A Petersfield author is hoping to his transport readers into the era before the Roman Conquest.

Michael Arnold’s latest novel The Savage Isle delves into life in Britain prior to the Roman Invasion and tells the story of the Celtic Tribes that stood against them, with two main characters Cullen and Cassia leading the plot.

The novel takes inspiration from the Roman ruins at Silchester near Basingstoke and Michael’s Civil War Chronicles were inspired by The Battle of Cheriton, one of those books was selected as a Sunday Times Book of the Year.

Michael said: “The story is about this guy from a tribe who gets embroiled in the sacking of Calleva by a rival tribe and he ends up getting captured.

“He then learns the ways of the warrior with this new tribe, just as the Romans invade. The series will follow him and his life in resisting the Roman invasion.

“The book is mostly pre-invasion, and it ends with the Romans landing in what's now Kent and the resistance to that.”

Michael also said that growing up in Petersfield and visiting nearby sites such as Butser Ancient Farm played a part in his interest in British history.

He added: “I did my work experience at Buster Ancient Farm in year 10 and then again before I went to university. The Savage Isle, which of course is Iron Age, is right up their street and I’ll be speaking at their book festival in October.

“It is brilliant living here and it does inform a lot of the writing, you go where the story needs to go because it's historical not fantasy.

Michael still lives in Petersfield today and the official launch of the hardback edition of his new book will be held at One Tree Books on April 17, preorders are open.