Men of Bronze

It is 526 B.C. and the empire of the Pharaohs is dying, crushed by the weight of its own antiquity. Decay riddles its cities, infects its aristocracy, and weakens its armies. While across the expanse of Sinai, like jackals drawn to carrion, the forces of the King of Persia watch and wait. Leading the fight to preserve the soul of Egypt is Hasdrabal Barca, Pharaoh’s deadliest killer. Possessed of a rage few men can fathom and fewer can withstand, Barca struggles each day to preserve the last sliver of his humanity. But, when one of Egypt’s most celebrated generals, a Greek mercenary called Phanes, defects to the Persians, it triggers a savage war that will tax Barca’s skills, and his humanity, to the limit. From the political wasteland of Palestine, to the searing deserts east of the Nile, to the streets of ancient Memphis, Barca and Phanes play a desperate game of cat-and-mouse — a game culminating in the bloodiest battle of Egypt’s history. Caught in the midst of this violence is Jauharah, a slave in the House of Life. She is Arabian, dark-haired and proud — a healer with gifts her blood, her station, and her gender overshadow. Though her hands tend to Barca’s countless wounds, it is her spirit that heals and changes him. Once a fearsome demigod of war, Hasdrabal Barca becomes human again. A man now motivated as much by love as anger. Nevertheless honor and duty have bound Barca to the fate of Egypt. A final conflict remains, a reckoning set to unfold in the dusty hills east of Pelusium. There, over the dead of two nations, Hasdrabal Barca will face the same choice as the heroes of old: Death and eternal fame or obscurity and long life.

Really good historical novel characterised by fast action and high historical accuracy. Descriptions of battles are really dynamic and full of realism. When you read this novel you see the real battle, you can imagine fear, pain and blood leaking from soldiers wounds. Comparable descriptions of battles can be found only in Gemmell's or Howard's books. But not only the battles and historical accuracy are strong points of this book. The spiritual and sexual parts of male-female relations are presented in this novel with a proper proportion. Classical civilisation is presented by Scott Oden from the other perspective. In this novel the barbarian (Egyptian) approach to the Greeks is presented, what additionally makes this novel interesting.

What makes a gripping story? I honestly find it hard to pin down...

I remember reading some of the battle scenes in Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire", and actually leaping out of my bed to pace until my heart stopped racing. I was hoping that "Men of Bronze" would provide a similar experience, but I'm disappointed.

I can't sympathize with any of the characters; the battle scenes are cookie cutter; the descriptions of the surroundings and characters, somehow lacking. I found myself reading with a vague detachment, as if eating a bag of Doritos when I'm really not hungry. And I like Lays better than Doritos.

So, mildly dissatisfied, I'm putting the book down before I finish it. I don't want to say that it's a bad book...it just didn't awaken my appetite for more.

There are a million and one books out there under the banner of historical fiction - and it can become quite challenging trying to find titles worth investing your reading time in.

In this instance, I will save you some time and suggest Men of Bronze as a worthy investment - as it's an absolute pleasure to read. It's exciting, engaging and well written. The characters - friend and foe alike - are fantastic.

This was my first Oden book - but will not be my last.

If you want something a little gritty, as well as informative and entertaining - Grab this one. It's great.

I grade a book according to how it holds my attention and that largely depends on how entertaining is the combination of elements such as the authors writing style, research quality and imagination that went into the story plot. I dont pick a book up and read it cover to cover in 3 days if it's dull, and unmotivating and Men of Bronze is certainly neither.

Its not a literary classic. It doesnt pretend to be. But if you are seeking a straight forward historical action novel, where the good guys are not perfect but identifiable as good, the bad are less than likeable and those in between are interesting and the fights are many, then this book will prove hard to put down.

Some of the more negative reviews point to the principal character Hasrdrubal a Phoenician mercenary as being too unrealistic so as to reduce the plot to comic book levels. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge of Phoenician Carthage would spot Mr Odens nice name play based on two of the most famous Phoenician generals of all time, Hannibal Barca (2nd Punic War) and Hasdrubal the Boeotarch (3rd Punic War.)Yes, Hasdrabal Barca is portrayed in Men of Bronze as a larger than life character, who is possessed with one to one fighting skill too good to be truly believable if we are so strung up as to be the sort of reader who cant suspend belief for even a moment (and I am not, I profess one of those). But they fail to mention he is on his near death bed at least once, and mentally and physically suffers as much as anyone else in the plot in both present and past tense. Hence I wouldnt say the character is over the top. He is a thinking character, and weighs up the odds or uses surprise to increase his chances in battle and rides his luck when all else fails. Thats no more than Alexander the Great did in real. So its plausable. Not comic book.

I like the way Mr Oden picks through the minds of his characters, and lets you in so you can understand their motivations, concerns, weaknesses, doubts, the works. Again, thats not comic book writing. The dark and selfish side of human nature is not always given time in a novel which has so much action in it, but this one gives it. The women characters too are given plenty of this treatment, such as the slave girl Jaurharah who becomes Hasdrabals love interest (and 2nd main character)without any mushy romantic overtones being inflicted on the reader. Her past at the hands of an abusive father and her bloody exit from slavery are memorable as are the dying Pharoahs Greek wife Ladia's observations and contribution. Mr Odens women are thinking women, not objects merely of gratuitous lust inserted so as to justify several sex scenes to pad out the work as some authors might digress to at the expense of the story flow.

In short, if you are picky and think no book should ever be published that can not stand alongside Gone With The Wind then this might not be for you. If you dont like blood and gore or prefer the descriptions of battle and the inevitable death that results to be more glossed over and not so graphic, you might not like this. I didnt like the ending, but thats probably a good sign that the author made me care about his characters and their fate. All up...good debut novel, plenty of nice detail and good enough to make me order Mr Odens 2nd novel in my next purchase spree.

This a great book and story. It is an exceptionally entertaining drama for those who might not even be interested in the historical period. It would make a fantastic audio book.