The Sword of Attila A Novel of the Last Years of Rome

by Ford, Michael Curtis

• ISBN13: 9780312939151
• ISBN10: 0312939159
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-04
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks

Summary

For centuries, Rome had ruled from Africa to the wilds of Britain. Now, from across a broad plain of waving grass, a new enemy had poured out of the East'”to be led by a man whose goal was not just victory in battle, but the end of an empire... In his novels of ancient warfare, Michael Curtis Ford captures the roar, clamor and horror of battle as well as the intimate moments of human choice upon which history turns. In his extraordinary new work, he brings to life the buckling Roman empire in 400 A.D., a jagged, sprawling realm of foreign fighters, unstable rulers, and battle lines stretched too far. At this pivotal moment, General Flavius Aetius is forced into a battle he does not want but cannot afford to lose. Once Flavius lived among the wild Huns, rode their stout warhorses and became like a son to their king. Now, he faces a man who once saved his life, a man he fears, loves and admires... a man named Attila'”the most dangerous enemy Rome has ever known.... Michael Curtis Ford is forty-three years old and is a translator and novelist. He has bachelor's degrees from the University of Washington and a graduate degree from Princeton. He speaks several languages and is an avid reader of the classics. He and his wife educate their three children at home in Oregon. Only one man has the power and courage to preserve Rome from utter destruction'”but to save the Empire, he must first overcome the Sword of Attila. In an epic campaign that historians have called the most crucial in history, two great warriors match strength and tactics in a colossal struggle for the fate of the known world. Ultimate authority in the fragile Western Empire rests on the shoulders of one man. Adhering to the ancient code of honor on which Rome was founded, he wages a single-minded struggle against barbarian invasions and internal decadence to prevent a catastrophic reign of terror. Respected and feared by friends and enemies alike, he is Count Flavius Aetius, Supreme General of the Legions'”better known to history as the Last of the Romans. Facing him is a foe who has led his Asian hordes on a rampage of conquest and terror, from the barren steppes of the north to the very sands of Persia, ruthlessly destroying vast swaths of civilization. Now he and his army of fierce horsemen have penetrated deep into Europe and are poised to strike at the heart of the empire, the city of Rome itself. The entire world shudders at mention of this man's name'”Attila the Hun. Horrified victims call him the Scourge of God. On a sweltering June day in A.D. 451, the fates of these two titans of antiquity collide in a conflict of such massive carnage and heroism as to dwarf nearly every other single battle in history. Though little known today, this monumental contest on a remote plain in Gaul determined the fate of Europe'”and the very course of civilization. In The Sword of Attila , Michael Curtis Ford once again demonstrates his mastery as a chronicler of battle, honor, and ancient worlds. "Michael Curtis Ford's love for the ancient world emanates from every page: in his magical settings and spectacular re-creation of monuments and landscapes, in his bold portraits of the protagonists, and in his intriguing and swiftly moving plot."'” Valerio Massimo Manfredi, author of the Alexander Trilogy and Spartan "A swift and exciting story. Brutal, straightforward, exciting and informative . . . a hair-trigger ride on ancient sands and hills. This is Ford's best so far, and only those who have read his first two know just how good that makes this book."'” The Statesman Journal "A massively long, brutal spectacle, supremely well-executed . . . again, Ford offers solidly researched and lustily violent military historical fiction."'” Kirkus Reviews "The book demonstrates the author's ability to imagine the Roman world from its periphery and shows the same mastery of military history as his first novel, The Ten Thousand ."'” Publishers Weekly

Author Biography

MICHAEL CURTIS FORD has worked variously as a laborer, a ski patrolman, a musician, a consultant, a banker, a Latin teacher, and a translator. He holds degrees in economics and linguistics and lives in Oregon, where he and his wife educate their three children at home. The Sword of Attila is his fourth novel.

Table of Contents

TWO MEN. TWO WORLDS. ONE MOMENT OF DESTINY...
For centuries, Rome had ruled from Africa to the wilds of Britain. Now, from across a broad plain of waving grass, a new enemy had poured out of the East—to be led by a man whose goal was not just victory in battle, but the end of an empire...

THE SWORD OF ATTILA
In his novels of ancient warfare, Michael Curtis Ford captures the roar, clamor and horror of battle as well as the intimate moments of human choice upon which history turns. In his extraordinary new work, he brings to life the buckling Roman empire in 400 A.D., a jagged, sprawling realm of foreign fighters, unstable rulers, and battle lines stretched too far. At this pivotal moment, General Flavius Aetius is forced into a battle he does not want but cannot afford to lose. Once Flavius lived among the wild Huns, rode their stout warhorses and became like a son to their king. Now, he faces a man who once saved his life, a man he fears, loves and admires... a man named Attila—the most dangerous enemy Rome has ever known....

“Supremely well-executed.”
--Kirkus Reviews

“Exhilarating…first-class writing.”
--Salem Statesman Journal

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