Amida: A Novel [Kindle Edition]

An 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.

This title is an E-book version of 'Amida: A Novel', (ISBN 0-9547473-0-5).

Taking advantage of his experience of the internet (Mark once worked for Amazon.co.uk), the author set up Pineapple Publications (pineapplepubs.co.uk) in order to publish his book.

"My literary agent and I had a frustrating year attempting to persuade established publishing houses to take the book," Mark comments ruefully. "Despite receiving very positive feedback from them, the major publishers told us they were simply not prepared to commit to such a substantial work by an unknown name.

"Thanks to the internet, however, I have been able to set about publishing and marketing my novel independently. It’s relatively easy to set up a website and get a book listed on major retail sites such as Amazon. Then it’s a question of promotion: using email contacts to tell the right people about the book. For example, I’ve been in touch with a variety of interested parties, from Roman army re-enactment groups, academic historians, to fans of historical fiction, all via email. I think this is going to be an increasing trend in publishing, one in which authors can control all aspects of the publishing process."

For more information please visit pineapplepubs.co.uk or email publisher@pineapplepubs.co.uk

The lengthy writing process involved in creating AMIDA was a real labour of love. Any historical novel is bound to involve a great deal of research, and this was especially true of Amida, which is set in the fourth century AD, a time when the Roman Empire was in decline and reliable sources for the period are in short supply. The story itself is closely based on the eyewitness account of Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus, but the novel is also filled with a great deal of highly detailed descriptions of weaponry, armour and siege tactics. In order to make it feel as authentic as possible I had to make sure I got my facts right.

Add to that a lot of colourful imagery concerning both Roman and Persian religion of the time—Mystery cults, Arian Christianity and Zoroastrianism to name but three—as well as superstition and magical rites, and a variety of literary models, from Homer and Virgil’s classical epics to Macaulay’s nineteenth-century Lays of Ancient Rome, and the result was about three years’ work in all. I hope the effort shows in the quality of the end result.

The story revolves around a clash of cultures between East and West. It was a time when the Roman Empire was fragmenting from within, and facing pressure from without. It’s a theme that should have a great deal of resonance for a modern audience. History can often be used as a mirror to reflect our own times, and the desperate struggles that take place around the city walls of Amida can be seen as a microcosm of the antagonism between different world-views and different religions that is still ongoing today.

AD359, the Roman province of Mesopotamia.

The Eastern frontier of the Roman Empire is under threat. The Persian King of Kings, Shapur II, greatest of the Sassanid dynasty, lays claim to Mesopotamia by ancestral right. Finally, after years of indecisive skirmishing between the two rival superpowers, Shapur has assembled a massive army of invasion to settle the territorial dispute once and for all. The Roman Emperor Constantius, last surviving son of Constantine the Great, is far away on campaign in the Western provinces with his mobile field armies.

Situated on a rocky plateau beside the Tigris river, only the fortified garrison town of Amida stands between Shapur and success ...

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.

Mark Walker is also the author of LATIN FOR EVERYDAY LIFE, a new introductory textbook for adults.