Iggulden, Conn 1971-

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Iggulden, Conn 1971-

PERSONAL:

Born 1971, in London, England; married: wife's name Ella; children: three. Education: Attended London University.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Hertfordshire, England.

CAREER:

Writer. St. Gregory's School, London, England, English teacher.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Book of the Year Award, Galaxy British Book Awards, 2007, for The Dangerous Book for Boys.

WRITINGS:

HISTORICAL NOVELS

Emperor: The Gates of Rome, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2003.

Emperor: The Death of Kings, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2004.

Emperor: The Field of Swords, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2005.

(With brother, Hal Iggulden) The Dangerous Book for Boys, HarperCollins (London, England), 2006, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2007.

Emperor: The Gods of War, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Genghis: Birth of an Empire, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2007, published as Wolf of the Plains, HarperCollins (London, England), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

While Conn Iggulden was taking over a class for a fellow teacher he picked up a history textbook that would alter his life. In it he read a passage about Julius Caesar that inspired him to write a novel about Caesar's life. As Iggulden explained to reporter Liam Rudden of the Scotsman Online: "Most people only know of Julius Caesar in the last couple of years of his life, or from the Shakespeare play, and as I started reading up on him I soon realized that I knew none of the stories from when he was a child, or from his life as a young man. It was all good stuff." Two years later Iggulden produced his first published novel, Emperor: The Gates of Rome, the first in a series set in the Roman Empire. Having submitted numerous novels to publishers in the past, and had all of them rejected, he was surprised when this manuscript set off a major bidding war among five large publishing houses.

Emperor: The Gates of Rome relates the story of two young boys, Gaius and Marcus, as they grow to adulthood during the last years of the Roman Republic, a period of great political turmoil, chaos, and violence. Although not actually brothers, the boys are raised together and trained in the arts of war. With the brutal death of Gaius's father in a slave revolt, the boys take up residence with Gaius's uncle Marius, a consul who is a leading contender for control of the Republic. At age fourteen the boys separate. Marius joins the legions fighting in Greece and makes his fortune; Gaius remains with his uncle during a bitter civil war and learns invaluable political lessons. The story ends with Gaius, now called Julius after his dead father, departing Rome for military service. A critic for Kirkus Reviews called Emperor: The Gates of Rome "an absorbing portrait of ancient Roman life and history, well written and full of suspense—even for those who know the ending." Jackie Pray, writing in USA Today labeled it "dramatic historic fiction to keep adults turning pages like enthralled kids." Pray also noted that Iggulden's "writing shines in battle," adding that "hand-to-hand combat and military clashes are Iggulden's forte." Justin Warshaw in the Times Literary Supplement also noted Iggulden's flair for bloody detail. His descriptions of fighting and other violence, wrote Warshaw, "are as convincing as they are horrific."

In an effort to write as authentic descriptions as possible, Iggulden spent his school breaks doing research in Rome and Pompeii trying to immerse himself in the history he was writing about. To that end, he donned battle armor, and sailed on the open seas in much the same way his characters did. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly recognized that "Iggulden has a solid grounding in Roman military history," but found that "anachronisms in speech and attitude roll underfoot and trip up authenticity." While Iggulden is not shy to admit that he took some liberties with the historical record, Brad Hooper, writing in Booklist found that Emperor: The Gates of Rome "casts authentically detailed light on the early years of the great Roman general and statesman Julius Caesar."

Iggulden's books on Rome evolved into a series. Emperor: The Death of Kings is the second volume, and this book runs from when Caesar was captured by pirates, through the rebellion of the slaves that was led by Spartacus, and to the end of that rebellion at the hands of Roman forces. Iggulden alters history slightly to make for a better, more interesting read, turning the book more into historical based fiction rather than straight history. Robert Conroy, in a review for Library Journal, pointed out that "it is broadly accurate as well as often exciting and fascinating." David Pitt, reviewing the novel for Booklist, regarded Iggulden's effort as "a combination of scholarship and inventiveness that brings the historical figures vividly to life." A contributor for Kirkus Reviews called the book "an admirable job."

Emperor: The Field of Swords is the third installment in Iggulden's Roman series. This volume finds Caesar in Spain, dreaming about the overthrow of Alexander the Great. Iggulden follows Caesar through his experiences in Spain, up until the point when he learns that forces are moving to have him killed. A Publishers Weekly reviewer remarked that, in this volume far more than the previous, Iggulden "blasts full steam ahead, with blistering battle scenes … and rapier-sharp political intrigue." A contributor for Kirkus Reviews found the book to be "less psychologically sophisticated than the granddaddy of all Roman historical fiction, Robert Graves's I, Claudius, but a pleasure."

Emperor: The Gods of War is the fourth volume in Iggulden's Roman series. In this installment, Caesar controls Rome, Cleopatra is his mistress, and he is ripe to be brought down. Iggulden also details Brutus's rise and the series of events that led him to ultimately betray Caesar. Conroy, again reviewing for Library Journal, observed: "This volume features some gripping moments but suffers from poorly defined motivation."

Iggulden broadens his horizons beyond Ancient Rome in Genghis: Birth of an Empire, which was also published as Wolf of the Plains. He once again bases his story firmly in historical fact, but alters certain details to make the story more exciting and provide better flow. Margaret Flanagan, writing for Booklist, remarked: "This authentically detailed historical drama sets the stage for the next installment." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly dubbed the book "historical fiction of the first order."

Iggulden joined forces with his brother to write the children's book, The Dangerous Book for Boys. A how-to guide for children, specifically males, the book offers readers information of the sort that Iggulden says he would have appreciated when he was a boy. Topics range from how to skip a stone or perform other entertaining tricks to building a tree fort or fireproofing cloth. The book hit the best-seller lists in England when it was initially released, and then went on to sell well in various countries, including the United States.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 2002, Brad Hooper, review of Emperor: The Gates of Rome, p. 572; January 1, 2004, David Pitt, review of Emperor: The Death of Kings, p. 823; February 15, 2005, Brad Hooper, review of Emperor: The Field of Swords, p. 1061; April 15, 2007, Margaret Flanagan, review of Genghis: Birth of an Empire, p. 30.

Bulletin with Newsweek, December 19, 2006, Peter Pierce, review of The Dangerous Book for Boys, p. 160.

Calliope, December 1, 2006, "Books," p. 47.

Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2002, review of Emperor: The Gates of Rome, p. 1496; January 1, 2004, review of Emperor: The Death of Kings, p. 8; January 1, 2005, review of Emperor: The Field of Swords, p. 11.

Library Journal, February 1, 2004, Robert Conroy, review of Emperor: The Death of Kings, p. 123; March 1, 2006, Robert Conroy, review of Emperor: The Gods of War, p. 78.

M2 Best Books, June 13, 2006, "The Dangerous Book for Boys Is Surprise Bestseller."

National Post, June 24, 2006, "Every Good Boy Deserves This Book," p. 12.

People Weekly, May 21, 2007, "Setting Boys Free," p. 119.

Publishers Weekly, November 4, 2002, review of Emperor: The Gates of Rome, p. 62; February 23,2004, review of Emperor: The Death of Kings, p. 52; February 21, 2005, review of Emperor: The Field of Swords, p. 159; March 5, 2007, review of Genghis, p. 40.

Time for Kids, May 4, 2007, "A Cure for Curiosity," p. 7.

Times Educational Supplement, June 16, 2006, Huw Thomas, review of The Dangerous Book for Boys, p. 18.

Times Literary Supplement, January 24, 2003, Justin Warshaw, review of Emperor: The Gates of Rome; August 18, 2006, "Don't Taunt Them," p. 40.

USA Today, January 15, 2003, Jackie Pray, review of Emperor: The Gates of Rome.

Vanity Fair, May 1, 2007, "Boyhood Basics," p. 94.