Product Description

A thrillingly-told, action-packed historical novel about a near-forgotten colossus of the ancient world...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60465 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

Synopsis
He lived in the shadow of kings. One trusted him with his empire; the other feared his every move. Memnon of Rhodes (375-333 BC) walked in the footsteps of giants. As a soldier, sailor, statesman and general, he was, in the words of Diodorus of Sicily, "outstanding in courage and strategic grasp." A contemporary of Demosthenes and Aristotle, Memnon rose from humble origins to command the whole of western Asia in a time of strife and slaughter. To his own people, he was a traitor, to his rivals, a mercenary. But, to the King of Kings, his majesty Darius III of Persia, Memnon was the one man capable of defending Asia Minor from the rising power of the barbaric Macedonians. In a war pitting Greek against Greek, Memnon proved his quality beyond measure. His enemies fought for glory and gold; Memnon fought for something more: for loyalty, for honour, and for duty. He fought for the love of Barsine, a woman of remarkable beauty and grace, but most of all, he fought for the promise of peace. Through the deathbed recollections of a mysterious woman, the life of Memnon unfolds with brilliant clarity.

It is a record of his triumphs and tragedies, his loves and losses, and of the determination that drove him to stand against the most renowned figure of the ancient world - an ambitious and brilliant young conqueror called Alexander the Great.

From the Back Cover
In the 4th century BC, the Mediterranean and Western Asia were riven by strife and slaughter. Out of the chaos strode a warrior who would becomeone of the great soldiers and statesmen of his time, who came to symbolize hope, but who is now all but lost to history.

His name was Memnon of Rhodes.

Through the deathbed recollections of a mysterious woman, Memnon's life and deeds unfold with brilliant clarity. His is a story of triumph and tragedy, of ambition, betrayal and bloodshed. The story of a brave, passionate and principled warrior whose fate was sealed when he took a stand against that most renowned and feared of men: the ruthless, mercurial young conqueror called Alexander the Great.

Action-packed and painstakingly researched, Scott Oden's new novel is historical fiction at its most engrossing and exciting.

About the Author
Scott Oden was born in 1967 in Columbus, Indiana, and raised in rural North Alabama where he still lives. His fascination with Egypt and the ancient world began in 1976, when a teacher showed his class slides from the Tutankhamun exhibition. He studied history and English at the University of Alabama before pursuing the usual variety of odd jobs - from delivering pizza to clerking at a video store. His first novel was the acclaimed Men of Bronze.

Customer Reviews

Memnon??
I am a fan of historical fiction and this was my first experiance of Scott Oden and i think it will be my last.

For a start this is not biographical as the author himself acknowledges that there is precious little source material on Memnon and huge gaps in what does exsist and as such the majority of this book is pure fiction. Secondly at no point does this book mention Achilles as a role model for Memnon in fact quite the opposite and i would urge you not to purchase this book based on the poor reviews that came before this one.

The shadow of Alexander the Great puts all other men of staue at this time in the shade and i had hoped this book would help redress the balance and shine light on Memnon of Rhodes but it doesnt nor does it capture the imagination as a work of fiction.
This book has neither the beautiful flowing style of Conn Iggulden nor the attention to detail and brutal truth of Steven Pressfield, instead it is a book for those of limited interest in the period or peoples and the name Memnon could easily be supplimented with any other you could think of without really impacting a book already sparce on revelvant details.

You were warned.

MEMNON is a superb ancient biographical fiction novel
Being of Greek descent and having been born and raised on the Island of Rhodes, Memnon dreams that he will become the equal of his hero Achilles. However, when his father was beheaded during an uprising, Memnon fled his hometown barely escaping with his life. He becomes a mercenary for hire joining the militia of a Persian provincial governor as a lieutenant.

He quickly realizes emulating his hero Achilles is not his fortitude, as he proves an able military strategist. When Alexander invades Asia Minor, Persian King Darius III hires Memnon as a general officer to defeat his foe and repel them back to Macedonia. The ensuring battle makes one of these fierce leaders a name for the ages and the other a footnote buried in encyclopedia.

MEMNON is a superb ancient biographical fiction novel of a leading figure of the fourth century BCE who fought against Alexander and obviously lost as he became the footnote while his opponent became one of the Greats. The story line is action-packed yet provides the audience a deep look into Aristotle's Greece, Alexander's Macedonian Empire, and Darius' Persia. Though confessing that he was forced to "have taken spectacular liberties" to fill the holes in the historical record, Scott Oden, as he did with the powerful MEN OF BRONZE, provides a fantastic fascinating ancient historical tale focusing on the exploits of Alexander's most capable opponent whose scorched earth advice on preventing the invaders from a sure win was rejected!! I would also like to recommend a brilliant novel called--The Fates--by bestselling novelist Tino Georgiou. A great novel about Sparta and Troy!

A Very Enjoyable Read

Scott Oden was born in 1967 in Columbus, Indiana, and raised in rural North Alabama where he still lives. He has had a fascination with Egypt and the ancient world since boyhood. He studied history and English at the University of Alabama before pursuing a number of jobs. His first novel was the acclaimed Men of Bronze.

Memnon of Rhodes was born in 375 BC and rose from humble beginning to become one of the most feared and respected men in the known world. Many kings bowed before him and those that didn't feared what he might do. He was both a soldier and a sailor. He was a great general and his grasp of strategy was second to none.

To Darius III of Persian he was the one man capable of defending Asia Minor from the rising threat of the Macedonians Over many battles Memnon proved his worth over and over again. No gold and plunder for him. Everything he did was from a sense of loyalty and duty.

The life of Memnon is told through the eyes of a mysterious woman, confined to her death bed. It is a story of a man's triumphs, his loves and the tragedies in his life. It is about the determination that drove him to stand against the most famous figure of the ancient world, the young conqueror Alexander later called Alexander the Great.

It is obvious that the author has researched his subject well and the love of his subject comes through in his writing. I love books on ancient history, either fact or fiction and to use an old Yorkshire term, this one was right up my street.