Ben Kane
Ben Kane (born 6 March 1970) is an Irish novelist who specialises in historical fiction. He attended school at St. Mary's College, Dundalk, County Louth, and later studied veterinary medicine at University College Dublin, graduating in 1992.
Ben Kane

Klapi · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Ben Kane
- Born
- 6 March 1970
- Birthplace
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Occupation
- Author
- Nationality
- Kenya
- Fields
- creative and professional writing · historical fiction · veterinary medicine · charity
- Education
- University College Dublin
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Ben Kane (born 6 March 1970) is an Irish novelist who specialises in historical fiction. He attended school at St. Mary's College, Dundalk, County Louth, and later studied veterinary medicine at University College Dublin, graduating in 1992.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Ben Kane. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q4885974 · wikipedia · Ben Kane
In this article
Biography
Biography
He is best known for his Forgotten Legion, Spartacus, and Hannibal book series. His 2011 novel, Hannibal: Enemy of Rome, made the Sunday Times bestseller list. He has had multiple Sunday Times bestsellers since. Translated into 14 languages, his books have sold more than a million and a half copies worldwide. In 2013, Kane and two friends walked the entire length of Hadrian's Wall for charity while wearing full Roman military kit, including hobnailed boots; they raised nearly £19,000 for Combat Stress and Medecins Sans Frontieres. In 2014, they walked again in Italy, raising over £26,500. A documentary film was made about their walk, entitled The Road to Rome, with Ian McKellen providing voiceover. In 2016, Bristol University conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters degree upon Kane in recognition of his historical research. For some years, he has been supporting and raising money for Park in the Past, a Roman fort-building project near Chester. In May 2023, Kane signed a four-book deal with Orion. In May 2024, Kane published the novel Stormcrow, set in Ireland. In October 2024, Kane and his fellow authors of A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii sold dramatic rights for the work to Amazon MGM Studios and Scott Free Productions.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ben Kane • Born — 6 March 1970 • Birthplace — Nairobi, Kenya • Occupation — Author • Genre — Historical fiction • Notable Works — * The Forgotten Legion • Silver Eagle • Road to Rome • Website — benkane.net
The Forgotten Legion
The Forgotten Legion
• The Forgotten Legion (2008) • The Silver Eagle (2009) • The Road to Rome (2010) • "The March" (short story, 2018)
Hannibal
Hannibal
• Hannibal: Enemy of Rome (2011) • "Hannibal: The Patrol" (short story, 2013) • Hannibal: Fields of Blood (2013) • Hannibal: Clouds of War (2014) • A Land Aflame (July 2026)
Spartacus
Spartacus
• Spartacus: The Gladiator (2012) • Spartacus: Rebellion (2012)
Eagles of Rome
Eagles of Rome
• "The Shrine" (short story, 2015) • "Eagles in the East" (novella, 2019) • Eagles at War (2015) • "The Arena" (short story, 2016) • Hunting the Eagles (2016) • Eagles in the Storm (2017) • "Eagles in the Wilderness" (novella, 2019) • "Io Saturnalia!" (novella, 2023)
Clash of Empires
Clash of Empires
• Clash of Empires (2018) • The Falling Sword (2019)
Lionheart
Lionheart
• Lionheart (2020) • Crusader (2021) • King (2022)
Standalone works
Standalone works
• A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii (2014 – Kane contributed one chapter) • Sands of the Arena and Other Stories (2021) • Napoleon's Spy (2023) • "Centurion of the First" (novella, 2023) • Stormcrow (2024) • Rome (2025) • Cannae: The Longest Day (forthcoming 2026)
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q4885974: Ben Kane
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Ben Kane”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q4885974: Ben KaneWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 21 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,529 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Ben FerenczAuthor
- Ben FountainAuthor
- Ben HechtAuthor
- Ben JonsonAuthor
- Ben KnapenAuthor
- Ben LernerAuthor
- Ben MezrichAuthor
- Ben MyersAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Ben Kane?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.