Fire in the East

Sometimes it seems that the supermarket shelves are groaning under the weight of historical novels set during the ‘Glory that was Rome'. Sadly many of them are unreadable tosh (yes, Ben Kane, I mean you!). However, Harry Sidebottom is a different proposition altogether.

A teacher of classical history at Oxford, Sidebottom knows his stuff, but, more to the point, he can also write. The man knows how to construct a pacey, exciting story and keep it moving.

Fire in the East is volume one of the Warrior of Rome series, set around AD256, which follows the adventures of Marcus Clodius Ballista, a Germanic diplomatic hostage, who has been granted Roman Citizenship and has served in the Roman Army, rising through the ranks to the point where, at the start of the novel, he has been given command of the defence of the City of Arete, on the eastern fringe of the Empire, as the Sassanid hoardes under the King of Kings, Shapur, threaten to capture it and drive Rome from Aasia Minor. Ballista is a complex character and Sidebottom explains his motivations and anxieties well as he deals with shoddy and resentful troops and arrogant, aristocratic officers.

There is intrigue aplenty, as the Emporer's spies keep an eye on Ballista and somewhere a traitor threatens to undermine the defence of the city. Sidebottom stocks the story with a large cast of characters and there is humour here as well as exciting action set-pieces as the siege of the city gets underway. The author never flinches from showing us the harsh sacrifices a supreme commander must make in order to achieve the task he has been set. The reveal at the end is well handled and overall this is a great read, based on sound knowledge of the era and a true love of the subject matter.

The next volume beckons. Recommended.