Nero's Killing Machine - by Stephen Dando-Collins

Book Synopsis

The 14th Gemina Martia Victrix Legion was the most celebrated unit of the early Roman Empire, a force that had been wiped out under Julius Caesar, reformed, and almost wiped out again. After participating in the a.d. 43 invasion of Britain, the 14th Legion achieved its greatest glory when it put down the famous rebellion of the Britons under Boudicca. Numbering less than 10,000 men, the disciplined Roman killing machine defeated 230,000 rampaging rebels, slaughtering 80,000 with only 400 Roman losses, an accomplishment that led the emperor Nero to honor the legion with the title "Conqueror of Britain." In this gripping book, second in the author's definitive histories of the legions of ancient Rome, Stephen Dando-Collins brings the 14th Legion to life, offering military history aficionados a unique soldier's-eye view of their tactics, campaigns, and battles.

From the Back Cover

The glorious saga of the most celebrated legion of the early Roman Empire

In Nero's Killing Machine, the second in the author's definitive histories of the legions of ancient Rome, Stephen Dando-Collins brings the 14th Legion to vivid life. Drawing upon thirty-two years of research, he traces the legion's steps as they were wiped out while in the army of Julius Caesar, then reformed only to be savaged again. For decades the men of the 14th would struggle to regain their lost status, slowly climbing back to glory and eventually making a legendary stand against Britain's Queen Boudicca, vastly outnumbered but determined to go down fighting with honor. Uncovering new information about the legionnaires' lives and Roman military practices, Nero's Killing Machine is military history at its finest.

Praise for Caesar's Legion

"A unique and splendidly researched story, following the trials and triumphs of Julius Caesar's Legio X--arguably the most famous legion of its day--from its activation to the slogging battle of Munda and from Thapsus, Caesar's tactical masterpiece, to the grim siege of the Jewish fortress of Masada. More than a mere unit account, it incorporates the history of Rome and the Roman army at the height of their power and gory glory. Many military historians consider Caesar's legions the world's most efficient infantry before the arrival of gunpowder. This book shows why. Written in readable, popular style, Caesar's Legion is a must for military buffs and anyone interested in Roman history at a critical point in European civilization."
--T. R. Fehrenbach, author of This Kind of War, Lone Star, and Comanches

Review Quotes

"Stephen Dando-Collins tracks the history of the 14th Legion...drawing on 30 years of research for the second of his definitive histories of ancient Roman armies. A fitting chronicle." (Military History)

"A unique and splendidly researched story, following the trials and triumphs of Julius Caesar's Legio X-arguably the most famous legion of its day--from its activation to the slogging battle of Munda and from Thapsus, Caesar's tactical masterpiece, to the grim siege of the Jewish fortress of Masada. More than a mere unit account, it incorporates the history of Rome and the Roman army at the height of their power and gory glory. Many military historians consider Caesar's legions the world's most efficient infantry before the arrival of gunpowder. This book shows why. Written in readable, popular style, Caesar's Legion is a must for military buffs and anyone interested in Roman history at a critical point in European civilization."

--T. R. Fehrenbach, author of This Kind of War, Lone Star, and Comanches

About the Author

STEPHEN DANDO-COLLINS is the author of Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome (Wiley). He is an Australian-born researcher, editor, and author who has spent the last three decades identifying and studying the individual legions of the Roman army of the late Republic and the empire of the Caesars.