From TARDIS Index File, the free Doctor Who reference.

Doctor Who - The Romans
Series:	Doctor Who - Target Novelisation
Release Number:	120
Doctor:	First Doctor
Companions:	Vicki, Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton
Enemy:	Locusta
Setting:	Rome,
Author:	Donald Cotton
Publisher:	Target Books, W.H. Allen & Co
Publication:	April 1987 (hardcover) September 1987 (paperback)
Format:	Hardcover and paperback editions, 128 Pages
ISBN:	ISBN 0-426-20288-0
Previous Story:	Doctor Who – The Rescue
Following Story:	Doctor Who and the Zarbi

Novelisation

• This novelisation is based on the original television serial generally referred to as DW: The Romans which included individual episode titles and was shown from 16th January 1965 and written by Dennis Spooner.
• The cover and information shown on the right is for the original Target novel and featured the artwork of Tony Masero. (See below for information on other UK and international editions which published with a different cover).

Publisher's Cover Blurb

The TARDIS crew members have taken a break from their adventures and are enjoying a well-deserved rest in a luxury villa on the outskirts of Imperial Rome.
But in the gory grandeur that is Rome, things don’t stay quiet for long. If the time-travellers can save themselves from being sold as slaves, assassinated by classical hit-men, poisoned by the evil Locusta, thrown to the lions, maimed in the arena and drowned in a shipwreck, they still have to face the diabolical might of the mad Emperor Nero.
As if that isn’t enough, they also discover that, although Rome wasn’t built in a day, it was burnt down in considerably less time…

Illustrations

None

Deviations from the Televised Story

• Rather than write a straightforward narrative, Cotton chose to write this novelisation in the form of letters and journal entries.

Author, Writing and Publishing Notes

• No photgraphic reference material was available at the time and cover artist Tony Masero, instead took his inspiration from a picture of Peter Ustinov as Nero in the film Quo Vadis.

Associated Images

To be added

Publishing History (UK)

Hardback (April 1987)

• W.H.Allen & Co. Ltd. UK ISBN:049103833X, copies priced £7.50 (UK))

Paperback (September 1987)

• Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. Single paperback edition, estimated print run: 30,000, priced £1.95 (UK).

International Editions

To be added

External Sources

• The Target Book by David J Howe (Telos Publishing 2007)
• a comprehensive guide to the Target novelisations by Tim Neal