Caesar's Footprints: Journeys to Roman Gaul - Softcover

'This terrific account lays bare the horror and cruelty of Caesar's campaigns – as well as the astonishing achievements of the Romans. Bursting with anecdotes and fizzing with unexpected information, Caesar's Footprints compels us to ask – how much does our continent owe to one man and his naked and cynical lust for glory' Boris Johnson.

'Remarkable ... In the dismal clash between Europeans and migrants today there are echoes of the seismic, much more violent clash between Romans and barbarians. Caesar's Footprints is a compelling, richly researched account of a little understood chapter of European history, packed with insightful parallels between the world of Caesar and our own' Justin Marozzi, author of Travels with Herodotus.

'Very few writers have the ability to write interestingly as well as rigorously about the Roman world. Bijan Omrani – an extraordinarily talented scholar and writer – is one of them. Read this book' Robert Twigger, author of Red Nile.

'Wonderful ... Omrani's golden pen produces prose that is a pleasure to read. He is a polymath who delights us with his learning – in literature, history and geography – but wears it lightly. His sense of time and place and true civilisation is extraordinary' Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles.

'A real delight. Caesar's Footprints exuberantly marches around France and Britain with the Roman legions, vividly bringing the formation of a shared European identity to life ... Grippingly blends the unified world the Romans created with the landscapes and cultures two thousand years on. It is a bold vision, elegantly evocative, and an accomplished tribute to year zero of our shared modern European identity' Dominic Selwood.

'In places, his book evokes Richard Holmes's pursuit of Robert Louis Stevenson through France in his marvellous Footsteps ... we get a real sense of Omani as a teacher in the parentheses and asides he slips into his narrative, which are charming' Daisy Dunn, Literary Review.

'The whole thing hangs together beautifully ... [A] wise, kindly and fascinating guide' Classics for All.

'Omrani's writing crackles from start to finish, providing a wealth of detail both then and now ... Omrani is never less than an entertaining and vividly descriptive guide. This is a hugely enjoyable, informative and evocative journey through a turning point in world history' BBC History.

'Combining historical insight with evocative details from the journey, this is a vibrant tour of the ancient world' History Revealed.

'Very accessible and incredibly interesting ... I wish Bijan Omrani had been around when I studied Latin at school [...] he makes the classics an uber cool subject' Devon Life.