Ben Kane: A Land Aflame

It is 211 BC. Hannibal’s struggle against Rome continues in Italy, but the Carthaginians have been defeated in Sicily.

Fleeing the island for Spain, Hanno and Aurelia are shipwrecked and captured by local tribesmen. Unless they can escape, a life of slavery and brutal treatment awaits.

Meanwhile, Aurelia’s brother Quintus arrives in Spain with his comrades in the Roman army. Under the command of Scipio, they face marches of extraordinary endurance, formidable sieges and enormous battles as Rome attempts to break the Carthaginian hold over the peninsula. On this third front, the outcome of the war hangs in the balance.

A Land Aflame returns to Hanno, Aurelia and Quintus more than a decade after the previous book in Ben’s Hannibal series. Against the great sweep of the Second Punic War, it follows the individual lives caught between two powers fighting for control of the ancient world.

Ben talks about returning to these characters, the real campaign in Spain and how he turns the surviving historical record into vivid fiction. His research has taken him across the world and hundreds of miles on foot in Roman military kit, so there should be plenty to ask about the realities behind the battles.

The evening includes questions from the audience, with copies available to buy and have signed.

Born in Kenya, Irish by heritage and now based in Somerset, Ben Kane is one of Britain’s bestselling writers of historical fiction.

His passion for history has taken him to more than 60 countries and all seven continents. He has walked hundreds of miles in Roman military kit, including along Hadrian’s Wall, and leads historical tours in Italy and Germany.

Eleven of Ben’s twenty novels have been Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers. His books are published in fifteen countries and have sold more than 2.25 million copies worldwide.