Douglas Jackson Libri

Or is he raising an army to save the province from the darkness that waits on the other side of the Wall?Hailed as one of our very best historical novelists, Douglas Jackson returns to the world of ancient Rome with this epic novel of a failing empire and a world on the brink .

Originally published: London: Bantam Press, an imprint of Transworld Publishers, 2013.

Titus Flavius Vespasianus, known as Vespasian, is Emperor of Rome - but his grip on power is weakening. But he is summoned by the Emperor to do one last favour for Rome: he must journey to the remote, mountainous region of Asturica Augusta and investigate claims that a bandit called `The Ghost' is raiding the Empire's gold convoys.

But Britannia is where Valerius cut his military teeth and whetted his sword - and he will soon discover that the ghosts of his past are never far away and are more dangerous perhaps than Domitian.

AD 80 Gaius Valerius Verrens is back where he belongs, at the head of a legion. Valerius leads his men to a devastating victory against the recalcitrant Brigantes, infuriating Agricola in the process.