Spartacus

By Howard Fast,

Book cover of Spartacus

Book description

The best-selling novel about a slave revolt in ancient Rome and the basis for the popular motion picture.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Spartacus as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Fast ran afoul of the House Committee on Un-American Activities and was sent to prison for contempt of Congress.

To him, as to Karl Marx and others, the gladiator Spartacus, who led history’s best-known slave revolt (73 to 71 B.C.), symbolized the proletariat’s revolution against capitalist oppressors and depraved imperialists.

Despite some dubious history and one distasteful distortion concerning the Romans’ exploitation of slaves, Fast’s 1951 novel is a stirring tale, intended “so that the dream of Spartacus may come to be in our own time.”

When no publisher would touch his book, Fast had it printed and distributed on…

If you love Spartacus...

Ad

Book cover of Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

Uniting the States of America By Lyle Greenfield,

We’ve all experienced the overwhelming level of political and social divisiveness in our country. This invisible “virus” of negativity is, in part, the result of the name-calling and heated rhetoric that has become commonplace among commentators and elected leaders alike. 

My book provides a clear perspective on the historical and…

Want books like Spartacus?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Spartacus.

Browse books like Spartacus

Book cover of Sawdust Caesar: The Untold History of Mussolini and Fascism
Book cover of Hitler's State Architecture: The Impact of Classical Antiquity
Book cover of Ben-Hur: The Original Blockbuster

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,592

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in ancient Rome, Karl Marx, and Rome?

Ancient Rome 305 books
Karl Marx 29 books
Rome 339 books