Ship of Rome (Masters of the Sea) - Tapa blanda

Against a backdrop of the clash of the Roman and Carthaginian empires, the battle for sovreignity takes place on the high seas

This exciting new series from a first time novelist stars an outsider - a Greek master mariner - as the hero, and the story is set against the backdrop of a clash of empires Roman and Carthaginian.
Ship of Rome is set in the earlier period of Rome when the empire was not nearly as well established and when the Romans were challenged for their control of Southern Italy and Sicily by the powerful trading nation of Carthage. The Carthaginians have the advantage in their control of the seas by their impressive navy while the Romans had few shipped and even fewer seagoing fighting captains.
Atticus, son of a modest fishing family starts as the captain of a small ship protecting the harbours and shores of Southern Italy from pirates. Surprised by a large Carthaginian fleet, he creates a brilliant victory and alerts the Roman legions nearby. His success results in his being instrumental in the creation of a Roman navy. However, because he is from a Greek colony, Atticus is often made to feel inferior - a second class citizen. He has a complex relationship with the Roman legionaries aboard his ship, and with the Senators who control operations.
The story is told from the point of view of several characters, both real and fictional, Roman and Carthaginian, politician and sailor. Though both are mighty Empires, the ambitions and ethos of Rome and Carthage are completely different and fascinating. The Sea battles are magnificent, the detail of the ships, the tactics and strategies, and the descriptions of life on board are completely convincing and very interesting.

John Stack was born and lives in County Cork. He has always wanted to write but has done a variety of jobs ending up in IT. He is married with three children.