Great if you like Richard Burton
This if first of all a movie not a book. I liked it and ordered it because I am crazy about Richard Burton. Whether he plays a priest, a spy, a german soldier or a roman soldier. I like Burton, period.
The story is what is lacking. Not Burton. The story needs just a might more tension. Maybe we are so used to seeing wilder movies now that is why it feels like it is lacking. But also the boys they used in the movie were just not in my opinion up to Richard Burton's standards. They actually had the better parts and I think they were miscast.
Again, I liked it just to see Richard.