It is 45 AD and Narcissus tests Centurion Cato with his first command – a posting in Judea, on the very fringe of the empire. Cato must replace the existing commander of the unit and restore the competence of the cohort. However, Cato faces another challenge as, outside of the camp, a religious fanatic, Maccabeas, a one-time follower of Jehoshua `later known as Jesus`, preaches violent opposition to Rome and his fiery rhetoric stirs up the locals.
At first only small Roman patrols are attacked but quickly the local uprising threatens to spread. In order to crush the revolt, Cato must stamp out the corruption in the cohort and restore it to fighting fitness. It is a tall order and if Cato fails, not only will his career be at risk but also the entire eastern flank of the empire...
Simon Scarrow teaches at a leading Sixth Form College. He has in the past run a Roman History programme taking parties of students to a number of ruins and museums across Britain. Having enjoyed the novels of Forester, Cornwell and O'Brian, and fired by the knowledge gleaned from his exploration of Roman sites, he decided to write what he wanted to read - a military page-turner set during the Roman invasion of Britain in 43AD.
James Patterson
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