The Way of the Gladiator

The book that inspired the stories of Gladiator & Gladiator II : Step into the ring with this classic, in-depth account of the ancient Romans’ obsession with the bloody and brutal games. “[ The Way of the Gladiator is] this crazy, tawdry, wild book about the Coliseum. . . . It hardwired in my brain the absolute similarities between who we are and who we were .” —David Franzoni, Academy Award–nominated screenwriter of Gladiator and producer of Gladiator II Originally published under the title Those About to Die . “If you can imagine a superior American sports writer suddenly being transported back in time to cover the ancient Roman games, you will have some idea of the flavor and zest of The Way of the Gladiator ,” said the Los Angeles Times about Daniel P. Mannix’s...