Attila
The Barbarian King who Challenged Rome

Name: Attila
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: John Man
ISBN: 9781481515511

Author: John Man

Narrator: James Adams

Unabridged: 10 hr 21 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 01/01/2006

Categories: Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Historical Biography, History, Ancient History

Synopsis

In the years AD 434–454, 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 reads like an adventure story.

About John Man

John Man is a historian and travel writer with a special interest in Mongolia. His writings include such works as Gobi: Tracking the Desert, The Gutenberg Revolution, and Genghis Khan: Life, Death, and Resurrection. He lives in London, England.

About James Adams

James Adams is one of the world’s leading authorities on terrorism and intelligence, and for more than twenty-five years he has specialized in national security. He is also the author of fourteen bestselling books on warfare, with a particular emphasis on covert warfare. A former managing editor of the London Sunday Times and CEO of United Press International, he trained as a journalist in England, where he graduated first in the country. Now living in Southern Oregon, he has narrated numerous audiobooks and earned an AudioFile Earphones Award and two coveted Audie Award for best narration.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Brett on July 21, 2025

The city's Bishop came to confront the advancing Huns and said 'I am Lupus, a man of God.' At this, Attila came up with a smart one-liner, in impeccable Latin: Ego sum Attilla, flagellum Dei — 'I am Attila, the Scourge of God.', pg. 220 I thought this was well-researched and put together well. The aut......more

Goodreads review by Myke on August 05, 2016

I prize accessibility almost as much as scholarly accuracy in historical monographs. Readers of my reviews have heard me rail time and time again against the turgidity of academic writing, which renders even monumental works useless due to their failure to win an audience. This is not a problem for......more

Goodreads review by Daniel on June 13, 2014

Hey there, I am a historical non-fiction about Attila the Hun. I might seem like a good read for those military historical buffs who want to get an insight into the general who brought Rome to her knees, but don’t be fooled. I will spend 400 pages talking about pretty much everything else except the......more

Goodreads review by Shawn on July 26, 2011

This work was disappointing. I would have liked a lot more information on Attila, the man and person. Most of the writing was more of a war history during the time and not a true biography on Attila the man. The first 40% of the book is a three-chapter historical introduction that doesn't even deal w......more

Goodreads review by Özgür on April 14, 2018

Rivayete göre Fransa'da bir kilise psikoposu Attila'ya "Ben Lupus, Tanrı'nın elçisi" demiş. Attila cevap vermiş "Ben de Attila, Tanrı'nın kırbacı". 800 yıl sonra Cengiz Han da benzer şekilde "Ben Tanrı'nın cezasıyım" diyecekti (John Man'ın Cengiz Han isimli bir kitabı da var). Çin kaynaklarında geçe......more

Quotes

“One could not wish for a better storyteller or analyst than John Man…His Attila is superb, as compellingly readable as it is impressive in its scholarship.” Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin

“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

“Man’s book is a highly readable account of a bellicose steppe people and their leader who, long after they departed from the West, continue to haunt the European imagination.” Library Journal

“Engrossing.” Booklist

“Entertaining and lucid account of a phenomenal militarist unable to resist a crumbling empire’s vast, unprotected wealth.” Kirkus Reviews