Amida: A Novel

An epic of heroism and sacrifice set against a vividly realised historical backdropAD 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.