Casca Books In Order

Publication Order of Casca Books

Born in Carlsbad New Mexico, SGT. Barry Allen Sadler is the second son of Bebe Littlefield and John Sadler. Apart from being a military veteran, Barry Sadler is also a widely known actor, author, singer, and songwriter. During his military years, Barry served in the American army as a Green Beret medic during the war in Vietnam. While working in the army as a medic, Barry’s efforts were eventually recognized, and he was promoted to a sergeant. As a writer who used to serve in the army, there is a recurring military theme in most of his works hence in every book that he has written Barry accredits himself as the SSG Barry Sadler. According to Barry’s Biography, I’m the luck one, Barry describes his father as a successful businessman who used to run plumbing and electrical business in their hometown. On the other hand, Barry describes his mother as a successful entrepreneur who used to manage several bars and restaurant in their hometown.

As Barry Sadler was growing up, his family began to move from town to town every now and then. Barry’s mother and father eventually divorced, and a few years later Barry’s father died after battling with a rare form of cancer that attacked his nervous system. At the tenth grade, Barry dropped from high school and decided to hitchhike across the country. A year after hitchhiking, Barry decided to join the United States Air Force. While in the Air force, Barry Sadler was trained as a radar technician. After completing his training, he was posted in Japan. Later on Sadler volunteered for the United States Special Forces where he began training as a combat medic. Once he completed his training, he was posted to Vietnam as a combat medic. While in Vietnam, Barry stepped on a punji stick and was severely wounded in the knee.

Since he had been taking antibiotics for Dysentery, there were no ill effects from the Punji stick but as time went by, Barry developed an infection on the Wounded Knee hence he was quickly flown to the Walter Reed hospital in the US. After an exhaustive examination of the knee, the doctors at the Walter Reed hospital decided to conduct surgery on the knee so as to drain out the fluids and also administer penicillin. After he had completely recovered, Sadler decided to finish a song that he had been writing, The Ballad of the Green Berets, which became a huge success worldwide. For five consecutive weeks, the Ballad of the Green Berets was number one on the Billboard top 100 songs and sold slightly over a million records. In the year 1966, Sadler decided to write novels since it became a little bit difficult for him to write another major hit. All in all, Sadler is widely known for the Casca series which like his first song also became a major hit.

The Eternal Mercenary

The eternal Mercenary is the first installment in the Casca series and is a modern blend of two primeval legends. The roman Centurion Longinus is the first legend in the Casca series and was supposedly present at Jesus’s crucifixion. As Jesus was being crucified, Longinus stabbed Jesus with a spear so as to end his agony. The second legend in Eternal Mercenary is that of the wandering Jew, who was cursed by Jesus to wander across the world until Jesus second coming. Jesus placed this curse on the Jew because he had made an insulting or a derogatory remark as he was being taken to be crucified. The wandering jew and the roman centurion have all been cursed until the second coming of Jesus Christ. All in all, this installment is full of adventure and takes the protagonist from one war to another. In every case, the protagonist endures different types of injuries and wounds.

While recuperating, the main protagonist gets healed miraculously by a rather strange and miraculous power which in turn makes his blood poisonous to other creatures and beings. As time goes by his own existence becomes a nuisance hence he ends up being an object of hatred and spite. He leads a lonely life without any friends or company. Furthermore, everything that he desires eludes him including death which he believes will be a solution to his problems and an end to his misery. Instead of being a hero, he becomes more of a victim; a victim of fate in a situation that he can do nothing about.

God of Death

As the second installment of the Casca series, the God of Death continues the story of the main protagonist Casca, who had been cursed by Jesus to wander across the world. In this installment, Casca sails to a new world on a Viking dragon ship. While in the new world, Casca’s heart is ceremoniously removed at the top of the Aztec pyramid. After his heart has been removed, he stands up and reinserts his heart back to its original place while other people are watching. After seing Casca reinsert his heart back to its original place, he is instantaneously deified as the God of Death. Despite being the second installment, the God of Death is not entirely in chronological order hence you must have read the first book to make the connections in the second book.

The War Lod

The War Lord is the third installment of the Casca series and this time the setting of the book is in China. In this book, Casca awakes from a euphoric sleep and sees his spear go into the side of a man who was on a cross. His spear gets lost as he is sent from Judea. Unkwown to Casca this was not a vision but rather a beginning of a threat that would follow him wherever he goes for eternity. In addition, this threat will also cost him, his ability to use his hands. Barry also introduces one, Dr. Goldman, who later on learns at the beginning of an adventure that will take Casca, to China behind the Great wall. Dr. Goldman is a soldier with the rank major, in the US Army and was stationed in Nha Trang in Vietnam during the war between the United States and Vietnman.While in China Casca is going to rise to the position of a warlord and also an heir to the throne. But unkwown to Casca, he is going to be buried alive by a frustrated royal concubine.

One Response to “Casca”

1. Art Clevinger: 3 years ago

   Can anyone direct me to the episode where Casca refers to a “Captain Clevinger”?
   Back in the 80’s I read the available paperbacks when I could find them and remember a reference to this name, but have forgotten which episode/named book.
   Thanks in advance.. Art Clevinger

   Reply