A Man at Arms

Pressfield’s considerable gifts for historical military fiction, displayed in such superior works as Gates of Fire, are nowhere in evidence in this ponderous account of Greek mercenary Telamon of Arcadia’s mission to preserve and disseminate the gospel of Paul. With Judea under Roman occupation, 14-year-old David, a Jew, witnesses Telamon defend a caravan from attack by a band of bandits. While Telamon is successful, his triumph is short-lived, as a group of Roman soldiers capture him. David, who claims to be Telamon’s apprentice, joins up with his “master” after Telamon is freed with a charge to track down Michael, a Nazarene in possession of a particularly important letter. As the two venture through deserts and various Roman outposts, Telamon instructs David in the art of battle, and an encounter with a witch and Michael’s daughter leads to clues as to Michael’s whereabouts. The prose is nowhere near what Pressfield has shown himself to be capable of; clichéd staccato passages and clunky phrasing abound (“The woman managed to stumble into such proximity of the camp as to make her voice heard”). The author also underwhelms with period detail, having the temple in Jerusalem referred to as King Solomon’s, despite that edifice having been destroyed centuries earlier. This isn’t likely to appeal even to fans of biblical fiction. (Mar.)