Conn Iggulden Books in Order (Emperor series, Wars of the Roses, Dangerous books)

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Born in 1971, Conn Iggulden is a British author who specialized in historical fiction. He first worked as an English teacher before leaving his position to write his debut novel, The Gates of Rome, the first in a five-part series entitled Emperor and centered around Julius Caesar, from childhood to his death.

Iggulden became a famous historical fiction writer and is the first person to top the UK fiction and nonfiction charts at the same time in 2007. After Julius Caesar, the writer turns his interests toward the life of Mongol warlords Genghis, Ogedai, and Kublai Khan, explored in the Conqueror series. He also wrote about the Wars of the Roses, St. Dunstan, or Prince Cyrus.

How to read Conn Iggulden’s Books in Order?

Read The Emperor Series in Order

1. The Gates of Rome (2003) – From the spectacle of gladiatorial combat to the intrigue of the Senate, from the foreign wars that created an empire to the betrayals that almost tore it apart, the Emperor novels tell the remarkable story of the man who would become the greatest Roman of them all: Julius Caesar.
2. The Death of Kings (2004) – Forced to flee Rome, Julius Caesar is serving on board a war galley in the dangerous waters of the Mediterranean and rapidly gaining a fearsome reputation. But no sooner has he had a memorable victory than his ship is captured by pirates and he is held to ransom. Abandoned on the north African coast after hard months of captivity, he begins to gather a group of recruits that he will eventually forge into a unit powerful enough to gain vengeance on his captors and to suppress a new uprising in Greece.
3. The Field of Swords (2005) – Julius Caesar has taken his legions north to battle the Gallic tribes. But as his successes mount, overwhelming ambition and new alliances begin to threaten his one true friendship. Marcus Brutus was instrumental in the conquest of Gaul and so in restoring Caesar’s reputation as a hero of Rome. But after decades standing side by side, will they choose to cross the Rubicon together? Are they both willing to take the fight to Rome herself?

4. The Gods of War (2006) – Fresh from triumph in Britain and Gaul, Caesar is marching on Rome with his legions of hardened veterans. To unseat Pompey, now dictator of the empire, he must make the terrible decision to wage war on his own people. The glory that Julius, Brutus, Mark Antony and Octavian enjoy is short lived. There are lands to conquer and choices to make that may yet tear them apart. What cost will Caesar suffer for the path he has walked? Who will make him pay?
5. The Blood of Gods (2013) – Rome’s great hero Julius Caesar has been brutally murdered by his most trusted allies. While these self-appointed Liberatores seek refuge in the senate, they have underestimated one man: Caesar’s adopted son Octavian, a man whose name will echo through history as Augustus Caesar. Uniting with his great rival Mark Antony, Octavian will stop at nothing to seek retribution from the traitors and avenge his father’s death. His greatest hatred is reserved for Brutus, Caesar’s childhood friend, and greatest ally, now leader of the conspirators.

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Read The Conqueror Series in Order

1. Wolf of the Plains (2007) – Temujin, the second son of the khan of the Wolves tribe, was only 11 when his father died in an ambush. His family were thrown out of the tribe and left alone, without food or shelter, to starve to death on the harsh Mongolian plains. It was a rough introduction to his life, to a sudden adult world, but Temujin survived, learning to combat natural and human threats. A man, a small family, without a tribe was always at risk, but he gathered other outsiders to him, creating a new tribal identity. It was during some of his worst times that the image of uniting the warring tribes and bringing the silver people together came to him. He will become the khan of the sea of grass, Genghis.
2. Lords of the Bow (2008) – The gathering of the tribes of the Mongols has been a long time in coming but finally, triumphantly, Temujin of the Wolves, Genghis Khan, is given the full accolade of the overall leader and their oaths. Now he can begin to meld all the previously warring people into one army, one nation. But the task Genghis has set himself and them is formidable. He is determined to travel to the land of the long-time enemy, the Chin and attack them there. The distances and terrain-the wide deserts, the impenetrable mountains-make it a difficult venture even for the legendary Mongolian speed of movement, but the greatest problem is that of the complex fortifications, a way of fighting wars of a settled urban population which the nomadic Mongolians had never come across. Finding ways to tackle that and keeping his tribes together in a strange environment presents another new and exciting challenge for Genghis Khan.
3. Bones of the Hills (2008) – Genghis Khan has fulfilled his dream of uniting the many warring tribes of his lands into one great nation. He has taken his armies against the mighty cities of their oldest enemies. Now he finds trouble rising west of the Mongolian plains. His emissaries are being mutilated or killed and his trading gestures rebuffed. He decides to divide his armies to conquer, using his sons as generals and sending them out simultaneously in many directions. As well as discovering new territories and laying waste the cities which resist, Genghis knows that the actions of his generals will help him decide who, from his rival sons and heirs, should succeed him as khan.
4. Empire of Silver (2010) – Genghis Khan is dead, but his legend and his legacy live on. His son Ogedai has built a white city on a great plain and made a capital for the new nation. Now the armies have gathered to see which of Genghis’ sons has the strength to be khan. The Mongol empire has been at peace for two years, but whoever survives will face the formidable might of their great enemy, China’s Song dynasty. The great leader Tsubodai sweeps into the west: through Russia, over the Carpathian mountains and into Hungary. The Templar knights have been broken and there is no king or army to stop him reaching France. But at the moment of Tsubodai’s greatest triumph, as his furthest scouts reach the northern mountains of Italy, Tsubodai must make a decision that will change the course of history forever.
5. Conqueror (2011) – It should have been a golden age, with an empire to dwarf the lands won by the mighty Genghis Khan. Instead, the vast Mongol nation is slowly losing ground, swallowed whole by their most ancient enemy. A new generation has arisen, yet the long shadow of the Great Khan still hangs over them all … Kublai dreams of an empire stretching from sea to sea. But to see it built, this scholar must first learn the art of war. He must take his nation’s warriors to the ends of the known world. And when he is weary, when he is wounded, he must face his own brothers in bloody civil war.

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Read The Wars of the Roses Series in Order

1. Stormbird (2013) – King Henry V – the great Lion of England – is dead. It’s up to his son to take the throne, but frail in body and mind, he is dependent on his supporters to run his kingdom. Richard, Duke of York, believes that without a strong king England will fall. And as the threat from France grows, and rebellion on home soil spreads, his fears seem justified. Who can save the throne? Who will defend the kingdom?
2. Trinity (2014) – 1454: King Henry VI has remained all but exiled in Windsor Castle, struck down by his illness for over a year, his eyes vacant, his mind a blank. Richard Duke of York, Protector of the Realm, extends his influence throughout the kingdom with each month that Henry slumbers. The Earls of Salisbury and Warwick make up a formidable trinity with Richard, and together they seek to break the support of those who would raise their colours in the name of Henry and his Queen. But when the King unexpectedly recovers his senses and returns to London to reclaim his throne, the balance of power is once again thrown into turmoil.
3. Bloodline (2015) – King Henry VI is still held prisoner. His Lancastrian Queen rides south with an army of victorious northerners, accompanied by painted warriors from the Scottish Highlands. With the death of York, Margaret and her army seem unstoppable. Yet in killing the father, Margaret has unleashed the sons. Edward of March, now Duke of York, proclaims himself England’s rightful king. Through blood and treason, through broken men and vengeful women, brother shall confront brother, king shall face king. Two men can always claim a crown. But only one can keep it.
4. Ravenspur (2016) – King Edward of York has been driven out of England. Queen Elizabeth and her children tremble in sanctuary at Westminster Abbey. The House of Lancaster has won the crown, but York will not go quietly. Desperate to reclaim his throne, Edward lands at Ravenspur with a half-drowned army and his brother Richard at his side. Every hand is against them, every city gate is shut, yet the brothers York go on the attack. But neither sees that their true enemy is Henry Tudor, now grown into a man. As the Red Dragon – ‘the man of destiny’ – his claim to the throne leads to Bosworth Field and a battle that will call an end to the Wars of the Roses . . .

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Read The Athenian Series in Order

1. The Gates of Athens (2020) – Under Darius the Great, King of Kings, the mighty Persian army – swollen by 10,000 Immortal warriors – have come to subjugate the Greeks. In their path stands an army of freeborn Athenians and among them is fearsome and cunning soldier-statesman, Xanthippus. Knowing defeat means slavery lends keenness to his already sharp blade… Yet people soon forget that freedom is bought with blood. Ten years later, Xanthippus watches helplessly as Athens succumbs to the bitter politics of factionalism, when the Persians cross the Hellespont in ever greater numbers to raze Athens to the ground. Facing overwhelming forces by land and sea, the Athenians call on their Spartan allies for assistance – to delay the Persians at the treacherous pass of Thermopylae…
2. Protector (2021) – The Battle of Salamis: Persian King Xerxes stands over the smoking ruins of Athens, an army of slaves at his back. Come to destroy, once and for all, everything that the city stands for, he stares pitilessly at the hopelessly outnumbered Greeks. Veteran soldier Themistocles cannot push the Persians back by force on land, and so he so does so by stealth, at sea. Over three long days, the greatest naval battle of the ancient world will unfold, a bloody war between the democracy of Athens and the tyranny of Persia. The Battle of Plataea: Less than a year later, the Persians return to reconquer the Greeks. Tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides ready themselves for war. For the Spartans, Plataea is a chance to avenge their defeat at Thermopylae. For the people of Athens, threatened on all sides, nothing less than the survival of democracy is at stake. And once again Themistocles, the hero of Salamis, will risk everything-his honor, his friendships, even his life-to protect his country.

Read The Golden Age Series in Order

1. The Lion (2022) – After the gods, after the myths and legends, came the world of men-and in the front rank stood Pericles. Enter Pericles-the Lion of Athens. Behind him lies the greatest city of the ancient world. Before him stands the ferocious Persian army. Both sides are spoiling for war. But Pericles knows one thing: to fight a war you must first win the peace. It’s time for a hero to rise. For his enemies to tremble. And for a city to shine like a beacon . . .
2. Empire (2023) – Pericles returns home more than a hero: he’s the leader of Athens, the empire’s beacon of light. But even during times of peace, the threat of Sparta-Athens’s legendary rival-looms large on the horizon. When a sudden catastrophe brings Sparta to its knees, Pericles sees a golden opportunity to forever shift the balance of power in his city’s favor. For sometimes, the only way to win lasting peace is to wage war. Sparta may be weak, but their power is far from extinguished. Soon a ruthless young boy steps forward to lead the Spartans back to greatness. As the drums of battle draw closer, can Pericles rise to victory once more-or will the world’s greatest empire fall under his watch?

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Read The Empire of Salt Series in Order (as C.F. Iggulden)

1. Darien (2017) -Twelve families. One throne. Welcome to the Empire of Salt.The city of Darien stands at the weary end of a golden age. Twelve families keep order with soldiers and artefacts, spies and memories, clinging to a peace that shifts and crumbles. The people of the city endure what they cannot change. Here, amongst old feuds, a plot is hatched to kill a king.It will summon strangers to the city – Elias Post, a hunter; Tellius, an old swordsman banished from his home; Arthur, a boy who cannot speak; Daw Threefold, a chancer and gambler; Vic Deeds, who feels no guilt; and Nancy, a girl whose talent might be the undoing of them all. As the sun sets, their arrival inside the walls will spark a series of explosive events. Before the sun returns, six destinies will have been made – and lost – in Darien.
2. Shiang (2018) – In Shiang, the young king rules without dissent. Mazer swordsmen stand watch on every corner, looking for the first sign of rebellion. This city is a place of quiet and slow dignity, like a man eating rice with a razor pressed against his throat. Yet with one sharp movement, order is overturned. The balance of centuries is undone in the sudden spill of blood – and in the darkness, something terrible returns to Shiang. Far to the west, four Shiang masters approach the city walls of Darien. The sword saint and his companions have crossed a continent to bring an old man home for punishment. They will not be denied, even if the whole city stands in their way. Two ancient cities. One final war.
3. The Sword Saint (2019) – The news from the north is grim. An army is massing under the new king of Feal. They head towards Darien – city of the Twelve families – demanding allegiance, or war. Tellius, Speaker to the Council, knows this divided city will never stand against such a terrible foe. But Tellius has a plan. He will assemble a band of heroes. Men and women who once before aided Darien in her time of need. They will come if he calls. The army approaches. The trumpets of war sound. A great city holds its breath. And a desperate plan unfolds…

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Read The Dangerous Books in Order (co-writer)

 

Co-written with his brother Hal Iggulden.

1. The Dangerous Book for Boys (2007) – Recapture Sunday afternoons and long summer days. This is a wonderful collection of all things that make being young, or young at heart, fun.
2. The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: Things to Do (2007) – Whether it’s building a flying machine (keep your temper with this one) or learning how to pick a padlock (or your own front door, but not someone else’s), discovering our forgotten explorers and the world’s greatest speeches, or mastering the lauded task of solving a Rubik’s cube,
3. The Dangerous Book for Boys Yearbook (2007) – Packed with historical facts, seasonal activities and space to note your own adventures, ‘The Dangerous Book for Boys Yearbook’ will keep men and boys busy from January to December Stuffed with seasonal activities to do with your friends.
4. The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: Things to Know (2008) – From girls to battles, from anthems to pirates to Shakespeare. The perfect pocket book of things to know for every boy from eight to eighty.

5. The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: Wonders of the World (2008) – Impress your friends and family with your amazing knowledge of the solar system, your indepth insights into fossils and dinosaurs, your amazing ability to name the seven wonders of the world The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: The Natural World’ will make every man and boy, not to mention the women in their lives, as knowledgeable as they have always wished to be!
6. The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: Facts, Figures and Fun (2008) – A collection of fascinating facts that every boy should know selected from The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Dangerous Book for Boys Yearbook.
7. The Dangerous Book of Heroes (2009) – From Captain Scott to Joe Simpson, from Douglas Bader to Ernest Shackleton, from Gertrude Bell to Emily Pankhurst, Conn Iggulden brings our great heroes from history back to life.
8. The Double Dangerous Book for Boys (2019) – Whether it’s building a flying machine (keep your temper with this one) or learning how to pick a padlock (or your own front door, but not someone else’s), discovering our forgotten explorers and the world’s greatest speeches, or mastering the lauded task of solving a Rubik’s cube, The Double Dangerous Book for Boys is the ultimate companion to be cherished by readers and doers of all ages.

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Read The Other Books by Conn Iggulden(Stand-Alones and non-fiction)

• Blackwater (2006) – A dark, chilling psychological thriller from the number one bestselling author of the “Emperor” series. “Blackwater” is being published as part of the Quick Reads initiative on World Book Day 2006. How do you know when you’re in too deep? Davey has always lived in the shadow of his older brother, a smiling sociopath who will stop at nothing to protect himself and his family. But when the shadowy figure of Denis Tanter comes into Davey’s life, how far will the bond of brotherhood reach?
• Tollins: Explosive Tales for Children (2009) – These are the first three stories of the Tollins. Yes, they do have wings, but no, they aren’t fairies. Tollins are a lot less fragile than fairies. In fact, the word fragile can’t really be used to describe them at all. They are about as fragile as a house brick.
• How to Blow Up Tollins (with Lizzy Duncan) ( 2010) – In these three tales, Conn Iggulden explores the explosive, magical and adventurous world of the Tollins, all delightfully illustrated by Lizzy Duncan. Complete with thrilling cliff-hangers, evil plots, derring-do and even the odd fairy (usually squashed), this is the book every boy reader has been waiting for. You’ve met Tinkerbell – now get ready to meet little people as you have never known them before. Just don’t ever call them fairies…
• Quantum of Tweed (2012) – The Man with the Nissan Micra (2012) – When gentlemen’s tailor Albert Rossi hits an unsuspecting pedestrian in his Nissan Micra, he is amazed to escape the seemingly inevitable knock on the door from the police. Instead, he receives a mysterious phone call from a man who tells him that his money will be left in the “usual” place. At that very moment, Albert Rossi decides to change careers. Albert Rossi’s life is about to get a whole lot more interesting…

• Dunstan (2017) – The year is 937. England is a nation divided, ruled by minor kings and Viking lords. Each vies for land and power. The Wessex king Æthelstan, grandson of Alfred the Great, is readying himself to throw a spear into the north. Behind him stands Dunstan, the man who will control the destiny of the next seven kings of England and the fate of an entire nation. Welcome to the original game for the English throne.
• The Falcon of Sparta (2018) – When Cyrus, brother to the Great King of Persia, attempts to overthrow his reckless sibling, he employs a Greek mercenary army of 10,000 soldiers. When this army becomes stranded as a result of the unexpected death of Cyrus and then witnesses the treacherous murder of its entire officer corps, despair overtakes them. One man, Xenophon, rallies the Greeks. As he attempts to lead them to freedom across 1,500 miles of hostile territory seething with adversaries, 10,000 men set off on the long way home.
• Murphy (2019) – Losing a loved one is the hardest thing we ever experience. It feels like a mountain we cannot possibly climb. Yet day by day, we can take single steps. We might never reach the peak, but this much is always true: whenever we look back, we can hardly believe how far we’ve come. Murphy is a true story about that mountain – about losing someone – and healing. It is about a dog who had to find a new family – and about a family who had to find a dog. Stories with dogs in them are almost always good ones. Murphy is for children, as all dogs are. His story is about the power of love, during the worst times.

 

If you like the Conn Iggulden reading order, don’t forget to bookmark it! You may also be interested in Simon Scarrow, Ian Ross, Anthony Riches, Bernard Cornwell, Harry Sidebottom…