Spartacus

Spartacus, first published in 1933, is an inspiring and powerful account of the uprising of the slaves against the Roman Empire in 73 B.C., led by the gladiator Spartacus. For Karl Marx, Spartacus was "the most splendid fellow that all ancient history has to show; great general, noble character, real representative of the ancient proletariat." Gibbon´s knowledge is impressive, and the book is wonderful to read as fiction, as adventure, and as a history of people in the grip of exploitation and oppression.