Lewis Grassic Gibbon 
Spartacus 

First published in 1933 and in the public domain today, Spartacus is the classic inspiring and powerful account of the uprising of the slaves against the Roman Empire in 73 BC, led by the gladiator Spartacus. Gibbon´s knowledge is impressive, and the book is really wonderful to read as fiction, as adventure, and as a history of people in the grip of exploitation and oppression. Heralded as one of the great historical novels of the twentieth century – and an inspiration to generations of people who have fought against oppression and exploitation – Spartacus is a masterpiece of vivid storytelling from one of Scotland's finest writers.