Bantam Editorial Director Steph Duncan has acquired World English language rights from Luigi Bonomi for Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts, based on the popular Channel 4 documentary series of the same name produced by Spark Media Partners.

According to the acquisition statement: 'Including a Foreword by Professor Alice Roberts and based on Alice’s research and travel notes from the series, sharing the insights of the local experts she meets along the way, with a selection of Alice’s illustrations and photographs from the journey, the book is written by award winning documentary maker and author James Nally.

'Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts is the fourth in this hybrid TV series for Channel 4 that merges Ancient History and Travelogue with a UK audience of 6 million with an average of 850,000 viewers per episode, 25% higher than Channel 4’s benchmark audience for that prime time 8.30pm Saturday slot. This is the first time that a book to accompany the series has been written to expand upon the information shared in the documentary, enabling readers to learn more about the history of the sites visited.

'Beautifully produced, the book is the perfect size to take on your summer holiday to follow Alice on her journey by train through Italy, France and Spain in search of a greater understanding of the Roman Empire. It also gives armchair travellers the sense of being right there with Alice as she goes from seeing newly discovered frescoes in Pompeii to standing in the first stone amphitheatre in Capua, feeling what it must have been like to be a gladiator, not least while holding the sword once held by Russell Crowe.'

Professor Roberts said: "We can’t fit all the brilliant insights I glean from all the fabulous experts I meet into the TV series – so it’s great to be able to offer a deeper dive with extended interviews here. And I hope this book inspires readers to go off on their own historical adventures."

Paul Crompton, the show’s producer at Spark Media Partners said: "We cram four days of filming into each 46-minute episode, meaning that really good material doesn’t make the final cut. This book includes those missing stories as well as selected notes from Alice’s personal journal."

Bonomi said: "This is the perfect book for all those adventurous travellers who would love to travel across Europe by train in the company of the world’s most entertaining and brilliant historian."

Duncan said: "I’m a huge fan of the ‘By Train with Alice Roberts’ TV documentaries and am thrilled to be publishing the first book to accompany the Roman Empire series. It’s the perfect combination of Alice’s expert insight on an eternally fascinating subject with train travel.

"Reading the book is like being there with Alice, learning about what life was like for ordinary Roman citizens and experiencing in real time the latest discoveries by the local experts – real history in the making."

Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts will be published on 28 May in b-format hardback, priced at £22.00.