I haven't read it, but this book might be of interest to some of you homeschoolers out there.
Belisarius Revives the Glory of the Romans in New Catholic Novel
There are times in history when the existence of one man changes everything. That man may be a hero tasked by God to do something extraordinary. Or he may be a scoundrel who makes a terrible mistake at a crucial moment.
In the 6th century AD, the crumbling Roman Empire needed a hero. The emperor Justinian believed that he was divinely called to reconquer the lost provinces of the West from their barbarian overlords. But to accomplish such an audacious task with the limited resources at hand, he needed the greatest general in all of history. Belisarius--Book II: Glory of the Romans
is the story of that general. "Belisarius is a fascinating historical figure," says author Paolo A. Belzoni. "He was a tremendously talented and innovative general who arrived on the scene at exactly the right moment in history. What's more, his speeches show him to be a deeply religious man who believed that justice and the blessing of the Almighty counted more than strategy and courage when it came to battle."
Glory of the Romans is the second book of the Belisarius trilogy. The original book, Belisarius: The First Shall Be Last
, was published in 2007 and received generous accolades from the Catholic and homeschooling communities. CatholicFiction.net called the book, "An ambitious tale, filled with action, spectacle, and intrigues of all kinds," while Favorite Resources for Catholic Homeschoolers deemed the book, "A great new resource for those of you 'reading your way through history.'" Catholic Men's Quarterly called The First Shall Be Last a "masterful blending of fact and fiction." "I am writing this series mainly with young men in mind," adds Belzoni, "but I believe that young ladies and adults may also find something of worth in it. My hope is that readers will discover in Belisarius a model of someone who sought honor and excellence amid a very violent, conflicted and complex world, much like our own. Though he was imperfect and prone to fall, Belisarius demonstrates that wonderful resilience of character to pick himself up, acknowledge his faults, and begin again on the path of the true Christian man."
About the Author: Paolo A. Belzoni is a Catholic homeschooling father of five residing in New Jersey. His interests include Roman and Byzantine military history, archaeology, and early Christian history.
1 comment:
Good ol' Flavius Belisarius. This is interesting here. I know about Belisarius and indeed he is one of the greatest generals of all time. His efforts did recapture much of the fallen Western Roman Empire. I really am curious what kind of a slant these books take on the man. Like all generals in wartime he had to make decisions to deal with the crisis of the moment. While ingenious he was pretty ruthless. The Nika riots in particular and their end in Hippodrome is telling of what he was capable of. I really wonder how the story was made palatable to children. I'm sure that some things had to have been glossed over to tell the greater story. As a teaching tool for homeschoolers I can certainly see a book like this could be useful. It does present the historical era the Byzantines / Constantinople and the Eastern Church which sadly does not get much attention in any World History courses. However, I would recommend a little research into the actual history just so the parent is aware of who Belisarius and Justinian were. There is a very complex relationship between the two.
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