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Memnon
 
 

Memnon (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: old satrap, bronze breastplate, Great King, Zeus Savior, Lake Manyas (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Memnon + Men of Bronze + Dawn of Empire
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  • This item: Memnon by Scott Oden

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Oden (Men of Bronze) follows his critically acclaimed debut with an eloquent and captivating historical thriller that chronicles the life of Memnon of Rhodes, a Greek mercenary in the service of Persia. A contemporary of Aristotle and Alexander the Great, Memnon flees his home on the Greek island of Rhodes after his father is beheaded during an uprising. Hoping to fulfill his dream of becoming "a living Achilles," he signs on as a lieutenant to a Persian provincial governor and discovers his talent as a leader and tactician—more an Odysseus than an Achilles. (He even has his own Penelope, a Persian princess named Barsine, who fulfills her role in the requisite tragic love subplot.) When Alexander invades Asia Minor, the Persian King Darius III retains Memnon, the foreign mercenary "with the powers of a Persian general... to repel the Macedonians." It's a spectacular battle that has dire consequences for Memnon. Historians have paid scant attention to Memnon of Rhodes, but Oden, who admits to "have taken spectacular liberties" with the incomplete historical record, brings the man and his times to life with a combination of vivid conjecture, deft plotting and graceful prose. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Product Description

Memnon of Rhodes (375-333 BCE) 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 honor, and for duty. He fought for the love of Barsine, a woman of remarkable beauty and grace. 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—the ambitious young conqueror called Alexander the Great.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 503 pages
  • Publisher: Medallion Press (August 1, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1932815392
  • ISBN-13: 978-1932815399
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #486,192 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Scott Oden
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Memnon
38% buy the item featured on this page:
Memnon 4.2 out of 5 stars (10)
$16.47
Men of Bronze
29% buy
Men of Bronze 4.0 out of 5 stars (22)
$6.99
Dawn of Empire
16% buy
Dawn of Empire 4.4 out of 5 stars (50)
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Empire Rising
11% buy
Empire Rising 4.6 out of 5 stars (31)
$7.99

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This Memnon Wasn't African - That's a Different Story., October 19, 2006
The "Memnon" the Reviewer named "Dazjae" is referring to in his review (see below) is not the same one found in this book. (The Review in question has since been deleted, either by the reviewer or by Amazon. I am leaving the first portion of this Review up for now though in case any others might make the same mistake.)

This book is about the historical Memnon of Rhodes (a Greek) who fought against Alexander the Great.

The Memnon that the reviewer "Dazjae" has confused this book's protagonist with is a mythical hero in a Fantasy/Sword & Sorcery series set in ancient Africa that is entitled "Shades of Memnon" - Book One being written by Gregory Walker (a series that has gotten excellent reviews). The only association here is the name being used.

Dazjae obviously didn't read Oden's "Memnon", or for that matter even the description of it presented here. Had he done so he would have avoided this mistake, avoided giving this book an unfairly bad rating and most importantly, avoided accusing this author of historical inaccuracy/dishonesty (to say the least of implying intentional "ethnic manipulation").

I'm posting primarily to offset the rating impact caused by Dazjae's mistake and to correct his error lest it unfairly hurt this book's sales (accusing an author of changing a character's ethnicity from African to White isnt exactly going to leave a good impression on potential buyers who may be unfamiliar with the subject and believe the comment).

About the book itself -

I have read both "Memnon" and Oden's earlier work "Men of Bronze." I liked the latter a little more than this one, but that doesnt mean Memnon wasnt good - it was. Its style was just as fast paced and engaging as Men of Bronze, and again showed Oden's ability to move the story with and within the history, rather than let it get bogged down by it (too many writers of historical fiction have a tendency to not know how to blend historical details into their stories without resorting to the "speed-bump" effect - sudden stops for clumsy info-narratives). The fact that Memnon provided a different angle to an era usually written from the Alexandrian perspective made it especially worth reading, since the viewpoint on this often written about ancient era was the reverse of what is normally seen. Seeing Alexander as the enemy rather than the hero put quite a different spin on things. Those interested in Alexander and this time should like this book even just for that reason alone.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Well Crafted Historical Fiction, November 11, 2006
By John G. Gleeson Sr. (Frederic, Mi USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I liked this book a lot: the writer took the minimal historical information that is available about Memnon of Rhodes and wove it into one of those wonderful epic novels that are cinema - like in scope. Everything works well: good characterization; excellent story telling and a good writing style. I enjoyed Oden's first book, "Men of Bronze" and trust that he will continue to provide readers with this type of literate, yet action packed stuff.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading!, January 9, 2007
By Candace S. Wilde "imhotep" (Michigan City, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
After reading Scott Oden's "Men of Bronze", I was very impressed with his characters and writing style. "Memnon" did not disappoint me. The book was very pleasurable to read, holding interest, and followed a good historic, but fictional, line. I felt as I was transformed into an identity of that time and was participating in the story, seeing the battles first hand. "Memnon" is great reading for those of us who like ancient world studies and wish to settle back and enjoy reading a book that makes the camera roll in your mind!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I needed...
... because I was at a lost there for a little while trying to find a good historical-fiction novel to read. I read 'Men of Bronze' and really enjoyed it. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Jason Frost

4.0 out of 5 stars needs a map
Nice book, but it needs a map! Especially since some names are archaic and not found in a modern atlas.
Published 22 months ago by Tobias Delbruck

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Enjoyable Read

Scott Oden was born in 1967 in Columbus, Indiana, and raised in rural North Alabama where he still lives. Read more
Published on September 16, 2007 by J. Chippindale

4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as MEN OF BRONZE
After reading MEN OF BRONZE, I could not wait for Scott Oden's next novel. I was intrigued by his tackling the saga of Alexander the Great from the opposing side through the eyes... Read more
Published on January 4, 2007 by J. Nelson

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as Oden's first
Slow, poor character development, after his first novel-this was a disappointment.
Published on November 9, 2006 by Rob Solomon

2.0 out of 5 stars It's ok...
I read Memnon while on vacation after I had read Pressfield's new book: The Afgan Campaign. While I'm not trying to compare Oden to Pressfield it's hard not to. Read more
Published on September 29, 2006 by Mike Beri

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating ancient historical tale
Being of Greek descent and having been born and raised on the Island of Rhodes, Memnon dreams that he will become the equal of his hero Achilles. Read more
Published on August 2, 2006 by Harriet Klausner

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