{"title":"Books by Emma Southon","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780861540518","title":"A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum","description":"CSI: Ancient Rome – discover what everyday killings tell us about the Roman Empire and its people‘A brilliant idea, brilliantly executed.’ Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is HistoryIn Ancient Rome all the best stories have one thing in common – murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city, Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic, Caligula was butchered in the theatre, Claudius was poisoned at dinner.   But what did killing really mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? Emma Southon examines real-life homicides from Roman history to take us inside Ancient Rome’s unique culture of crime and punishment, and show us how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.   ‘I love this funny, scholarly, erudite, irreverent book.’ Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent‘Those left cold by the sober tones of scholarship will find this voice liberating and intoxicating. Its energy is boundless and its range immense.’ Wall Street Journal","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43206091047090,"sku":"9780861540518","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780861540518_e0360ba7-1839-4666-9d29-34a30d83e92b.jpg?v=1786016088"},{"product_id":"9780861548323","title":"A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women","description":"Rome as you’ve never seen it before – brazenly unconventional, badly behaved and ever so feminine.   ‘Hugely entertaining and illuminating’ —Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf DenA WATERSTONES BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023Here’s how the history of the Roman Empire usually goes…We kick off with Romulus murdering his brother, go on to Brutus overthrowing Tarquin, bounce through an appallingly tedious list of battles and generals and consuls, before emerging into the political stab-fest of the late Republic. After ‘Et tu, Brute?’, it runs through all the emperors, occasionally nodding to a wife or mother to show how bad things get when women won’t do as they’re told, until Constantine invents Christianity only for Attila the Hun to come and ruin everything.   Let’s tear up this script. The history of Rome and its empire is so much more than these ‘Important Things’.   In this alternative history, Emma Southon tells another story about the Romans, one that lives through Vestal Virgins and sex workers, business owners and poets, empresses and saints.   Discover how entrepreneurial sex worker Hispala Faecenia uncovered a conspiracy of treason, human sacrifice and Bacchic orgies so wild they would make Donna Tartt blush, becoming one of Rome’s unlikeliest heroes.   Book yourself a table at the House of Julia Felix and get to know Pompeii’s savviest businesswoman and restauranteur. Indulge in an array of locally sourced delicacies as you take in the wonderful view of Mount Vesuvius… what could possibly go wrong?Join the inimitable Septimia Zenobia, who – after watching a series of incompetent, psychopathic and incompetently psychopathic emperors almost destroy the Empire – did what any of us would do. She declared herself Empress, took over half the Roman Empire and ran it herself.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311991107957,"sku":"9780861548323","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780861548323_f190fc28-7734-44db-92fd-c658dff23bb9.jpg?v=1786016343"},{"product_id":"servus","title":"Servus","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe associate the Romans with majesty and greatness: we marvel at their straight roads and innovative underfloor heating, at the dominance of their army and navy, at the grandeur of their palaces and temples. But the Romans were also enslavers. They built an empire on the backs of millions of people snatched from their homes in the aftermath of war, kidnapped from the streets, sold into slavery as punishment or, simply, born enslaved.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eServus \u003c\/i\u003etakes us into the invisible spaces of the Roman world, where millions of enslaved lives were unwillingly dedicated to the perpetuation of the empire that owned them. From the fields of wheat required to give every Roman their daily bread, to the actors and gladiators who provided their circuses, and the miners who kept Rome a city of gold and marble, enslaved people were the bedrock of the Roman Empire. These enslaved people were ubiquitous, but silenced. Through the fragments they left behind, historian Emma Southon traces the pain and tragedy of their lives alongside the love stories, lifelong friendships, small victories and hard-won freedoms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eServus\u003c\/i\u003e tells the truth about the Roman empire and the unseen lives that made it so dominant.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57483524276597,"sku":"9781399741255","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57682643452277,"sku":"9781399741293","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399741255.jpg?v=1792511558"},{"product_id":"the-secret-diary-of-julius-caesar-aged-10-3-4","title":"The Secret Diary of Julius Caesar Aged 10 3\/4","description":"What was it like to be a 10-year-old in Ancient Rome? Find out with Julius Caesar, wannabe emperor, in his fully-illustrated secret diary.   Follow Julius's daily life as he races chariots, watches gladiators, moans about the calendar system, takes Roman baths, samples a goat poop energy drink, is tutored by some of the greatest minds ever, feasts on dormice, and develops a strong dislike for Sulla, who he will one day kick off the throne...   Packed with incredible facts and hilarious illustrations on every page, this laugh-out-loud and accessible introduction to ancient Rome is a must-read for kids with a passion for history.   The first book in a brand-new fully-illustrated series about the lives of history's greatest figures - when they were just 10 years old!","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57536539623797,"sku":"9781444983012","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781444983012.jpg?v=1788186558"},{"product_id":"the-secret-diary-of-cleopatra-aged-10-3-4","title":"The Secret Diary of Cleopatra Aged 10 3\/4","description":"What was it like to be one of the most powerful 10-year-olds in Ancient Egypt? Find out with a super sneak-peek at the diaries of its most famous queen.   Follow Cleopatra's daily life as she takes a tour of the Great Pyramids, learns to read hieroglyphics, worships Ancient Egypt's most incredible gods and goddesses, moans about her difficult family and prepares for life as ruler of one of the greatest dynasties the world has ever known.   Packed full of incredible historical detail, loads of laugh-out-loud illustrations and hilarious characters that really did exist in history, this is the perfect, accessible introduction to Ancient Egypt for kids who love the secrets of the past.   The second book in a brand-new fully-illustrated series about the young lives of history's greatest figures, by acclaimed historian, Emma Southon.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57555350126965,"sku":"9781444983036","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781444983036.jpg?v=1792425368"},{"product_id":"agrippina","title":"Agrippina","description":null,"brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57680264331637,"sku":"9781399768771","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-emma-southon.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}