That brings me to my other big problem with this book. I'm fairly sure it was written originally as two stories and glued together because they weren't long enough. To make his own name [Pericles] must prove himself in the liar's den of Athenian politics: pitting wits against friends, sceptics, enemies. I was born in the normal way in 1971, and vaguely remember half-pennies and sixpences. I have written for as long as I can remember: poetry, short stories and novels. It’s what I always wanted to do and read English at London University with writing in mind. I taught English for seven years and was Head of English at St. Gregory’s RC High School in London by the end of that period. I have enormous respect for those who still labour at the chalk-face. In truth, I can’t find it in me to miss the grind of paperwork and initiatives. I do miss the camaraderie of the smokers’ room, as well as the lessons where their faces lit up as they understood what I was wittering on about.

Lion by Conn Iggulden - 9780241513132 - QBD The Lion by Conn Iggulden - 9780241513132 - QBD

The sights, sounds and smells of Athens bring history to life with gripping brilliance Daily Mirror That’s about it for the moment. If you’d like to get in touch with me leave a comment in the forum or you can tweet me @Conn_Iggulden. I’ll leave it there for the moment. If you’ve read my books, you know an awful lot about the way I think already. There’s no point overdoing it.PRAISE FOR CONN IGGULDEN: 'Brings war in the ancient world to vivid, gritty and bloody life' ANTHONY RICHES The novel follows on directly from the author’s Protector which saw Greek victory in the Persian Wars and focussed on the Athenian leaders Aristides and Xanthippus, and the Spartan general Pausanias. That novel opened in the middle of the battle of Salamis and closed shortly after the Spartan victory at Plataea. Iggulden draws the Greek world convincingly and he is strongest writing battle scenes * THE TIMES * A second central character in this book is Cimon, also prominent in the Athenian series. Cimon is the Strategos of the Greek Alliance, which is shown being formed in this part under the leadership of Xanthippus. Much of the book involves the Pericles/Cimon relationship as Pericles both admires Cimon as a leader and person and is jealous of him, especially for his intimacy with Thetis, the captive concubine of a pirate from Scyros and the woman who becomes Pericles wife.

Lion by Conn Iggulden | Waterstones The Lion by Conn Iggulden | Waterstones

Pericles is a strong main character. He has strengths and weaknesses, but is a good man determined to prove his worth. He has a strong legacy to live up to due to his father’s actions but fighting is in his blood. Even after an opportunity to settle down to married life, he can’t resist the call to stand by his friends against impossible odds. Surprisingly i found the chapters in Athens to be the least compelling as most of the time was focused on Pericles helping his friend with his play and dealing with his marriage to Thetis instead of exploring the politics and daily life of Athens. I liked it because it is nicely written in a style that only Conn Iggulden can employ. So, for some, especially if you are not passionate about history, Greek wars, battle description etc., you might find it a bit boring and long. To me, it sets the scene for what is coming, and it helps the main character (Pericles) grow for an in-depth re-creation of who this man was and what he did to remain a hero in Greek history. The sights, sounds and smells of Athens bring history to life with gripping brilliance' DAILY MIRRORMy own reading of that time period ( Aeschylus, for instance, makes an appearance in The Lion) makes this book even more interesting, but simultaneously can render it a little dull. The characters have to be more compelling, and in this case not all of them were. There are some excellent moments, but I wish that they were followed through on just a little longer. While I understand where he chose to end the book, I think going just a little longer would have offered a more satisfying denouement. For one thing, as soon as a woman was dragged roughly out by her hair, I could just tell she was going to be the love interest. She was such a weak character that I can't even remember her name, although that might be because she didn't appear in the entire second half of the book.