Book Reviews

What do Spangles, Polaroid Cameras, Green Shield Stamps and the ITV Seven have in common? Readers under 35 years of age may have to ask a grownup.

The answer is, they are all things that were created, blazed across our culture, and disappeared forever during the 20th Century.

This book is a gentle romp through a lost world of Petrol Pump Attendants, Rag and Bone Men and Lighthouse Keepers, all trades sadly passed into history by the march of progress. Each item has a paragraph about its invention, lifespan and decline, and has a Dodo rating, similar to our Wine Glasses. Even the Technology section recalls some lost items - Commodore Vic 20 anyone? Laser disc? Betamax video player? Sooooo last century, darlings!
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This is the first of two books that covers Spartacus’ life from when he left the Roman army to his death. The first book follows his life as his is traded as a slave in his home village, through to his escape from the Ludus (House of Batiatus) and onto commanding a huge slave Army.

Most of us are aware of the story of Spartacus, mainly thanks to the TV series and this book looks at his life from the same angle, but without all the sex scenes. Many will be aware of the names in the book, as they were actually real people that are also used within the TV series. However unlike the TV series, the author doesn’t rely on blood and gore to get the reader to understand the horror of the situation.
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