A Man at Arms
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- Create Date：2021-04-07 09:51:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Steven Pressfield
- ISBN：0393540979
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Summary
From the acclaimed master of historical fiction comes an epic saga about a reluctant hero， the Roman Empire， and the rise of a new faith。
Jerusalem and the Sinai desert， first century AD。 In the turbulent aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus， officers of the Roman Empire acquire intelligence of a pilgrim bearing an incendiary letter from a religious fanatic to insurrectionists in Corinth。 The content of this letter could bring down the empire。
The Romans hire a former legionary， the solitary man-at-arms， Telamon of Arcadia， to intercept the letter and capture its courier。 Telamon operates by a dark code all his own， with no room for noble causes or lofty beliefs。 But once he overtakes the courier， something happens that neither he nor the empire could have predicted。
In his first novel of the ancient world in thirteen years， the best-selling author of Gates of Fire and Tides of War returns with a gripping saga of conquest and rebellion， bloodshed and faith。
Jerusalem and the Sinai desert， first century AD。 In the turbulent aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus， officers of the Roman Empire acquire intelligence of a pilgrim bearing an incendiary letter from a religious fanatic to insurrectionists in Corinth。 The content of this letter could bring down the empire。
The Romans hire a former legionary， the solitary man-at-arms， Telamon of Arcadia， to intercept the letter and capture its courier。 Telamon operates by a dark code all his own， with no room for noble causes or lofty beliefs。 But once he overtakes the courier， something happens that neither he nor the empire could have predicted。
In his first novel of the ancient world in thirteen years， the best-selling author of Gates of Fire and Tides of War returns with a gripping saga of conquest and rebellion， bloodshed and faith。
Reviews
Hannah
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3。75 ⭐️
Andrew
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I will leave it as simply as this， if you are big on Roman History and enjoy extrinsically detailed writing then this book is the one！
Mike
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Good story。 Good story line and fun characters。 Makes me want to learn more about this era and the related events。 Wish there was a “what is real” section at the end， like Rollins does with his stories。
Nick Quenga
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Excellent Pressfield。 Great insight into the dark grit of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity。 A deep look into the warriors soul， that no true warrior can remain alone。
Tracy Thorleifson
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I literally could not put A Man at Arms down， so compelling was the narrative。 Reading it over the Easter holiday perhaps made it even more compelling。 I usually re-read Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ at this time of year， but something made me pick up A Man at Arms instead。 Mr。 Pressfield loses nothing in the comparison to Lew Wallace， let it just be said。Like Judah Ben-Hur， Telamon does not recognize God working in his life， but it is so nonetheless。 Like Judah， Telamon is a total I literally could not put A Man at Arms down， so compelling was the narrative。 Reading it over the Easter holiday perhaps made it even more compelling。 I usually re-read Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ at this time of year， but something made me pick up A Man at Arms instead。 Mr。 Pressfield loses nothing in the comparison to Lew Wallace， let it just be said。Like Judah Ben-Hur， Telamon does not recognize God working in his life， but it is so nonetheless。 Like Judah， Telamon is a total mensch - an altogether formidable and admirable protagonist。 Pressfield successfully employs a limited third person narration， speaking primarily through the narrow perceptions of Telamon's 'apprentice，' David。 It's up to you， gentle reader， to discern the motives behind Telamon's decisions。 Such opacity may be frustrating to some， but it helps to recall the wisdom of the Ben-Hur （1959） movie version of Esther: "The world is more than we know。"As is always the case， Mr。 Pressfield's encyclopedic knowledge of ancient arms and martial arts gives verity to the tale。 I don't recall that Rome's excesses against early the Christians had quite yet reached the fever pitch described in this novel at the time of its setting （that came a bit later）， but that's a moot quibble with what， after all， is a work of fiction。 Read it and enjoy。 。。。more
Vladimiro Sousa
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i have a problem with Steven Pressfield。 i feel i demand too much because "Tides of war" and "Gates of fire" are books i really love。 and so everything else pales in comparison。 i have a problem with Steven Pressfield。 i feel i demand too much because "Tides of war" and "Gates of fire" are books i really love。 and so everything else pales in comparison。 。。。more
Edu Zancaner
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Un ex legionario romano， devenido en mercenario， valora solamente el oro y acepta un encargo simple。 Formando un extraño grupo persigue a un hombre que lleva una carta del apóstol San Pablo que puede prender las llamas de la rebelión en Corinto， Grecia。La carta no es tan simple y la filosofía del mercenario， centrada en el oro， tampoco。Una novela histórica ambientada en una época sobre la que no se escribió tanto， el origen de una religión y la oposición de las ya existentes。Los personajes Moshi Un ex legionario romano， devenido en mercenario， valora solamente el oro y acepta un encargo simple。 Formando un extraño grupo persigue a un hombre que lleva una carta del apóstol San Pablo que puede prender las llamas de la rebelión en Corinto， Grecia。La carta no es tan simple y la filosofía del mercenario， centrada en el oro， tampoco。Una novela histórica ambientada en una época sobre la que no se escribió tanto， el origen de una religión y la oposición de las ya existentes。Los personajes Moshinus y Balerus terminan de acercar al estoicismo el enfoque de la novela。De todas maneras， mi preferida de Steven Pressfield， sigue siendo "Gates of Fire" 。。。more
Scott
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The beauty of Pressfield's work is that you learn something about the time period of which he writes。 It's the history that makes the story compelling， unfortunately his characters don't live up to the plot and the premise is a tad unbelievable。 I forced myself to continue through the first 80 pages or so before I finally became interested enough to not require self-motivation。 The ending was less than satisfying with an abrupt departure for the main characters into an unknown fate。 This was no The beauty of Pressfield's work is that you learn something about the time period of which he writes。 It's the history that makes the story compelling， unfortunately his characters don't live up to the plot and the premise is a tad unbelievable。 I forced myself to continue through the first 80 pages or so before I finally became interested enough to not require self-motivation。 The ending was less than satisfying with an abrupt departure for the main characters into an unknown fate。 This was no Gates of Fire， no matter how much hype is written on the back cover by famous people。 Nonetheless， I recommend reading A Man at Arms for the sheer insight into the people and culture of the period that established the early Christian church。 。。。more
Eileen Granfors
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I am a huge fan of Pressfield's books。 A MAN AT ARMS was a disappointment。 The action is non-stop and gory to the point of torture。 Because the main character is a man of few words and no emotions， I derived no sense of fear for his life or any depth of emotion from my reading self for his success。The other characters， Ruth and David， had more to root for， but embedded as they were with Telamon， all I felt was "eh。" The historical perspective of the Romans is useful， but the shifting narrative p I am a huge fan of Pressfield's books。 A MAN AT ARMS was a disappointment。 The action is non-stop and gory to the point of torture。 Because the main character is a man of few words and no emotions， I derived no sense of fear for his life or any depth of emotion from my reading self for his success。The other characters， Ruth and David， had more to root for， but embedded as they were with Telamon， all I felt was "eh。" The historical perspective of the Romans is useful， but the shifting narrative pattern， including a lecturing voice for geography and history， bothered my sense of "the willing suspension of disbelief" as the tale unfolded。I almost always like a book that opens with a map， especially a map of ancient places。 The map was excellent。I will， nevertheless， seek out Pressfield's next book with higher hopes。 。。。more
Ryan
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 4。2 StarsMilton
Ray Foy
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A Man at Arms is a military action story set in the Judean and Mediterranean world of 55 CE。 Like most of Mr。 Pressfield’s novels， it is fast paced and has a realistic， gritty feel for the times and environment he is writing about。 He drops the ball， though， with an omniscient narrative viewpoint that gets too omniscient at points。 Though I was disappointed with this novel overall， it does have some good bones。 Mr。 Pressfield knows his classical era history and especially how warriors were equip A Man at Arms is a military action story set in the Judean and Mediterranean world of 55 CE。 Like most of Mr。 Pressfield’s novels， it is fast paced and has a realistic， gritty feel for the times and environment he is writing about。 He drops the ball， though， with an omniscient narrative viewpoint that gets too omniscient at points。 Though I was disappointed with this novel overall， it does have some good bones。 Mr。 Pressfield knows his classical era history and especially how warriors were equipped and operated。 And he does attempt to go beyond military genre fiction with his characterizations and subplots。TROMPING THROUGH THE FIRST CENTURYThe story follows a group of characters over the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean landscape of the First Century CE。 The group is lead by a mercenary （”Man at Arms”） and ex-Roman soldier named， Telamon。 While near Jerusalem in Judea， Telamon saves a group of travelers from bandits。 Among the travelers are a young teenager named， David， and a nine-year-old mute girl traveling with her father。 No sooner has Telamon saved this bunch of travelers than they are all captured by a company of Roman soldiers looking for the courier of a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Christian Church at Corinth。 The courier is young girl’s father， Michael。 He steals a horse and they both escape。 Because Telamon is ex-Legion， the local Roman Tribune， Severus， pays him to track down Michael and bring him back to the garrison。 Telamon accepts the commission and sets out， accompanied by David and a “sorceress。”The rest of the book is Telamon and company’s struggle to reach the Corinthian Church with the letter， which it turns out is contained in the mute girl， Ruth’s， head。 Ruth can’t speak， but she can write。 The intent is for her to write out the letter when it is safe to do so。Along the way， Telamon has to fight more bandits， deal with hostile desert-dwellers and hostile Christians， fight more Romans， and endure various tortures。 VOICE OF THE CHORUS？This is an action story and it moves at a fast pace。 The middle section， especially， keeps the tension high and pulls the Reader along with “what’s he gonna do now” situations。 This action is supported with realistic depictions of the weaponry used at that time and how it was used。 Telamon’s instruction of David also provides insight into classical warrior training and tactics。 Mr。 Pressfield does well in tempering this material with plot development and character motivations。There are， however， slow points in the story where Mr。 Pressfield gives in to offering authorial explanations。 At these points， he breaks into nonfiction。 Chapter Two （”Order”） for example， is an essay on Roman rule in first century Judea。 It begins:TO UNDERSTAND THE TEMPER OF the historical moment in which the events of this tale took place， one must first acquire an appreciation of the alteration—material， political， and spiritual—wrought by Roman conquest upon the Hebrew inhabitants of Judea。And he goes on to explain the alterations wrought by Roman conquest。 This is interesting material from a historical perspective， but to place it within the book’s narrative is jarring to say the least。 It is the author talking directly to the reader。 In my opinion， this material would have been better worked into the fiction narrative or contained in a Foreword。The narrative viewpoint is omniscient。 That is， the point-of-view shifts from one character to another。 This is a common POV technique and can provide a movie-like quality to the storytelling。 Most of the time it works and is not really noticeable to the reader （and it should not be）， but at times， Mr。 Pressfield takes it to the point of directly addressing the reader and so “breaking the fourth wall。” For example:Kites and ravens soared overhead。 Had you flown among them， high above the wilderness floor， you would have seen the man-at-arms halt the train within a copse of terebinth and acacia， at the foot of a granite ridge。And it goes on like this for another paragraph。 Again， this is a jarring narrative technique and I don’t care for it。 It may be that Mr。 Pressfield is trying to simulate the structure of a Greek tragedy where a “chorus” would periodically address the audience and comment on things。 If so， it doesn’t work for me。While Mr。 Pressfield does know his history， especially for this period， there are a few areas in his story that strike me as questionable。 The biggest one concerns the Christians in 55 CE。 I think it is clever to use the Apostle Paul’s writings as a plot device。 But in doing so， the Romans are presented as being far more concerned with the Christians than I think there were at that time。 I don’t believe that even Nero’s scapegoating translated to having a legion concerned with tracking down a Christian letter。 I’m sure there are differing opinions on that， but that’s how it struck me。Mr。 Pressfield does， however， give a feel for the level of Jewish fervor for rebellion at the time。 He might have gone a little deeper into that thread。Character development is not usually a big part of genre action stories。 When it is， it takes the story to a more interesting level。 Mr。 Pressfield is usually pretty good at this （at least he was in Gates of Fire）， but doesn’t do so well in this novel。 The Tribune， Severus is too one-dimensional。 He is basically every Roman higher-up in every Roman movie ever made。 The soldiers are about the same—Roman soldier brutes。 Mr。 Pressfield does try to show some nuance and development in Telamon’s character。 Where he does， is probably the best part of the book from the standpoint of character and “family” theme development。Though there is a lot of action， the plot is not intricate。 Subplots are barely there。 Some scenes feel like they wrap-up too quickly， or turn on doubtful points。 The biggest such doubtful turning comes at the story’s conclusion。 I won’t give the ending away， it is just that the final turning point felt to me like the “Martha” moment in Batman vs Superman。MAYBE GOOD ON THE SCREEN IF BETTER INTERPRETEDMr。 Pressfield is a fine writer and military-action storyteller， especially with fiction set in the Greek and Roman classical world。 I think he misses his potential with this book， though。 It is not nearly as well-done as his previous works （re: Gates of Fire）。 Even so， if you are really into military action and classical history， you could do worse than A Man at Arms。 It would probably even make a good movie， and maybe a good series if interpreted by a talented screenwriter。 Otherwise， I can only give this novel a medium rating and note that Mr。 Pressfield can do better。 。。。more
Mr。 Karkazis
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Great story， Pressfield is such an amazing author， his detail on the ancient world is so great。 Man at arms is a really cool story Seen through the eyes of a young boy following a mercenary tasked with capturing the A Christian who was bringing a message to the Corinthians。 I highly recommend this book。
melvia mccann
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A man at ArmsDeftly written and a most compelling plot， when Mr。Pressfield takes up the “ pen” ， it is well worth the wait！
Morris D
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Excellent excellent excellentWow， what a book。 It is a wonderful work！ Yes， there are certain historical liberties taken with various groups in the story， but still the pathos of the story arc is well worth setting these aside。
David Hile
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Wow。 This is a book t of a dude book and tell a historical fiction tail of the letter from Saul of Tarsus’s trip to Corinth and Rome’s effort to stop it。 The depiction of factional environment in Palestine at the time is amazing
Carlos
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This is the second Pressman book I have read and I am amazed at the craft of this writer。 But while "Gates of Fire" is a masterpiece this one is also a great book althought a tad bit less amazing。I must say I was enthralled since page one and the book never let me go。 If someone knows about duty， honor and commitment is this writer who knows the spirit of a real soldier inside out and this book shows that。The Man at Arms of the title is bound on a mission and the mission only， no matter what or This is the second Pressman book I have read and I am amazed at the craft of this writer。 But while "Gates of Fire" is a masterpiece this one is also a great book althought a tad bit less amazing。I must say I was enthralled since page one and the book never let me go。 If someone knows about duty， honor and commitment is this writer who knows the spirit of a real soldier inside out and this book shows that。The Man at Arms of the title is bound on a mission and the mission only， no matter what or who， albeit the mission is one at the beginning of the book and a different one at the end。If you need to be reminded of the duty you have to your country， family or company （who puts bread on your table） this is the author you need to read。4/5 stars。 。。。more
Bookreporter。com Historical Fiction
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A MAN AT ARMS puts forth a story so compelling and rich in detail that you are completely absorbed in the time， the culture and the danger。 The writing is beautiful， the research is impressive， and the drama --- given that most readers surely will know a part of the outcome --- is surprisingly heightened。 As our characters trek the ancient world， they explore friendship， loyalty， zeal， conversion， love and what it means to be a warrior。Steven Pressfield’s first novel since 2011 recounts how the A MAN AT ARMS puts forth a story so compelling and rich in detail that you are completely absorbed in the time， the culture and the danger。 The writing is beautiful， the research is impressive， and the drama --- given that most readers surely will know a part of the outcome --- is surprisingly heightened。 As our characters trek the ancient world， they explore friendship， loyalty， zeal， conversion， love and what it means to be a warrior。Steven Pressfield’s first novel since 2011 recounts how the Apostle Paul used a courier named Michael and his mute daughter， Ruth， to send a letter to Corinth --- which readers certainly will recognize as the biblical Epistle to the Corinthians。 Telamon is a former legionary， released from service for valor。 He is to find Michael and Ruth， intercept the subversive letter， and return them to the Romans。 He is the perfect man for the job。 With the entire world on the hunt for them， this simple task transforms itself into a journey not only of distance， but of insight and conversion。The story begins with a demonstration of Telamon’s valor and how it causes a young David to follow as his apprentice。 Upon his commission to find “the most dangerous man in Palestine，” Telamon and David set out on a journey that will expose them to danger， betrayal， love and more。 What begins simply as a payday for a bounty hunter will change the lives of all involved。Telamon is not just a man who fights in a war --- he is a warrior。 A man who has shaped his entire worldview on its disciplines， he possesses the mens bellator， or “warrior’s mind。” He teaches David about the practicalities of fighting， as well as mental training。 As their journey progresses， Ruth also learns。 The lesson here is that these seemingly disparate ideals are not incompatible。 In fact， they have a yin and yang relationship。 Earlier Telamon tells Michael， “You asked what God I worshipped。 She is a goddess。 The oldest and most primordial of all， called by my countrymen Eris。 Strife。 All things are born in strife， even the earth itself， and all are extinguished in strife。”But Telamon and his worldview are challenged by each and every character he encounters。 A particularly striking scene ends with him staring at Ruth and the others and saying， “Who are you？ Who are all of you？ And how， by the sunless track to hell， has my life become so entangled with yours？” A short while later his conversion is apparent。 When questioned about his intentions regarding the letter， he replies， “That which this child commands， I shall perform。”A MAN AT ARMS weaves a great deal of history effortlessly into a compelling story --- the culture of the first-century Roman Empire is everywhere --- but it wants us to read the mysterious letter。 Regardless of where the book takes us， the letter looms。 As a modern reader who knows exactly what it says， this might appear anticlimactic。 It is not。 Eventually you will hear this letter。 Although you may have read or heard it countless times before， Pressfield elegantly creates a vivid context of why the letter was written and in what spirit it was intended。I enjoyed A MAN AT ARMS immensely。 The history， the writing and the provocation posed to the reader all made the book wonderful to read and reread。 I recommend it without reservation。Reviewed by John Vena 。。。more
Gail
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The hero， Telamon， is an ex-legionnaire for Rome whose god is Eris （strife）。 He fights only for the sake of the fight （and money） - not for a cause or a country。 Until he meets the child， Ruth。 He is a stoic who will bear unimaginable hardship and pain for the sake of the child。 There is dark cruelty and fiendishly depraved torture described in the book （which I found difficult to read）， but which I thought would find a redemptive， if certainly not happy， end。 I’m still contemplating the end。。。 The hero， Telamon， is an ex-legionnaire for Rome whose god is Eris （strife）。 He fights only for the sake of the fight （and money） - not for a cause or a country。 Until he meets the child， Ruth。 He is a stoic who will bear unimaginable hardship and pain for the sake of the child。 There is dark cruelty and fiendishly depraved torture described in the book （which I found difficult to read）， but which I thought would find a redemptive， if certainly not happy， end。 I’m still contemplating the end。。。 it was redemptive for the Corinthians but was it redemptive for Telamon and Ruth？ If there is such a thing as partial redemption， I think so。 They found love。 But did they embrace the author of love？ Where will they go？ What will become of them？ 。。。more
David Hill
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Great book！！ History， geography， religion wrapped up in in a quest tale。 Mr Pressfield can always spin a compelling yarn and this in no exception。
Robert Klein
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A very thought provoking book。 How were Saint Paul’s letters delivered？ The book’s story centers on getting a letter to the believers in Corinth。 The three main characters suffer many hardships in their attempt to deliver the letter， a letter the Roman’s do not want to reach the believers in Corinth。 The book certainly keeps your interest through all the travels and tribulations of the main characters。
Christian Cederberg
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Normally I love books by Steven Pressfield， but this one was too weird and violent for me。
Richard Meehan
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Wow， not for everyone， but amoung the best contextual historical fiction， I've ever read。 Wow， not for everyone， but amoung the best contextual historical fiction， I've ever read。 。。。more
Sam Edgar
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BeautifulMr。 Pressfield brings to the fore that which we have seemed to have forgotten。 Read it。 You won't be disappointed。 BeautifulMr。 Pressfield brings to the fore that which we have seemed to have forgotten。 Read it。 You won't be disappointed。 。。。more
Jason Svedin
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Fantastic story
Wes
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I am fairly disappointed with this book。 As much as I admit Pressfield's ability as a storyteller， this book just felt like a bunch of filler。 It lacks so much of what I enjoyed about his other great novels， the depth of history， language， philosophy， and character。 I'd recommend skipping this one and just reading "Tides of War" or "Gates of Fire" again。 I am fairly disappointed with this book。 As much as I admit Pressfield's ability as a storyteller， this book just felt like a bunch of filler。 It lacks so much of what I enjoyed about his other great novels， the depth of history， language， philosophy， and character。 I'd recommend skipping this one and just reading "Tides of War" or "Gates of Fire" again。 。。。more
Stephen
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Entertaining story with， frankly， some implausible plot twists， even for historical fiction。
George P。
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“In the turbulent aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus， officers of the Roman Empire acquire intelligence of a pilgrim bearing an incendiary letter from a religious fanatic to insurrectionists in Corinth。 The contents of this letter could bring down the empire。”So reads the dust jacket of Stephen Pressfield’s new novel， A Man at Arms。 The book tells the story of Telamon of Arcadia， the titular “man of arms，” who is a former Roman legionary， now mercenary。 He is hired by the commander of the Ten “In the turbulent aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus， officers of the Roman Empire acquire intelligence of a pilgrim bearing an incendiary letter from a religious fanatic to insurrectionists in Corinth。 The contents of this letter could bring down the empire。”So reads the dust jacket of Stephen Pressfield’s new novel， A Man at Arms。 The book tells the story of Telamon of Arcadia， the titular “man of arms，” who is a former Roman legionary， now mercenary。 He is hired by the commander of the Tenth Legion to track down the pilgrim and retrieve the letter。 The pilgrim is Michael the Nazarene （i。e。， a Christian）， and the letter is the apostle Paul’s first to the Corinthians。I am a Christian minister， and this setup piqued my interest。 Unfortunately， the book didn’t sustain my interest throughout。 My two rules for fiction of this type are that （1） the story is a page-turner， and （2） it doesn’t tax my willing suspension of disbelief。 A Man at Arms failed on both counts。First， the book wasn’t a page-turner。 Books that I enjoy compel me to keep reading them because I’m so interested in what is happening。 That wasn’t true here。 A book this length would normally take me several hours to read over the course of one or two sittings。 I found myself picking up and putting aside A Man at Arms every few chapters， which meant it took me several days to read。 I read it less out of joy and more out of duty。Second， A Man at Arms taxed my willing suspension of disbelief。 My favorite types of fiction are murder and suspense novels， especially ones in a series， like Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels or Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon stories。 I also enjoy historical fiction， though—such as Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin novels。Pressfield is considered a master of the historical fiction genre， based on his previous novels， Gates of Fire （about the Spartans at Thermopylae） and Tides of War （about Alcibiades）。 One can see his historical orientation in his descriptions of Roman weaponry， martial training， and battle tactics。 He clearly has done his research on those topics， as well as a few other that figure into the story。But the basic premise of the story seems ahistorical to me。 It is set in the mid 50s AD， and assumes that Christianity is both distinct from and at odds with Judaism on the one hand， as well as suspected of treason by the Romans on the other。 Neither assumption is correct on my reading of early Christian history （e。g。， as seen in the Acts of the Apostles）。Some Jews in some places opposed some Christians， but not all everywhere。 Similarly， Luke goes out of his way to show that the early Christians were on good terms with the Roman government。 Most importantly， in A。D。 51–52， Gallio served as Roman proconsul in Achaia and acquitted Paul himself during a trial … in Corinth （Acts 18）！ It seems unlikely that just four years later， a letter to the still-young church in the same city would’ve elicited a far more negative response。Moreover， why would Paul — writing to Corinth from Ephesus （1 Corinthians 16:8） — send his letter via Jerusalem （to the south） rather than more directly to Corinth （to the west）？ Socially， politically， and geographically， the book’s setup seems wrong。Some other turnoffs in the book include its occasional didacticism and its stilted vocabulary。 Fiction should tell， not show， but at times—especially， early in the novel — Pressfield lectures rather than narrates。 At times， his word choice and syntax also struck me as odd。 Perhaps it was an effort to lend the book a classical feel， but to me， it was offputting。And then there was the issue of motivation: Given that Telamon’s religious and moral convictions were more Stoic than Christian， though he admired Michael the Nazarene’s courage in the face of adversity， it never became entirely clear to me why Telamon ended up making the choices he made。 Nor why others in the story followed him so dearly。On one thing， however， Pressfield is absolutely right。 The kind of religion revealed in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians really was anti-imperial。 The Christians knew this early on， given that they worshiped Jesus as Lord， rather than Caesar。 But in the mid-50s， whether in Judea or other provinces of the empire， Rome did not yet know this。So， a three-star “Meh” from me for A Man at Arms。 It has its moments， but even in the realm of historical fiction， it just didn’t work for me。Book ReviewedStephen Pressfield， A Man at Arms （New York: Norton， 2021）。P。S。 If you liked my review， please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page。 。。。more
Dan
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An adult story as only Steven Pressfield could tell it ！A biblical tale brought forward and made exciting and rewarding for the reader。It holds back no details， so be prepared。
Tara Aldredge
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Paul， the Apostle， has sent a letter by courier to the early Christians in Corinth。 The Romans want to stop the delivery。 Telemon， Roman man-at-arms， is forced to take on the task of finding the courier and retrieving the letter。 When he finds the courier， things begin to change。 Telemon must decide what path he will follow and how far he will go to stop or aid the delivery of the letter。 Such an interesting premise and characters with diverse backgrounds thrown together – faith， zeal， hope， hon Paul， the Apostle， has sent a letter by courier to the early Christians in Corinth。 The Romans want to stop the delivery。 Telemon， Roman man-at-arms， is forced to take on the task of finding the courier and retrieving the letter。 When he finds the courier， things begin to change。 Telemon must decide what path he will follow and how far he will go to stop or aid the delivery of the letter。 Such an interesting premise and characters with diverse backgrounds thrown together – faith， zeal， hope， honor， and charity。 。。。more
David Stennes
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Just finished the book。 I just finished the book。 When I first started it， I shared it on Facebook along with one of the podcasts it came to me from。 Now completed， this will be the book I buy copies of to give to friends and clients。 I can’t thank you enough Steven Pressfield。 Thank you for this gift of incredible work。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Man at Arms
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Man at Arms&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Man at Arms&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0