This image is the cover for the book King of Kings

King of Kings

The acclaimed author continues his epic tale of Ancient Roman intrigue in the tumultuous third-century in this sequel to Fire in the East.

Born a Barbarian, Marcus Clodius Ballista rises through the ranks of the Roman army to become defender of the Empire’s eastern border. But when treachery causes him to lose the city of Arete, Ballista finds himself in retreat from the Persian Sassanid forces—and out of favor among the senators at home.

As the imperial court grows increasingly concerned about religious fanaticism, the aging emperor Valerian once again calls on Ballista to defend the empire, this time sending him to the far-off port city of Ephesus. There, Ballista is charged with crushing a troublesome Christian sect.

Renowned for their skilled blending of action and historical accuracy, Sidebottom's Warrior of Rome novels take the reader from the shouts of the battlefield to the whisperings of the emperor's inner circle. Endnotes and an extensive bibliography reveal the fascinating research and scholarship brought to life in this exciting tale.

Harry Sidebottom

Harry Sidebottom teaches classical history at Oxford, where he is a Fellow of St. Benet’s Hall and a lecturer at Lincoln College. He has an international reputation as a scholar, having published widely on ancient warfare, classical art, and the cultural history of the Roman Empire. Blood and Steel is the second book in a major new series, Throne of the Caesars, and follows his acclaimed and bestselling series, Warrior of Rome. He divides his time between Oxford and Newmarket in Suffolk, where he lives with his wife and two sons.

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