Harry Sidebottom Books In Order

Publication Order of Warrior of Rome Books

Publication Order of Throne of the Caesars Books

Publication Order of Throne of the Caesars Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Very Short Introductions Books

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Harry Sidebottom is a British historian and author best known for writing the “Throne of the Caesars” and the “Warrior of Rome” series of historical novels. Sidebottom works as Tutor and Fellow at St. Benet’s Hall, Oxford, and Lincoln College, where he also teaches ancient history. Harry was born in Cambridge England and raised in Newmarket, where his father was a racehorse trainer. As a child, he went Fairstead House School before he proceeded to The Kings School, Ely for his high school studies. He went to college at several universities in the UK and got his bachelors in Ancient History from Lancaster University. He would later get his masters from the University of Manchester in 1982 and his doctorate from Corpus Christi College. As a scholar, he is mainly interested in studying Greek culture. For the most part, he studies the contradictions and compromises that are inevitable when a sophisticated and old culture such as Greece has to live under a less civilized and younger power such as the Roman Empire. He looks at classical thought and strategies of war by both the Romans and Greeks in classical antiquity. He has published many reviews and articles in scholarly journals and numerous chapters in historical books making him a distinguished scholar in Ancient History. He has also been a presenter on the program “Ancient Discoveries” on the History Channel.

Harry Sidebottom published his very first novel “Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction” to excellent reviews in 2004. A Times reviewer called The OUP published novel a stimulating and surprising fresh insightful look into Roman and Greek warfare that is full of radical and refreshing ideas. The novels have been translated into Greek German, Chinese, and Japanese. Aside from his interest in classical antiquity and history he also loves booze, sports, and travel. Since 2003, he has been working with “The Times” reviewing historical fiction novels in their Literary Supplement. Some authors he has critiqued include the likes of Colleen McCullough, Erica Jong, Allan Massie and Robert Harris, the former two of which his reviews has probably earned him lifelong enemies. Since 2006 he has been busy with the “Warrior of Rome” novels that has Ballista a Roman army officer as the lead. The stories of novels take place during the third century of the Roman Empire popularly known as the “Great Crisis of the Third Century”. Sidebottom loves to travel and has been a regular traveler around the Mediterranean. These journeys range from a solo trip he took into Albania a few months after Enver Hoxha the Albanian strongman was toppled, to speaking engagements on cruise liners. When he is not writing, he can be found watching and playing cricket or rugby or racing horses. He is a founding member of his hometown’s most eminent club, the Woodstock Rugby Club and dabbles in tennis.

Harry Sidebottom currently has two series and a freestanding novel to his name. His most popular “The Warrior of Rome” series was meant to be a trilogy. Much of the first three titles are set in Italy, North Africa, Sicily, the Baltic Sea. According to the author, much of the series is inspired by historical author Tacitus and takes much of its stories from real events and people from historical times. The series has become a bestseller selling more than 100, 000 titles and spending more than a month topping bestseller lists in the UK. Across the globe it has sold more than 500, 000 copies. The lead in the series is drawn from the character Callistus, who had been a leading member of the group popularly known as the “Thirty Tyrants” hence the name Balista. The lead lives through much of the crises that faced the Roman Empire during the third century, surviving turmoil on the borders and the machinations for power within the empire. His other series is “Throne of the Caesars” whose events are also set in the Roman third century AD. However, the series takes the reader back thirty years to the time of emperors Maximinus Thrac and Severus Alexander who ruled from 235-238 AD. The series that has been called a brilliant and absorbing “Game of Thrones” minus the magic and dragons, begins with the deaths of Balbinus and Pupienus and the assassination of Emperor Alexander. Sidebottom’s thriller title “The Last Hour” is an ancient Rome novel with a more typical hero. The protagonist is on a mission to save the Emperor but has a strict deadline of sunset to get to Rome if the Emperor and his family are to live another day. He has to escape or fight off sinister forces and evade the Watch who have been sent to arrest him.

“Fire in the East” the first novel of the series is a brilliant and exciting novel set in 255 AD, when the Roman Empire is facing one of its worst crises. The empire’s might and authority is being challenged from every border but particularly from the Persians in the East. The Sassanids of Persia are threatening to attack, and Arete the Roman citadel look certain to fall. Ballista, a man who has made a name for himself as the solver of such problems is sent to the front to combat the Persian menace, shore up the crumbling walls of the citadel ,and marshal the defenses. He is the only man that can stand strong against the Sassanid hordes and harden the resolve of the soldiers to repel the greatest enemy ever to face the empire on the Eastern frontier. It is a story of bloody and brutal warfare spiced with courage, treachery, and most of all heroism and empire.

“King of Kings” the second novel in the series is set in 256 AD, where the Roman Imperium is facing the specter of treachery. Christianity is spreading through the Roman Empire like fire fueled by the summer winds, even as the empire is full of tales of powerful and dangerous men planning assassinations and the taking of power. Meanwhile, the Sassanids are ever pressing forward from the East putting a lot of pressure on forces there. Ballista the highly decorated Roman officer comes back home after the fall of the Roman citadel of Arete to find that many of the high ranking officials in Rome would see him dead. It is not long before the battled scarred and bloodied general is entangled in a web of religious fanaticism and intrigue, where his loyalty and courage in the service of the Emperor and Rome will face the biggest of tests.

4 Responses to “Harry Sidebottom”

1. Keith Beddard: 2 years ago

   Really find the Balista series fascinating. The period isn’t one that is that well covered as many authors prefer the Julian and Flavian periods rather than the more obscure bt.
   Thank you for some great writing.

   Reply
   • Harry Sidebottom: 2 months ago

     Keith, Thank you for your kind words. Delighted that you like the books. All best Harry

     Reply
2. Paul Hayes: 4 years ago

   Really enjoy your books Harry, very detailed and as a reader they get one really involved to the extent that I cannot put your books down once I start reading them. Can you advise if you have written another book with the enigmatic Ballista in the lead role and are there any plans for him to return home again to the land of his birth. The Amber Road has been the best book I have read for a long long time and it really highlighted Ballista in a different light from before when he had the shackles of Rome on him.

   Your bio says that you have played some Union football, played a lot myself(about 350+ games) around Australia and what I have noticed is that the older one gets the stiffer the body feels in the mornings, the only drawback however.

   Kind Regards

   Paul Hayes

   Reply
   • Harry Sidebottom: 3 years ago

     Dear Paul,
     Great to hear from you. Really pleased you like the books.
     After The Amber Road the story of Ballista continues in The Last Hour, Falling Sky, and The Burning Road.
     Know what you mean about rugby – some days I can hardly get out of bed! But, like you, would not change a thing (except be better at the game!).
     All best
     Harry

     Reply