{"title":"Richard Blake","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-blood-of-alexandria-paperback","title":"The Blood of Alexandria - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe tears of Alexander shall flow, giving bread and freedom . . .\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e612 AD. \u003c\/b\u003eEgypt, the jewel of the Roman Empire, seethes with unrest, as bread runs short and the Persians plot an invasion. In Alexandria, a city divided between Greeks and Egyptians by language, religion and far too few soldiers, the mummy of the Great Alexander, dead for nine hundred years, still has the power to calm the mob - or inflame it . . . \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this third novel of the series, Aelric of England has become the Lord Senator Alaric and the trusted Legate of the Emperor Heraclius. He's now in Alexandria, to send Egypt's harvest to Constantinople, and to force the unwilling Viceroy to give land to the peasants. But the city - with its factions and conspirators - thwarts him at every turn. And when an old enemy from Constantinople arrives, supposedly on a quest for a religious relic that could turn the course of the Persian war, he will have to use all his cunning, his charm and his talent for violence to survive. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNB \u003c\/b\u003e- This new edition contains sixty pages from the rejected first draft. These were considered too shocking for a book already loaded with extreme and graphic violence\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for the Novels of Richard Blake\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.' - Derek Jacobi, star of \u003ci\u003eI Claudius \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eGladiator\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period.... Nasty, fun and educational.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.' - The Mail on Sunday \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'A rollicking and raunchy read . . . Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex, intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.' - \u003ci\u003eHistorical Novels\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Morning Star\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eRichard Blake\u003c\/b\u003e is a pseudonym for \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSean Gabb\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, who is an historian, writer and university lecturer. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68288480182495,"sku":"9798761621930","price":28.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/qv31Zzoo-h9798761621930.webp?v=1792839051"},{"product_id":"the-curse-of-babylon-paperback","title":"The Curse of Babylon - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"An extraordinary series\" - The Morning Star\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStep into the world of 615 AD, where heroism and the fate of the Byzantine Empire converge in the conclusion to this prose epic of six massive novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the heart of the vast and morally bankrupt city of Constantinople, Aelric of England, now known as the Lord Senator Alaric, stands on the brink of absolute authority. As an insane Persian tyrant prepares to deliver a killing blow to the Byzantine Empire, Alaric appears nearly as powerful as the Emperor himself. Seemingly without opposition, he wields his influence from the confines of his fortified palace, surrounded by the opulent pleasures of books, mood-altering substances, and the allure of his serving girls and dancing boys.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut within this decadent facade lies a visionary. Misunderstood by almost everyone, Aelric alone is pushing forward with the root and branch reforms that can save the Empire from impending doom and carry it to a new kind of glory.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the world's most formidable military force assembles in secret beyond the imposing eastern mountains, shadows of treachery and domestic foes wait for their moment to strike back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn its climax, a colossal battle unfolds, where the fate of empires and the destiny of Alaric converge. The True Cross makes a shadowy appearance, alongside an ancient Babylonian vessel that may once have been used for mixing wine - or, more likely, for collecting human blood to be used in some abominable ritual. And the ancient streets of Constantinople come to life with meticulous detail, putting the reader inside the mind of a world that is no longer Antiquity, but not yet the Middle Ages.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis sixth installment of the series weaves intrigue, passion, black comedy, elements of the supernatural and the splendour of ancient Constantinople into a long and sprawling but always coherent narrative that must appeal to all lovers of historical fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for the Novels of Richard Blake\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.' - Derek Jacobi, star of \u003ci\u003eI Claudius\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGladiator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period.... Nasty, fun and educational.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Mail on Sunday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A rollicking and raunchy read . . . Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex, intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.' - \u003ci\u003eHistorical Novels\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.' - \u003ci\u003eThe Morning Star\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRichard Blake is a pseudonym for Sean Gabb, who is an historian, writer and teacher of Greek and Latin. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68342906487007,"sku":"9798420317518","price":26.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/n532P_wQzG9798420317518.webp?v=1793328844"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/richard-blake.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}