Those Who Are About To Die

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 entertainer * 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 *

Harry Sidebottom teaches classical history at Oxford University, and is the bestselling author of fifteen novels. His debut trade non-fiction book, The Mad Emperor- Heliogabalus and the Decadence of Rome, was published in 2022 and was a Book of the Year in the Spectator, the Financial Times and BBC History.