Attila

The Barbarian King Who Challenged Rome

By: John Man

Narrated by: James Adams

In the years 434-454 A.D., the fate of Europe hung upon the actions of one man: Attila, king of the Huns. The decaying Roman Empire still stood astride the Western World, but it was threatened by a new force, the much-feared barbarian hordes. Attila was the one-man wrecking ball that helped put the final boot into Rome's decaying splendor.

Today, Attila remains the most enduring bogeyman in history, his name a byword for barbarism, savagery, and violence. Masterful storyteller John Man brings to life this marauding figure of the battlefield. His descriptions of the Huns' grotesque techniques of impaling enemies and unruly family members will leave you with curled toes and crossed legs. Packed with many new insights, Attila is a riveting work of historical scholarship that sounds just like an adventure story.

©2005 John Man (P)1997 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Engrossing." (Booklist)
"Full of military adventures and political maneuverings, Man's lively narrative provides a glimpse of a leader whose name has become synonymous with ruthlessness." (Publishers Weekly)
"Entertaining and lucid account of a phenomenal militarist unable to resist a crumbling empire's vast, unprotected wealth." (Kirkus Reviews)

Great

This work is a fascinating and concise account of a man and a people, that never wrote anything down. John Man goes beyond conjecture and legend to produce some tangible points, where none exist in history. Highly recommended...

Informative & Interesting

This book is an interesting read with good narration. If you are a history buff you'll love it, but if you are looking for an epic tale written in a dramatic fashion you will be disappointed. It reads like a textbook, a good entertaining, and informative textbook, but definitely not an epic tale of adventure written for entertainment.

The sources are slim for Attila, his literate contemporaries feared and hated him but the author does a great job of walking you through what is known about Attila from written sources and archaeology, and separating fact from fiction. He clearly knows his subject and you will too after you listen to this audiobook.

If you're interested in archery, horsemanship or ancient warfare you'll enjoy this book because the author goes into detail explaining exactly how the Huns fought, the incredible skill and dedication required for horse archery,(the section on horse archery is amazing) and the devastating effect of their tactics.

Good introduction to Attila and his times

Kenan's pan of this audiobook is very misleading. I enjoyed the book and could find no basis for his criticism. Not sure he listened to the same book.

Good shit

The narrator was really good, the story was well structured, i like the author and the voice actor theres a sense of comedy occasionally that’s communicated well

details

In addition to the historical record, the author describes tactics, bow construction, archaeological evidence, and layouts of the land.