trusted military commanders goes on an innocent adventure with his best friend - and disappears. 
 
ENSLAVED 
 
Captured by pirates, put up for sale in the slave market, one of the boys is sold as a gladiator, the other as a field slave. They believe they will never see home or family again. 
 
A WORLD AFLAME 
 
But their destiny - interwoven and linked with that of their Roman masters - is to be an extraordinary one. The devastating war unleashed upon Rome by Hannibal will last for nearly twenty years. It will change their lives - and history - forever.

(The Forgotten Legion Chronicles No. 3)

The Road to Rome

The third novel in The Forgotten Legion trilogy takes the main protagonists from North Africa back to Rome in the build-up to the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine at University College Dublin, and after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging his passion for ancient history. He now lives in North Somerset with his wife and family. For more information visit www.benkane.net.

________________________ 
The dramatic climax to Ben Kane's Forgotten Legion Trilogy 
 
Having survived the perils of a journey across half the world, Romulus and Tarquinius are press-ganged into the legions, which are under imminent threat of annihilation by the Egyptians. 
 
Meanwhile in Rome, Romulus's twin sister Fabiola lives in fear for her life, loved by Brutus, but wooed by Marcus Antonius, his deadly enemy. 
 
Soon after, Romulus fights at Zela, the vicious battle where Caesar famously said, 'Veni, vidi, vici'. Tarquinius, separated from Romulus in the chaos of war, hides in Alexandria, searching for guidance. But mortal danger awaits them both. 
 
From the battlefields of Asia Minor and North Africa, to the lawless streets of Rome and the gladiator arena, they face death daily, until on the Ides of March, the twins are reunited and must decide either to back or to betray Caesar on his day of destiny.

(The Forgotten Legion Chronicles No. 1)

The Forgotten Legion

A brilliant, fast-paced Roman epic that follows the story of three men and one woman bound in servitude to the Republic but bent on survival at all costs

The Forgotten Legion - fighting for honour, freedom and revenge

I thoroughly enjoyed The Forgotten Legion - so much so that I stayed up until 2am to finish it. Where others play in the rarefied world of senators, legates and upper class merchants, Kane delves into the grim underbelly of slavery, prostitution and gladiatorial carnage; a place where life is cheap and the thirst of the conquerors for the blood of the conquered knows no bounds. Here, we smell the grime, lie on the cold floors, face death daily with little to live for beyond the faint spark of hope that one day there might be revenge. His creation of the Etruscan Haruspex is fantastic - a man of a defeated nation who can yet give hope, and does so, to both Roman and captive alike . . . and the conclusion leaves us waiting for the sequel.

Manda Scott, author of the 'Boudica' novels

Historical fiction has never been more visceral and engaging than Ben Kane's debut novel The Forgotten Legion. Bloody, fast-paced, thrilling . . . what Wilbur Smith did for Egypt, Kane does for ancient Rome. Written in a cinematic style, Kane paints his lost world with such fervency that you'll swear you hear the thunder of the colisseum and the roar of the lions in the pit. Here is a masterful debut that shouldn't be missed!

James Rollins, bestselling author of The Last Oracle

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine at University College Dublin but after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging his passion for ancient history. Now he lives in North Somerset, where he researches, writes and practises as a small animal vet. The Forgotten Legion, born of a lifelong fascination with military history in general, and Roman history in particular, is his first novel. 
 
For more information please visit www.benkane.net

The Forgotten Legion - fighting for honour, freedom and revenge 
 
 Romulus and Fabiola are twins, born into slavery after their mother is raped by a drunken nobleman. At thirteen years old they are sold - Romulus to gladiator school, Fabiola into prostitution, where she will catch the eye of one of the most powerful men in Rome. Tarquinius is an Etruscan, a warrior and soothsayer, born enemy of Rome, but doomed to fight for the Republic in the Forgotten Legion. Brennus is a Gaul, his entire family killed by the Romans, and he rises to become one of the most famous and feared gladiators of his day. 
 
 The lives of these characters are bound and interwoven in an odyssey which begins in a Rome riven by political corruption and violence, but ends far away, at the very border of the known world, where the tattered remnants of a once-huge Roman army - the Forgotten Legion - will fight against overwhelming odds, and the three men will meet their destiny. 
 
 Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine at University College Dublin but after that he travelled the world extensively, indulging his passion for ancient history. Now he lives in North Somerset, where he researches, writes and practices as a small animal vet. The Forgotten Legion, born of a lifelong fascination with military history in general, and Roman history in particular, is his first novel. 
 
 For more information please visit www.benkane.net

(The Forgotten Legion Chronicles No. 2)

The Silver Eagle

In a maelstrom of war and treachery, the men of the Forgotten Legion are fighting for their lives.

The Forgotten Legion marches again. On an epic scale, Ben Kane vividly captures the heat and the dust, and the despair of the survivors of a defeated Roman army now forced to fight for their savage captors in the barbarous lands of the east. Three men with nothing left to live for but each other and the memories of a life they fear they will never return to. Tarquinius, Romulus and Brennus battle for their very existence in the face of impossible odds while, back in Rome, Romulus's sister Fabiola is threatened by the same political forces that threaten to destroy the Republic. The Silver Eagle is an utterly engrossing combination of historical fact and believable fiction that draws the reader in and holds his interest to the last page.

Ben Kane was born in Kenya and raised there and in Ireland. He studied veterinary medicine at University College Dublin but after that travelled the world extensively, indulging his passion for ancient history. Now he lives in North Somerset, where he researches, writes and practises as a small animal vet. The Silver Eagle is his second novel. For more information please visit www.benkane.net 
 
www.forgottenlegion.co.uk

The Forgotten Legion fought against almighty odds at the very edge of the known world - and lost. 
 
Now Brennus the Gaul, Tarquinius the Etruscan soothsayer and Romulus, bastard son of a Roman nobleman, are prisoners of Parthia. They dream of escape, but in the brutal fighting which lies ahead, only two will survive. 
 
Meanwhile, Fabiola, Romulus's twin sister, is caught up in the vicious eddies of Roman politics. Hunted by slave catchers she flees, hoping to find her lover, Brutus, bound for Alexandria with Caesar. 
 
Ben Kane's brilliant second novel plunges his characters into a cauldron of war and terror, as Caesar and the Roman Republic hurtle towards their day of reckoning.

Ben Kane

Ben Kane, a master of Roman military fiction…A suitable bloody end to a powerful trilogy

Eagles in the Storm completes Ben Kane’s magnificent trilogy on the the Battle of Teutoburg… the definitive fictional account…it concludes perfectly…an extraordinary talent…This is brilliant storytelling from an author who is steeped in the history of the Romans

Thrilling and steeped in historical and military detail, this is the conclusion of Ben Kane’s superb Eagles trilogy, which has been a triumph from start to finish

Once again Ben Kane is a master storyteller, the historical detail is amazing

Eagles In The Storm is everything you could want from a historical tale

Bloodthirsty, soaked in the sweat and tears of its time, this is a fine blend of history and action

AD 15. The German chieftain Arminius has been defeated, one of the lost Roman eagles recovered, and thousands of German tribesmen slain. 
 
 Yet these successes aren’t nearly enough for senior centurion Lucius Tullus. Not until Arminius is dead, his old legion’s eagle found and the enemy tribes completely vanquished will he rest. 
 
 But Arminius – devious, fearless – is burning for revenge of his own. 
 
 Charismatic as ever, he raises another large tribal army, which will harry the Romans the length and breadth of the land. 
 
 Soon Tullus finds himself in a cauldron of bloodshed, treachery and danger. 
 
 His mission to retrieve his legion’s eagle will be his most perilous yet…

Ben Kane

Praise for Eagles in the Storm

Ben Kane, a master of Roman military fiction…A suitable bloody end to a powerful trilogy

Eagles in the Storm completes Ben Kane’s magnificent trilogy on the the Battle of Teutoburg… the definitive fictional account…it concludes perfectly…an extraordinary talent…This is brilliant storytelling fro ...

Thrilling and steeped in historical and military detail, this is the conclusion of Ben Kane’s superb Eagles trilogy, which has been a triumph from start to finish

Ben Kane, a master of Roman military fiction…A suitable bloody end to a powerful trilogy

Eagles in the Storm completes Ben Kane’s magnificent trilogy on the the Battle of Teutoburg… the definitive fictional account…it concludes perfectly…an extraordinary talent…This is brilliant storytelling fro ...

Thrilling and steeped in historical and military detail, this is the conclusion of Ben Kane’s superb Eagles trilogy, which has been a triumph from start to finish

Ben Kane, a master of Roman military fiction…A suitable bloody end to a powerful trilogy

Eagles in the Storm completes Ben Kane’s magnificent trilogy on the the Battle of Teutoburg… the definitive fictional account…it concludes perfectly…an extraordinary talent…This is brilliant storytelling fro ...

Thrilling and steeped in historical and military detail, this is the conclusion of Ben Kane’s superb Eagles trilogy, which has been a triumph from start to finish

Books by Ben Kane

Series by Ben Kane

Eagles of Rome3 Books

Spartacus2 Books

The Forgotten Legion Chronicles2 Books

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter