The Boat of Fate by Keith Roberts

[ParthianBow]

I was pointed in the direction of this excellent book by a member of staff in a bookshop. It was recommended to me as the best Roman historical fiction novel the man had ever read. While I won't give The Boat of Fate that title, because The Eagle of The Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff has that honour, I will afford it a place in the top three. In my opinion, it's a crying shame that it isn't better known.

This book is astonishingly well written, and details the life of Sergius Paullus, an Iberian Roman whose life spans the last years in the western Roman Empire, when men such as Theodosius ruled, and generals like Stilicho fought to save the last parts of the formerly great empire from destruction. Sergius, an angry and troubled young man, wanders from Iberia to Rome, takes service with the army in Gaul and is then sent to Britain, where he is intimately involved in the last struggle after the legions left in 410 AD. The prose wears its historical detail very lightly, yet conjures a wonderfully intense image of Rome and its empire. I couldn't put it down.

It's a book which has only recently come back in to print, and I sincerely hope that a large publisher takes it on board and rejackets it, because it would sell in large numbers. In its current incarnation, that is unlikely, unfortunately.

Take a chance, buy this book. I guarantee that after the first chapter you'll be hooked. It's a fantastic read.

[Robert Vermaat]

Sounds like a good read!

[Longovicium]

Same here - I will look out for it!

[Medicus matt]

Is that Keith Roberts the sci-fi author? I enjoyed his 'Pavane' enormously.
Be interesting to see how it compares with 'Eagle in the Snow' which deals with the same period and is my favourite work of 'Roman' historical fiction. Don't suppose Waterstones or Foyles in Bristol will have it on the shelf?

[ParthianBow]

@Medicus Matt: It is the same Keith Roberts, yes. AFAIK, it's his only HF novel. IMHO, it is as good as Eagle in the Snow - and that's saying something.

It's on the shelf in Waterstone's Bath - that's the shop where I was told about it. Not sure about the other shops - try giving them a ring if you're not aiming for Bath.

[markusaurelius]

Just picked up a copy. Looking forward to the read!

[Medicus matt]

Finished this last night and would like to say a huge thank you to Ben for introducing me to this fantastic book.
I'm not a fan of most historical fiction but this really hit the spot and is as good as Eagle in the Snow (and is almost as good as Alfred Duggan's 'Conscience of the King'). Incredibly well written, the characterisations are superb and the plotting, especially in the second half of the book, is fast paced and enthralling.

The fact that quite a lot of it is set in and around places that I love (especially Chedworth)just adds to the appeal.

Thank you Ben.

[ParthianBow]

You're welcome, Matt. Very glad that you enjoyed it so much. Please spread the word!