Harry Sidebottom

En el otoño del año 255 d. C., Marco Clodio Ballista, un impetuoso oficial romano, viaja hasta Arete, a orillas del Éufrates, para defender la ciudad del acoso de los sasánidas persas, pero mientras prepara las defensas de la ciudad, descubre que hay espías entre sus hombres de mayor confianza. Todo resulta violento y apasionado en los confines del Imperio, incluso los sentimientos que la exótica belleza de Bathshiva despierta en Ballista. Fuego en Oriente es una novela de acción, de intriga, de amor y de traiciones que combina un nervio y una pericia narrativa que nos recuerda a Bernard Cornwell con una caracterización de personajes y un humor sutil cuyo referente más claro es la obra de Patrick O'Brian. En Sidebottom, profesor de Historia Antigua en Oxford, confluyen como en pocos escritores el espíritu aventurero, la perspicacia psicológica y el escrupuloso rigor histórico.

En el año 256 d.C., la sombra de la traición se cierne sobre el mundo romano. La chispa del fervor cristiano ha prendido con fuerza, mientras el Imperio se tambalea y las fuerzas sasánidas siguen presionando sin descanso en la frontera oriental. Tras la caída de la ciudad de Arete, el general Ballista regresa desolado a la corte imperial en Antioquía, donde descubre que quienes debieran estarle agradecidos preferirían verle muerto. Más habituado a los rigores de la batalla que a las intrigas de la pomposa y corrupta corte del emperador Valeriano, Ballista no tarda en caer en las redes de una perversa trampa maquinada por enemigos poderosos. En un periplo que pondrá a prueba su coraje y su lealtad hacia Roma, su destino acabará convergiendo con el del Imperio amenazado por los persas. En Harry Sidebottom, el profundo conocimiento de esta etapa turbulenta y oscura del Imperio romano va de la mano de una extraordinaria perspicacia en la creación de personajes, una gran habilidad para generar intriga y un innegable talento en el relato de acciones multitudinarias y violentas. La aparición de la serie Guerrero de Roma es el acontecimiento más ilusionante de los últimos años en el género de la novela histórica.

La historia de Roma como nunca te la habían contado. Inspirada en hechos reales, esta es la segunda entrega de una épica aventura donde los hombres matarán para sentarse en el trono del césar. Roma, 238 d. C. El reinado del emperador Maximino el Tracio pende de un hilo: al mando de un imperio debilitado por la defensa de las fronteras en el norte, las rebeliones empiezan a estallar en los confines de sus territorios. En Africa, los Gordiano, descendientes de una familia noble, conspiran para hacerse con el poder y sueñan con devolver a Roma su antiguo esplendor. Cuando el prefecto y hombre de confianza de Maximino es asesinado, el Senado, que sigue sin aceptar que un soldado y antiguo pastor vista el purpura imperial, respaldara la rebelion y los Gordianos seran proclamados los nuevos emperadores. Sin embargo, descubierta la traicion, Maximino actuara como el hombre de guerra que es y, con la venganza como unico objetivo, no permitira que nadie le arrebate el trono de Roma. Cartago sera el escenario de la batalla final en la que se decidira el destino de Roma. Como Juego de tronos pero sin dragones.The Times

DESCUBRE AL OTRO ALEJANDRO: UNO QUE TAMBIÉN CAMBIÓ EL CURSO DE LA HISTORIA.334 a.C. Alejandro Magno parte con solo veinte años y un pequeño ejercito hacia Persia, el imperio más grande y poderoso del mundo. Con el, los macedonios marchan hacia lo desconocido, donde ganan batallas imposibles y asaltan fortalezas inexpugnables desde el mar Egeo a la India.Pero existe otro Alejandro: el principe de la casa Lincestide, general y confidente del mas grande. Mientras el imperio crece, la linea que diferencia a traidores de aliados es cada vez mas fina y Alejandro de Lincestide se divide entre su estima y amistad y el deber de vengar a sus hermanos asesinados.Amenazado por un posible ascenso al trono, los persas, los griegos e incluso los macedonios conspiran contra el durante seis largos años. Mientras el ejercito lucha en el este, su vida pende de un hilo,UN AUTOR DE REFERENCIA PUBLICADO EN 15 IDIOMASMÇS DE 600.000 EJEMPLARES VENDIDOS"Epico." Mary Beard"La prosa de Harry Sidebottom brilla con una erudicion abrasadora." The Times"Una accion explosiva, una hazaña asombrosa." The Guardian"Una vision extraordinariamente vivida del Mundo Antiguo." Evening Standard"Un

La historia de Roma como nunca te la habían contado. Inspirada en hechos reales, esta es la tercera entrega de una épica aventura donde los hombres matarán para sentarse en el trono del césar. ROMA, 238 d. C. El imperio se encuentra en plena crisis: en Africa han fallecido los Gordianos y, en Roma, el Senado, que apoyo su rebelion, tendra que actuar rapidamente para evitar la venganza de Maximino, quien luchara por recuperar el trono. Dos senadores son escogidos para compartir el purpura imperial, pero la polemica se desata y las revueltas estallan en todas las vias de la capital. ¿Sera capaz el nuevo cesar de mantener la ciudad unida mientras los territorios mas lejanos del imperio resisten los sangrientos ataques de godos y persas? Maximino se enfrentara a un gran guerrero, Menofilo, para conquistar Aquilea, en el norte de Italia. En uno de los mayores asedios del imperio, su destino se decidira en una lucha por la victoria, por la venganza, por Roma. Como Juego de tronos pero sin dragones.The Times

La historia de Roma como nunca te la habían contado. PRIMAVERA 235 d. C. El emperador Alejandro Severo acaba de ser asesinado y el trono del césar se convierte en objeto de deseo de muchos. Da inicio asi un periodo convulso de la historia romana en el que en solo un año, seran seis los aspirantes a hacerse con el trono. En este escenario, un heroe se alza: Maximino el Tracio, convirtiendose asi en el primer cesar surgido del fragor de la batalla. Su reinado quedara en nada sin la aprobacion del Senado y muchos no aceptan que los gobierne un antiguo pastor. Mientras, en el norte, la guerra contra los barbaros consume hombres y dinero, y la rebelion y la tragedia personal llevan a Maximino a extremos desesperados, a venganzas sangrientas y al limite de la cordura. Inspirada en hechos reales, esta es la primera entrega de una epica aventura donde los hombres mataran para sentarse en el trono del cesar.

From the bestselling author of WARRIOR OF ROME comes the second book in an epic new series set in third century Rome; a dramatic era of murder, coup, counter-rebellions and civil war. In a world of battle and betrayal men will fight - and kill - to sit on the Throne of the Caesars. Rome, AD238 Emperor Maximinus' reign hangs in the balance. At the helm of an empire that is bleeding manpower and money to sustain his wars in the north, rebellions flare in the far reaches of its territories. In Africa, Gordian the Elder and Younger are proclaimed as the new Augusti. A family descending from the imperial bloodline, they represent a chance for the establishment to take back the empire. In Rome, the first blood of the revolt is shed when an assassin murders Maximinus' prefect and announces to Rome that their ruler is dead and the Gordians have taken the throne. Still bitter at having a soldier from the barracks wearing the imperial purple, the Senate endorses the rebellion: the Gordiani are hailed as Emperors. But as chaos descends on the capital, news reaches Maximinus of the betrayal. A man of war, he acts with decisive brutality and violence. On the dusty plains outside Carthage, bloody battle will determine the fate of the Roman empire.

In a single year six Emperors will lay claim to the Throne of the CaesarsSPRING AD235Dawn on the Rhine. A surprise attack and the brutal murder of the Emperor Alexander and his mother ends the Severan dynasty and shatters four decades of Roman certainty.Military hero Maximinus Thrax is the first Caesar risen from the barracks. A simple man of steel and violence, he will fight for Rome.The Senators praise the new Emperor with elaborate oratory, but will any of them accept a Caesar who was once a shepherd boy? And in the streets of the eternal city, others merely pray to escape imperial notice.In the north, as the merciless war against the barbarians consumes men and treasure, rebellion and personal tragedy drive Maximinus to desperate extremes, bloody revenge and the borders of sanity.Iron & Rust, the first book in a major new series, creates a world both sophisticated and brutal, yet firmly rooted in history; a world of intrigue, murder, passion and war, a world where men will kill to sit on the Throne of the Caesars.

The year is AD 255 - the Roman Imperium is stretched to breaking point; its authority and might challenged along every border. The greatest threat lies in Persia to the east, where the massing forces of the Sassanid Empire loom with fiery menace. There the isolated Roman citadel of Arete awaits inevitable invasion.

From the bestselling author of WARRIOR OF ROME comes the second book in an epic new series set in third century Rome; a dramatic era of murder, coup, counter-rebellions and civil war. In a world of battle and betrayal men will fight - and kill - to sit on the Throne of the Caesars. Rome, AD238 Emperor Maximinus' reign hangs in the balance. At the helm of an empire that is bleeding manpower and money to sustain his wars in the north, rebellions flare in the far reaches of its territories. In Africa, Gordian the Elder and Younger are proclaimed as the new Augusti. A family descending from the imperial bloodline, they represent a chance for the establishment to take back the empire. In Rome, the first blood of the revolt is shed when an assassin murders Maximinus' prefect and announces to Rome that their ruler is dead and the Gordians have taken the throne. Still bitter at having a soldier from the barracks wearing the imperial purple, the Senate endorses the rebellion: the Gordiani are hailed as Emperors. But as chaos descends on the capital, news reaches Maximinus of the betrayal. A man of war, he acts with decisive brutality and violence. On the dusty plains outside Carthage, bloody battle will determine the fate of the Roman empire.

'Absorbing and brilliant ...Game of Thrones without the dragons' THE TIMES The third book in Sidebottom's epic series set in third century Rome; a dramatic era of murder, coup, counter-rebellions and civil war. Rome AD238. The Year of the Six Emperors. The empire is in turmoil. With the Gordiani, father and son, dead in Africa, the tyrant Maximinus Thrax vies to reclaim the throne. The Senate, who supported the revolt of the Gordiani, must act quickly to avoid the vengeance of Maximinus. They elect two Senators to share the imperial purple. But fighting erupts in the streets as ambitious men call for violent revolution. Can the new Augusti hold the city together as the empire's farthest territories fight off bloody attacks from the Goths and the Persians in the east? In the north of Italy, Maximinus descends on Aquileia. Against the odds, Menophilus, an old friend of the younger Gordian, prepares to defend the town. In one of the greatest sieges of the empire, its fate will be decided in a fight for victory, for revenge, for Rome. Filled with intrigue, betrayal and bloody battle, Fire & Sword creates a magnificent world built on brutality and political games, where no one is safe from retribution - not even those who dare to rule.

From the bestselling author of WARRIOR OF ROME comes the first book in a new series set in third century Rome; a dramatic era of murder, coup, counter-rebellions and civil war.In a single year six Emperors will lay claim to the Throne of the CaesarsSPRING AD235Dawn on the Rhine. A surprise attack and the brutal murder of the Emperor Alexander and his mother ends the Severan dynasty and shatters four decades of Roman certainty.Military hero Maximinus Thrax is the first Caesar risen from the barracks. A simple man of steel and violence, he will fight for Rome.The Senators praise the new Emperor with elaborate oratory, but will any of them accept a Caesar who was once a shepherd boy? And in the streets of the eternal city, others merely pray to escape imperial notice.In the north, as the merciless war against the barbarians consumes men and treasure, rebellion and personal tragedy drive Maximinus to desperate extremes, bloody revenge and the borders of sanity.Iron & Rust, the first book in a major new series, creates a world both sophisticated and brutal, yet firmly rooted in history; a world of intrigue, murder, passion and war, a world where men will kill to sit on the Throne of the Caesars.

Greek and Roman warfare was unlike that of any other culture before or since. The key difference is often held to be that the Greeks and Romans practiced a 'Western Way of War,' in which the aim is an open, decisive battle--won by courage instilled, in part, by discipline. Here, Harry Sidebottom looks at how this Western Way of War was constructed and maintained by the Greeks and Romans and why this concept is so prevalent today. All aspects of ancient warfare are thoroughly examined--from philosophy and strategy to the technical skills needed to fight. Sidebottom examines war in the wider context, showing how wars were able to shape classical society, and how an individual's identity was sometimes constructed by war, as in the case of the Christian soldier fighting in God's name. He also explores the ways in which ancient society thought about conflict: Can a war be just? Why was siege warfare particularly bloody? What role did divine intervention play in the outcome of a battle? Taking fascinating examples from the iliad, Tacitus, and the Persian Wars, Sidebottom uses arresting anecdotes and striking visual images to show that any understanding of ancient war is an ongoing process of interpretation. This is a little book which is jam-packed with ideas and insights. This book offers an interesting and invigorating read. TLS I am addicted to this series of pocket-portable introductory lectures - they provoke active and reactive thought. The Guardian Small but impressive Soldier Magazine `I am addicted to this series of pocket-portable introductory lectures. Harry Sidebottom fairly presumes that you wouldn't know a hoplite if one thrust a spear at you, and that you grasped legionary tactics from watching the DVD of Gladiator. The book manages to cover practical fighting from the Iliad to Islam's challenge to Byzantium; war as personal and state metaphor in Greece and Rome; strategy and motivation on sea and land; and then nips briskly on to historians' re-evaluations of the above - in 128 neat pages plus extra reading list and a wicked chronology. Got that? Right, then. Fall in.' Guardian Review

A desperate rescue attempt deep behind enemy lines . . . this nail-biting adventure has all the hard-edged appeal of the Bravo Two Zero mission. When Valens, a junior officer in the Roman Army, joins a crack squad of soldiers on a dangerous mission, little does he know what's in store for him. Tasked with rescuing the young Prince Sasan, who has been imprisoned in the impenetrable Castle of Silence, the troops set out across Mesopotamia and into the mountains south of the Caspian Sea. Deep in hostile territory, inexperienced Valens finds himself in charge. And as one by one his soldiers die or disappear, he begins to suspect that there is a traitor in their midst, and that the rescue is fast becoming a suicide mission. Valens must marshal this disparate group of men and earn their respect, before it's too late . . . From the author of The Last Hour comes another fast-paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. For readers of Bernard Cornwell, Ben Kane, Simon Scarrow and Conn Iggulden. Praise for Harry Sidebottom 'Relentless, brutal, brilliant, this is Jack Reacher in ancient Rome' Ben Kane 'A cracking tale. More twists and turns than the Tiber itself' Rory Clements 'Cracking, page-turning stuff' James Swallow 'Grabbed me from the start. I loved it' Donna Leon

In the north, the savage barbarian tribes of the steppe grow bold. Ballista, warrior of Rome, is sent on an impossible mission - to turn the barbarians against each other. He will face the Heruli - the Eaters of Flesh, the Wolves of the North - most terrifying of all the nomad tribes. But as Ballista and his retinue set out, someone hunts them, picking his people off one by one, and leaving a trail of terror and mutilated corpses. Ballista, in a strange land, among strange people, is about to discover that the greatest threat sometimes lies among one's own . . .

AD 256 - the spectre of treachery hangs ominously over the Roman world. The sparks of Christian fervour have spread through the empire like wildfire, and the imperium is alive with the machinations of dangerous and powerful men. All the while, Sassanid forces press forward relentlessly along the eastern frontier. The battle-bloodied general Ballista returns to the imperial court from the fallen city of Arete - only to find that there are those who would rather see him dead than alive. Ballista is soon caught in a sinister web of intrigue and religious fanaticism ...his courage and loyalty will be put to the ultimate test in the service of Rome and the emperor. 'The Warrior of Rome' is back...

AD262 - the Imperium is in turmoil after the struggle for the throneFurthermore, Ephesus, Asia's metropolis, lies in ruins, shattered by amighty earthquake Its citizens live in fear as the mob overwhelms thecity, baying for blood to avenge the gods who have punished them