{"product_id":"those-who-are-about-to-die","title":"Those Who Are about to Die","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBestselling author Harry Sidebottom takes readers on a thrilling journey through a day in the life of the most iconic figure of the ancient world- the Roman gladiator\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e'Wonderfully panoramic\u003c\/b\u003e ... \u003cb\u003eendlessly informative\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003erich with unexpected detail\u003c\/b\u003e but \u003cb\u003enever heavy to read'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e 'Blends extensive research with \u003cb\u003ea talent for vivid storytelling\u003c\/b\u003e to distil 700 years of gladiator history into the 24 hours around match day, from eve-of-fight rituals to stripping the corpses'\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e '\u003cb\u003eGrippingly original\u003c\/b\u003e' Tom Holland, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDominion\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e '\u003cb\u003eThrilling... every page sizzles\u003c\/b\u003e' Alice Loxton, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eEighteen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e '\u003cb\u003eFascinating\u003c\/b\u003e' Matthew Kneale, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eRome\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Dressed in armour and clutching a bloody sword, the Roman gladiator is the most iconic figure of the ancient world. Both fascinating and repulsive to us now, he was in his own time a deeply controversial character, by turns hated and idealized - and always at the heart of Roman culture. But what did he really mean to the Romans? What did they see in the gladiator and the spectacle of the games? And what does he reveal to us today about the Roman way of life?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Brilliantly written and meticulously researched, this book tells the stories of the gladiators and those who observed them - from grand emperors to lowly slaves - illuminating and analysing the all-consuming passion of the Roman Empire for the spectacle of mortal combat. In doing so, it reveals Roman ideas about everything from freedom and servitude to sex and desire, from courage and cowardice to death and the afterlife.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Taking readers on an unforgettable twenty-four-hour adventure - beginning the night before the games and ending the evening after - \u003ci\u003eThose Who Are About To Die\u003c\/i\u003e gives a blow-by-blow account of what life was really like in the brutally unforgiving arena of the ancient world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47521780990177,"sku":null,"price":699.3,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/9033\/0593\/files\/11961883482732.jpg?v=1764169869","url":"https:\/\/perfectbookhouse.com\/products\/those-who-are-about-to-die","provider":"PERFECT BOOK HOUSE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}