Adrian Goldsworthy is a respected ancient historian and also the author of the very entertaining ‘Napoleonic Wars’ series, which started with True Soldier Gentlemen. Vindolanda draws on his expertise in Roman military history and, in particular, on the fabulous find of hundreds of everyday letters, written on thin, postcard-sized pieces of wood in the late first century CE. These priceless documents have been excavated in the eponymous Roman fort in the vicinity of what became Hadrian’s Wall.

The great thing about this book is that so much of it is true. Goldsworthy uses the names, relationships and the ranks which can be derived from the surviving documents, and he pieces them together to give a compelling story. Most of the names refer to real people.

The protagonist, Ferox, is fictional, but he interacts with a range of characters whose existence is attested to by the Vindolanda letters. Ferox is a ‘typical’ regular squaddie, for those familiar with literary British military personas: competent, tough, but capable of an occasional sardonic aside.

This is an unusual historical novel in that it is based on real people about whom only a few fragments of revealing fact are known – their names, ranks, location and what can be gleaned from a few routine letters. This permits Goldsworthy a free hand in his story while staying true to the known facts and his in-depth knowledge of the relevant archaeology and primary sources. Fans of his ‘Napoleonic Wars’ series will not be disappointed.

Reviewed by Grant Hansen