Buongiorno a tutti, grazie di essere su Alessandro III di Macedonia, blog su Alessandro Magno e Ellenismo. Restiamo in tema dei libri che ancora non sono stati pubblicati in italiano e parliamo di un altro librone che ha ottime recensioni on-line ed è di Scott Oden, Memnon.
Scott Oden was born in Indiana, but has spent most of his life shuffling between his home in rural North Alabama, a Hobbit hole in Middle-earth, and some sketchy tavern in the Hyborian Age. He studied history and English at the University of Alabama. He is an avid reader of fantasy and ancient history, a collector of swords, and a player of tabletop role-playing games. His previous books include Men of Bronze, Memnon, and The Lion of Cairo. When not writing, he can be found walking his two dogs or doting on his wife. To find out more, visit scottoden.wordpress.com
Memnon di Scott Oden
Oden è autore di alcuni romanzi storici e alcuni fantasy ma Memnon parla appunto di Memnone di Rodi, figura importantissima nell’opposizione alla conquista persiana di Alessandro. Su di lui, che io sappia, non ci sono saggi monografici e l’unico romanzo storico è proprio questo, pubblicato per la prima volta da Transworld Publishers nel 2006 e poi uscito anche in economica con Bantam Books. Memnone è una figura che come altre nel mondo di Alessandro non è molto trattata dagli studiosi e un libro del genere non deve essere ignorato. Anche questo librone, di quasi 700 pagine nella versione economica, come quelli di Christian Cameron ha un voto alto su Goodreads: 3,97 stelle su 641 voti. Vediamo copertine e trame di alcune edizioni:
He lived in the shadow of kings. One trusted him with his empire; the other feared his every move. Memnon of Rhodes (375-333 BC) walked in the footsteps of giants. As a soldier, sailor, statesman and general, he was, in the words of Diodorus of Sicily, “outstanding in courage and strategic grasp.”
A contemporary of Demosthenes and Aristotle, Memnon rose from humble origins to command the whole of western Asia in a time of strife and slaughter. To his own people, he was a traitor, to his rivals, a mercenary. But, to the King of Kings, his majesty Darius III of Persia, Memnon was the one man capable of defending Asia Minor from the rising power of the barbaric Macedonians. In a war pitting Greek against Greek, Memnon proved his quality beyond measure. His enemies fought for glory and gold; Memnon fought for something more: for loyalty, for honour, and for duty. He fought for the love of Barsine, a woman of remarkable beauty and grace, but most of all, he fought for the promise of peace.
Through the deathbed recollections of a mysterious woman, the life of Memnon unfolds with brilliant clarity. It is a record of his triumphs and tragedies, his loves and losses, and of the determination that drove him to stand against the most renowned figure of the ancient world – an ambitious and brilliant young conqueror called Alexander the Great.
In the 4th century BC, the Mediterranean and Western Asia were riven by strife and slaughter. Out of the chaos strode a warrior who would become one of the great soldiers and statesmen of his time, who came to symbolize hope, but who is now all but lost to history.
His name was Memnon of Rhodes.
Through the deathbed recollections of a mysterious woman, Memnon’s life and deeds unfold with brilliant clarity. His is a story of triumph and tragedy, of ambition, betrayal and bloodshed. The story of a brave, passionate and principled warrior whose fate was sealed when he took a stand against that most renowned and feared of men: the ruthless, mercurial young conqueror called Alexander the Great.
Action-packed and painstakingly researched, Scott Oden’s new novel is historical fiction at its most engrossing and exciting.
Nel mio piccolo spero di fare qualcosa per puntare l’attenzione degli editori italiani sui moltissimi libri inglesi che potrebbero essere tradotti. Non cambierò di certo le cose con una serie di articoli sul blog, ma chi lo sa che anche qualcun altro ne parli e le persone si interessino a questo periodo e ai suoi personaggi…
Buona giornata a tutti,
Alessandro III di Macedonia 