Imperial Governor

Written by George Shipway

Narrated by Jeremy Arthur

Londinium is burning.

Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, newly appointed governor of Roman Britain, is charged by an increasingly unstable Emperor Nero with a difficult task — the untamed island on the fringes of the empire must earn a profit. To do so, Suetonius pursues the last of the Druids into Wales and, along the way, subdues the fractious Celtic chieftains who sit atop a fortune in gold and rare metals.

Meanwhile, in the provincial capital of Londinium, war is brewing. As Nero's corrupt tax officials strip the British tribes of their wealth and dignity, an unlikely leader arises — Queen Boudicca, chieftain of the Iceni, who unites the tribes of Britain and leads them on a furious and bloody quest for vengeance and liberty.

A novel told in the form of a memoir, Imperial Governor is a compelling and impeccably researched portrait of Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, Roman general and first-century governor of Britannia, who unexpectedly found himself facing one of the bloodiest rebellions against Roman rule. Shipway's masterful military adventure has long been considered one of the most accomplished works of historical fiction set in the Roman Era, providing fascinating detail of life in Roman Britain and within the Roman Legions — and a riveting saga of uprisings, war, and conquest in the ancient world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lantern Audio
• Release date: Sep 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781949278095

Reviews for Imperial Governor

[jmulick_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A first person fictional account of Paulinus during his three year period as governor of the Roman province of Britannia in the second half of Nero’s reign as emperor. Paulinus demolished the Druid sacred island of Mona and ended their political influence. He also dealt with Boudicca and her destructive war on Roman settlements including Londinium and those of native people who were adopting Roman ways. The story is close to what exists of the historical record of those times. The audio book is well produced.

[janerawoof · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A reread. First read several years ago. Memoir of the aging ex-Governor, Suetonius Paulinus of Roman Britain, who feels now that Nero is dead and he doesn't have to weigh his words, he can write honestly and truthfully about his years there--his reforms, attempts to clean up corruption, get control of the mines so as to send the ore to Rome for coinage and finally, deal with the aftermath of Boudicca's revolt to bring the province into some kind of equilibrium, and his recall to Rome. We last see him on shipboard, watching the island fade into the distance. Very well written. He came across as a no-nonsense, hard-bitten, brutal Roman authority. Other characters were cut out of the same cloth. Subtitle was misleading; Boudicca had only a minor role, but her actions did influence much of the last half of the novel. I didn't like the author's use of modern place names, but at least he used Verulam for St. Alban's, which was close to the Latin.Highly recommended.