A book based on the Roman-Dacian wars of 2,000 years ago has been published by an author from Dockenfield.

Colin Dean’s fact and fiction story Draco Dawn is the first of a trilogy covering the whole period of the Dacian conflict.

And his local branch of a national coffee shop chain has been an unwitting beneficiary of Colin’s writing efforts.

He said: “Interestingly, I wrote a huge amount of it in Farnham Costa! Their customers must have wondered what I was smiling about as I fought my way through the battles.”

Colin’s book captures the drama of a series of wars which tested the mighty Roman Empire to its limits and nearly changed the course of history.

He said: “It's a fast action adventure novel that describes what it was like to be a Roman legionary against one of the greatest threats they ever faced.

“You can see, hear and even smell what they were going through deep in the Dacian forests of modern Romania.

“An interesting fact is that once the Romans had eventually beaten them they gained enough gold to fund Rome for 100 years.

“You may have seen or heard of Trajan's Column in Rome - it tells the story of the wars.”

These wars, which took place in the late first century AD, were savage affairs straining fractured loyalties on muddy battlefields in unforgiving mountainous enemy territory.

The pursuit of riches forms a major part of the story, with Roman scout Titus Livius Decimus ordered by Emperor Domitian to infiltrate enemy lines, find the source of Dacian gold and destabilise their resistance from within.

But when the Roman army is shattered in a catastrophic ambush during the crossing of the Carpathian Mountains, Titus, with his war dog Lakon, finds himself cut off from command, surrounded by brutal enemies and forced to survive on instinct, training and courage.

Titus is not simply a brave soldier. He is a man of conflicted heritage, raised with discipline but haunted by past violence and personal sacrifice. Through him, Colin explores what it means to remain loyal in a world where orders contradict morality and survival often requires breaking rules.

Colin explained that the book was born out of a lifelong love of the subject.

He said: “I've always been interested in Roman history. There has been a huge amount written about Caesar, Anthony, Nero etcetera, but Emperor Trajan and the Dacian wars have always been demoted for some reason. The Dacians almost beat them too.”

So what was the cost of Costa as the venue which inspired Colin?

He said: “With coffees and lunch, I guess it was at least £20 a week!”

But a reviewer suggested the expense was well worth it: “The ancient world has long captured the imagination of readers. But rarely is it portrayed with the grit, urgency and human cost.

“If you’re a fan of Roman history, military storytelling or survival drama, Draco Dawn deserves a top spot on your reading list.”

Draco Dawn is available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1968296484/