Title: Soldier of Rome: Rebellion in JudeaAuthor: James Mace
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 430
Genre: Historical
Format: Kindle/Paperback
In the year 66 A.D. the Roman province of Judea exploded in rebellion. Far from being a revolution of unified peoples, the various Jewish factions of Sadducees, Zealots, Sicarii, and Edomites are in a state of civil war; as anxious to spill the blood of each other as they are to fight the Romans. The Judeans find hope when the Romans commit a serious tactical blunder and allow their forces to be ambushed and nearly destroyed in the mountain pass of Beth Horon. Following the disaster, Emperor Nero recalls to active service Flavius Vespasian, the legendary general who had been instrumental in the conquest of Britannia twenty-three years before. In the northern region of Galilee, a young Judean commander named Josephus ben Matthias readies his forces to face the coming onslaught. A social and political moderate, he fears the extremely violent Zealot fanatics, who threaten to overthrow the newly-established government in Jerusalem, as much as he does the Romans. Soon Vespasian, a tactical and strategic genius who had never been defeated in battle, unleashes his huge army upon Galilee. His orders are to crush the rebellion and exact the harshest of punishments upon those who would violate the Peace of Rome. Lacking the manpower and resources to face the legions in open battle, Josephus knows he will need plenty of cunning, ingenuity, and, perhaps, even the intervention of God Himself, lest the once proud Kingdoms of Judah and Israel should become a kingdom of the damned.
For More Information
- Soldier of Rome: Rebellion in Judea is available at Amazon.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads
What are you most proud of
accomplishing so far in your life?
As far as
writing goes, my proudest accomplishment has to be becoming a five-time ancient
history best-seller on Amazon and Amazon U.K.
How has your upbringing
influenced your writing?
I’ve always
loved telling stories, and my parents encouraged my sister and I to read from a
young age. My entire family is also big into history, and I found I was
fascinated by specific eras, specifically Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, and the
British Empire.
When and why did you begin
writing?
I got my
actual start writing bodybuilding and physical fitness articles for
Bodybuilding.com and a magazine called HardCore Muscle. For me, writing has
always been about gaining knowledge, and then passing that on to others, in a
format which they will enjoy reading.
When did you first know you
could be a writer?
When I was working on the initial draft to my first book, Soldier of Rome: The Legionary. I was in
Iraq at the time, and for me, it was a cathartic means of escapism. Pretty much
everyone knew what I was doing, and several soldiers in my platoon asked to
read the chapters I had written so far. I was afraid they would think it was
campy or cheesy, yet when they all really liked it, and asked me if I had any
more for them to read, I knew I could be a writer.
What genre are you most
comfortable writing?
Historical
fiction / based on actual events. As most people are not up for reading dry
history books, I attempt to bring history to them, in a way that they will both
learn about our collective past, while also enjoying the story. Some of the
biggest compliments I have received from fans and readers is when they tell me
that they only got into a particular historical period because I wrote about it.
What inspired you to write your
first book?
Watching the
series, I, Claudius, and then later
reading the books. One episode that stuck with me was the disastrous ambush in
Teutoburger Wald, Germania, in 9 A.D., where three Roman legions were
destroyed. This is brought up in the series, though they only gloss over the
Roman campaigns of retribution, six years later. I always thought it would be
great to read about those campaigns, but to have them told from the perspective
of an individual Roman legionary. I was twelve at the time, and such a book
would not exist until I wrote it, seventeen years later.
What do you
consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in
general?
Keeping the
characters fresh, original, and above all, believable. There is also a level of
balance, because you want your characters to be relatable; however, one cannot
insert modern moralities that would not have existed then. For example, while I
find the thought of slavery to be abhorrent, it was commonly accepted during
the 1st century A.D., and not just by the Romans. Pretty much every
culture in the known world practiced slavery, especially when dealing with
conquered peoples.
Another
challenge, especially when writing about actual events, is keeping the historical
facts accurate. While I insert fictional characters into my stories, I make
certain that they are believable, and that the balance of probability is there
was someone like them from the time. I also try to make certain that they do
not change the events that we know happened.
I can think of a few instances, where I had written a chapter, only to
have to change or completely re-write it, because I had my facts wrong. While
many authors are okay with changing historical events because “it is just a story”
(filmmakers are notorious for this), to me, that breaks the bond of trust
between the author and the reader.
Do you intend to make writing a
career?
I already
have. Mind you, it took a few years. My first book came out in February 2006,
and I did not become a full-time author until my fifth book came out, around
December of 2011. Up until then, it was simply a hobby, and I wrote for my own
enjoyment. Around spring of 2011, after I got all of my works onto Kindle and
eBooks, sales immediately skyrocketed. By summer, I was making far more in book
royalties than I was working for the federal government, and by fall I made the
decision to leave my job and become an author exclusively. I left my job on 9
December 2011, and I haven’t looked back…well, except when my wife and I get
invited to their annual Christmas party!
Have you developed a specific
writing style?
Extremely
graphic. I believe that war is mankind’s most abject failure, and while there
may be honor in fighting for one’s nation, there is no glory. If fans read the
battle scenes in my books and are repelled by the horrific violence, then I
have done my job. I also take a very direct approach, in that I make every
attempt to write the events as they happened, without passing judgment one way
or the other. This is probably one of the most difficult things to do,
especially when I do have a personal bias towards the events I am writing. When
I wrote my novel on the Waterloo campaign, called I Stood With Wellington, many fans noted that, while it was definitely
written from a heavily British perspective, I still treated the French
characters with respect, while avoiding painting either side as either heroes
or villains.
What is your greatest strength as a writer?
Being
completely relentless. The greatest weakness of most aspiring authors is
self-doubt, and the inability to finish what they start. I have interacted with
dozens of people, who all asked me to read segments of their work (some of
which was actually quite good), and to give them publishing advice. In all but
two cases, the writers in question never finished a single work. Once I
completed my first full-length novel, even in its raw and unedited state, I
knew I could finish any work I set out write. In fact, my fourteenth book is
coming out very soon, with two more to follow by the end of the year.
What is your favorite quote, by
whom, and why?
I have a few,
and they are pretty self-explanatory.
“Assume a virtue, if you have it not.”
- William Shakespeare
“In a free state there should be
freedom of speech and thought.” - Emperor Tiberius Caesar
“If you want others to be happy,
practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” - The Dalai
Lama
“Next to a
battle lost, the saddest thing is a battle won.” - Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke
of Wellington
“If this day should be your last, may
you die with honor.” – I wrote this in my most recent work, as the last words
between two Roman soldiers on opposing sides of a civil war. I won’t claim it
as a “James Mace original” however, because I am certain this quote, or ones
very much like it, have been said throughout history.
James Mace is the author of twelve books and the CEO and Founder of Legionary Books, which he started in 2006. He developed his passion for history at a young age and has made Ancient Rome a life's study. He penned the initial draft of his first novel, Soldier of Rome: The Legionary, as a cathartic means of escapism while serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq. He spent a career as a Soldier, and in 2011 left his full-time position with the Army National Guard to devote himself to writing.His well received series, Soldier of Rome - The Artorian Chronicles, is a perennial best-seller in ancient history on Amazon. With his other favourite period in history being the British Empire, his writing has branched into the Napoleonic Wars. He is currently working on a new trilogy about the Roman-Jewish War of 66 to 73 A.D., along with a side project about the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879.
Official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/legionarybooks Blog: http://legionarybooks.blogspot.com/ For More Information
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