by Mark Walker
An intimate epic of heroism and
sacrifice set against a vividly realised historical backdrop
AD 359. Mesopotamia. War clouds gather
across the disputed land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The great
Persian King Shapur II leads his massive army of invasion Northwards from his
capital near what is now Baghdad. Only one city stands in his way—the Roman
fortress of Amida.
The city’s garrison is hopelessly outnumbered. Their commander has no hope of
success, and even his household god seems to despair. But somehow the Romans
must find the strength to fight despite the odds, and despite bitterly divided
loyalties within their own ranks.
As the siege progresses, tensions develop among both besieged and besiegers
alike as personal and religious animosities threaten to overwhelm fragile
alliances. The age-old struggle between East and West, between opposing creeds
and philosophies of life that is still being replayed in our own time, becomes
concentrated on the city of Amida.
Amida: A Novel is based on the
eyewitness account of the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus and is filled
with authentic period detail. Blending the ancient epic tradition of Homer and
Virgil within a mosaic structure of interconnected first-person
accounts—including letters, speeches, dialogues, sermons, dreams, mystical
visions, songs and poems—Amida: A Novel
focuses as much on the characters’ inner lives as the battles raging around
the city walls.
Amida: A Novel is available direct from Pineapple Publications in either paperback or e-book format.
http://www.pineapplepubs.co.uk/
ISBN 0-9547473-0-5 (paperback edition, £14.99)
ISBN 0-9547473-1-3 (e-book edition, £5.99)
Also available from Amazon.co.uk and other good booksellers