- Q: Are you writing another book? What is it about?
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A: I have finished writing The Sword of Attila, to be published
in March 2005. It revolves around the crucial Battle of Chalons — arguably
the most important battle in Western Europe, though little known today.
In A.D. 451, Attila the Hun crossed the Rhine with nearly a million Huns,
Ostrogoths, and allied Germanic tribes in a bid to conquer Gaul and overrun
Rome. He was met on a plain east of Paris by the Roman general Aetius, leading
a much smaller force, and the ensuing battle was decisive for our history.
What intrigued me about the story, however, was the background of the two
protagonists. Attila was not the foaming-at-the-mouth barbarian he is so
often thought of. As a youth, he had spent years living in the Roman court
in Ravenna as a hostage. He was highly educated, spoke fluent Latin, and
had a deep familiarity with Roman customs, mores, and military strategy.
Equally interesting, Aetius had spent much of his youth as a hostage of
the Huns. He was fluent in Hunnish and as a youth had greatly loved the
Huns' simple and nomadic lifestyle. At one point, the two men had actually
been close friends, until geopolitics and personal ambition eventually came
between them and brought their rivalry to a head at Chalons.
- Q: Are you a trained historian or classicist?
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A: Neither. In college I studied Romance Linguistics and Economics,
and I went on to pursue a graduate degree in Economics. I have always loved
history and the classics, however, and have dabbled in Latin for many years
(I even taught it at the high school level for a semester, before I found
that teaching is just not in my blood). I do extensive research, but find
that it is probably a good thing I am not an academic in my subject matter-by
not being professionally bound by the historic content of my writing, I
can give freer rein to the imaginative aspects of writing a novel.
This is not to say that I neglect historic accuracy in my books. All my
manuscripts are closely reviewed by university classicists and historians,
and I am careful to incorporate their suggestions and comments.
- Q: Are there any plans for movies of your books?
-
A: Not at the moment. The Ten Thousand was optioned once, but that
expired. Despite the popularity of Gladiator and Troy, films on ancient
themes are still a tiny percentage of Hollywood's total production, and
are considered risky and expensive. My books involve casts of thousands
and exotic locales, so it's a tough sale. I'm open to offers, though. Mr.
Coppola, are you listening?
-
Q: Why isn't your picture on the flyleaf of your more recent books?
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A: "Writers should be read and not seen. Rarely are they a winsome
sight." (Edna Thurber)
