← Back to search
Cover of Spartacus

Spartacus

Howard Fast (1951)

SubgenreHigh Fantasy
Age groupAdult 18+
Content ratingR
Pages (Standard (250-400))
Setting
CSM age16
Goodreads3.92

Content levels

ViolenceStrong
Sexual contentMild
LanguageMild

Protagonist archetypes

Vengeance-DrivenReluctant Hero

Synopsis

Spartacus, a fictionalization of a slave revolt in ancient Rome in 71 B.C., is well known today partly because of the 1960 movie starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier. It was originally published in 1951 by the author himself, after being turned down by every mainstream publisher of the day because of Fast's blacklisting for his Communist Party sympathies. The story of Spartacus, born a slave, trained as a gladiator, who led a slave revolt that was eventually put down by Crassus, was immensely popular, has sold millions of copies, and has gone through nearly a hundred editions. The appearance of this title in the North Castle series brings back into print a book that many regard as a classic, and is enhanced with a new Introduction by the author.

Tags

Historical FictionWar FictionPolitical FictionLiterary Fiction