The Buffed Historian

  "Hero of his country, and a vagabond reviled...for King and Queen and Country. For glory, gold, and fame. Through history he marches, Redcoat is his name!"  - from Redcoat by Forlorn Hope The year is 1879. Queen Victoria has reigned for forty-two years over the vast British Empire, the largest the world has ever seen. The Romans, Mongols, Hans, Spanish, and our longest-running nemeses, the French, paled in comparison. Covering a quarter of the world and encompassing a third of its population, the sun never sets. Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves  ... is more than mere patriotic verse. Since Trafalgar, seventy-four years ago, when Admiral Lord Nelson gave his life completely thrashing the combined French and Spanish fleets, the Royal Navy has been undisputed master of the seas. The Union Flag flies on every continent. (Note: The term Union Jack only applies when the flag is flown from the jackstaff of a ship) Admittedly, there has been a recent spot of trouble i...

It's been requested I compile a reading list of all my works. And since some get written out of sequence, or a stand-alone gets wedged in the middle, or I had to insert one series between volumes of another (i.e.  The Great Jewish Revolt  and  Year of the Four Emperors ), below are listed all my works chronologically. Think of it as reading one giant history. Links are included for each book's Amazon page, though you can find them in multiple formats, including audio. *Note: I will update this page with every new release.   Soldier of Rome: The Legionary   Soldier of Rome: The Sacrovir Revolt Soldier of Rome: Heir to Rebellion Soldier of Rome: The Centurion Empire Betrayed: The Fall of Sejanus Soldier of Rome: Journey to Judea Soldier of Rome: The Last Campaign Empress of Death Slaves of Fear: A Land Unconquered Soldier of Rome: Rebellion in Judea Soldier of Rome: Vespasian's Fury Soldier of Rome: Reign of the Tyrants Soldier of Rome: Rise of the Flavians Soldie...

Pollice Verso / with a Turned Thumb, by Jean-Léon Gérôme So, you want to be a gladiator, eh? Okay, to be fair you may not have had a choice. Around half who take up a life of violence for the amusement of the mob are slaves, convicted criminals, or prisoners of war. But perhaps you're an auctoratus , a freeborn man or woman (women gladiators are rare, but do exist). You may seek the nearest gladiatorial school, called the ludus , as a means of paying off debts, seeking fame and fortune, or you're impoverished and don't wish to starve in the gutter.  Before you get too excited, there are a few things to clear up. Firstly, you're committing social suicide. It is a weird paradox that gladiators are our 'superstars', with the chance of becoming famous and even wealthy. It is still among the most infamous professions, right up there with prostitutes, undertakers (seriously), executioners, and (gasp) actors! I hope you don't mind becoming an infamis , devoid of ri...