Gladiator Paperback – May 22, 2000

(Cleveland) This is so well written and about much more than gladiators. It is about human societies, "civilization", moral complexity, and the culture which gave contemporary America much of our language, values and laws. Scary, and important.Here is a sample:"At its height, the Roman Empire controlled all of southern Europe, Britain, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and North Aftrica. Cities were established, trade was regulated, taxes were collected. Rome built 53,000 miles of roads, bridges, aquaducts, and sewers, some ofwhich are still in use. Its laws, manners, and customs were adopted all over the empire.But for all its glory, it's difficult to ignore the fact the the Roman Empire was won by military force and built by the labor of millions of slaves. To the average Roman citizen, life was hard, war was a contant threat, and slaves were just another piece of property. And in spite of their sophistication in government, business, and the arts, Romans had a crude taste for violence and cruelty. For almost a thousand years Roman society represented both the best and the worst of human civilization."I guess I am going to spring for the hardcover so I can offer it to my children and their children and schools and friends.

I have enjoyed reading ancient history for many years. In due course, I have read a lot about the gladiatorial games. However, this is the first detailed study of gladiators that I have read. Although I know something about this topic, I was nevertheless shocked by the scale and sheer brutality of the Roman gladiatorial games. Richard Watkins does an admirable job of discussing the ever increasing depraved spectacles that were staged throughout the Roman Empire. I now have a better appreciation of the out of kilter environment in which Christianity was able to embed and grow. I thought this was a great book and I know it will shape how my ten year old son sees Roman history. Highly recommended!

There wasn't nearly as much info as I was hoping for. There were a few interesting tidbits, otherwise it seemed geared to a young teen audience. The artwork was OK. All the faces looked like the same after awhile.

Brilliantly written, beautifully illustrated, this is by far the best introduction to gladiators. While it is designated for young people, it is equally valuable to the general reader.

I was a little skeptical that this book would be appropriate for my third grader because gladiators is such a gory subject and this book had pages of text. But I was wrong--he loved it. While some of the information I'm sure went above his head--it is definitely middle school level regarding historical details and geography--my son loved making his way through this book. It was not a quick read--a lot like David Macauley's books, it demands attention and respect. But I'm pretty sure this will become a classic some day. There is just no way to not appreciate the time and effort Watkins has put into bringing this subject alive.I have noticed, also, that many of our ancient Roman reference works give gladiatorial games short thrift. With the exception of Elizabeth Mann who also brought the subject alive in "Colosseum," most books just kind of mention the gladiators and how they were criminals or slaves trained to fight. This book goes into the psychology and politics of the practice without being moralizing or polemical about it. Gives it all some context. And all the details are important. My kids' favorite part were the illustrations of all the different kinds of gladiators with their different uniforms and weapons. My daughter liked the section on the wild animals and their stations inside the Colosseum.I really think this book helps bring together the inmportant elements of Roman culture: the emperor, the Senate, the slavery, the warrior culture and entertainment. For kids too young to watch "Gladiator" the movie, it helps them enter the arena and get a sense of what it was all really like. I didn't read every page, but I didn't find any objectionable content either. It was explanatory and honest but not graphic for graphic's sake. Also, for those who care about the issue, I really appreciated how Watkins was brave enough to end the story of the gladiators with the monk Telemachus and the introduction of Christianity. He did this in a very non-moralizing way (i.e. "Christianity was primarily responsible for bringing an end to gladiator combats). But most books on Rome or gladiators won't mention it at all for fear of backlash.Then the couple last pages brings the reader up to date about gladiators and the symbol it has become in the contemporary world. Fabulous coverage of the subject from beginning to end, and a book to be commended for a long time to come.

Nice, easy read on Roman Gladiator history.