Lynn Carter (Skip)

Perilous Privilege, Second Edition

The Story of Emperor Gallienus in the Chaos of Third Century Rome

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Perilous Privilege (second edition) The Story of Emperor Gallienus in the Chaos of Third Century Rome In the autumn of 253, Gallienus, a thirty-five-year-old Patrician is unexpectedly appointed co-emperor by the Senate, with his father, Valerian. He is an unlikely choice with his Greek education, sardonic personality and his reputation for frequenting brothels and taverns, behavior considered scandalous by his contemporaries. The following spring Valerian goes east to contain an aggressive Persian king, placing Gallienus in command of the western empire. With a significant portion of the army in Syria and a virulent plague sweeping through the empire, Gallienus has insufficient manpower to defend Rome's entire northern border. Rome relies on provincial governors to defend their assigned regions due to the empire's size. Thus, Gallienus must share power with men strong enough to defend their provinces and yet remain loyal to him. Unfortunately, he selects some men who prefer the title of 'emperor' to that of 'governor' or 'general'. In the previous forty-two years fourteen emperors have died violently-all but two killed by other Romans. Gallienus finds himself in a desperate struggle to defend the empire against numerous invading tribes and suppress civil wars threatening his reign from within, sometimes simultaneously. When not on the battlefield, he must deal with intrigues of ambitious men in a restive Senate. He enjoys the company of women and values their counsel. Yet among these tempting women are those willing to use any means available to advance their own interests. His survival depends on the enemies he makes and the people he trusts. How Gallienus deals with his subsequent challenges is covered in Solitary Journey, coming soon

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Lynn Carter
• Seitenzahl: 500
• Erscheinungstermin: 30. Dezember 2024
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 29mm
• Gewicht: 804g
• ISBN-13: 9798987065433
• Artikelnr.: 72718632

Autorenporträt

After graduating from high school, I joined the Navy to see the world, most of which is covered by water as I soon learned. I had always been drawn to flying. My father and uncle were both pilots during World War II, so I was delighted to earn my wings as a Naval aviator. After a tour as a flight instructor in the advanced jet training command, I transitioned to fly the F-8 Crusader, the Navy's first supersonic fighter. I made several deployments to the western Pacific aboard the USS Hancock and flew sixty-eight combat missions. I then earned a master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering before transitioning to the F-4 Phantom, a two-engine, two-person fighter aircraft. Most of my flying in Phantoms was aboard the USS Independence in the Mediterranean, the western Atlantic, and the Caribbean. I was one of two crews my squadron selected to attend the Navy's Fighter Weapons School, commonly referred to as the "Top Gun" program. While in the F-4 squadron I published two articles in the "U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings" magazine, although at the time I had no thoughts of becoming a writer. I left my squadron in Genoa, Italy and went to the US Naval War College's Command and Staff program, then transferred to the Naval Air Systems Command in Washington, DC. where I worked on several weapon systems the Navy was developing, one jointly with the Air Force, the other jointly with the Air Force and the Army. Before either project was completed, I transferred to a composite squadron in Sigonella, Sicily, to fly T-39 Sabreliners and flew VIPs throughout the Mediterranean, Egypt and the United Kingdom. While in that squadron I visited many Greek and Roman ruins which profoundly influenced my later decision to write a historical novel set in the third century Roman Empire. I finished my military career at the Navy's Aviation Safety School in Monterey, California. After retiring and a brief exposure to commercial enterprises, I returned to aviation and flew as a first officer then as captain of Boeing 747 aircraft for Atlas Air, a cargo company based in New York city. Why is someone whose careers were in the navy and in aviation writing about an era that depended principally on land forces? I was intrigued with a father and son who became co-emperors almost by accident. The thirty-five-year-old son was given command of the western half of the empire, told to maintain order, keep barbarians out, and protect against revolts by ambitious generals and provincial governors, an all-to familiar occurrence since the time of Augustus. My major interest in this man relates to how he managed both internal and external threats while dealing with issues of trust and betrayal. These challenges are what made his story resonate for me, and I hope will for you.I have three daughters, one son, two grandsons, one granddaughter and live with my wife, Pam, in Bedford, NH.