I just finished 2 books on Byzantine Rome written by one of our very own FReepers — Antoninus. They were targeted to the teen aged male market and written from a Catholic standpoint (without being preachy). I thoroughly enjoyed both books — especially since I did not study this period in history in school.
Book 1: Belisarius — The First Shall be Last. Circa, 500 AD.
Book 2: Belisarius — The Glory of Rome, Circa 540 AD.
Both books were excellent and kept me (a grandmother) enthralled for many hours, despite the disclaimer that they were written for young men. There is a great deal of military strategy and palace intrigue covered in these books which were taken in large part from the writings of the famous Roman historian, Procopius. Of course the hero’s early life is fiction, but the rest of the story really happened.
The author helps the reader keep everything straight by thoughtfully providing a glossary in the back of each book, compiling the most unfamiliar Roman words and a cast of characters in the 2nd book. He also provides an ancient map of the Mediterranean and all the countries surrounding it, circa 500, to help the reader put everything in context. Of course, all those countries are in the news today adding further immediency to the story.
I have 7 grandsons in 4 families spread across the country and intend to buy a set of these histories for each family. Book 3 is being written at this time. I can hardly wait to find out what will happen to Belisaurius next. I won’t spoil the anticipation by actually looking it up in an encyclopedia. I want to read it in Belzoni’s words. And my 4 granddaughters may enjoy the narratives as much as I did.
I give the Belisaurius saga 2 thumbs up! Look for Books 1 and 2 at Ark Publishers, or at Amazon.
They stood for a thousand years between the Muslims and the West, during which time the West went from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance.