A Ram for Mars

What would you do if you were pressured to support a rebellion that you believed was misguided and doomed to failure? What if the safety of your family and business depended on your answer?

Marcus and Miriam, recently freed slaves from Asia Minor, arrive in Israel buoyed by hopes of finding Marcus's long-lost mother and starting a new life together. They discover that the land is seething with social and political unrest, with anti-Roman parties in the ascendancy.

Marcus, who grew up in a Roman colony and owes his present prosperity to a Roman master, finds these anti-Roman sentiments perplexing. His uncertainty increases when war breaks out and he's asked to ship supplies to the rebel army, including a newfound cousin who protects the northern front.

As his entanglement with the rebellion deepens, Marcus is torn between loyalty to the world in which he was nurtured and the need to secure his family's safety. Then his adopted son runs off to join the rebels. What is he to do?

Fans of Conn Iggulden, Ken Follett, and Robert Graves will be captivated by this richly detailed and compelling exploration of the Jewish revolt against Rome (66-73 AD/CE) through the lens of a pro-Roman Jew in the rural district of Galilee.
 
PRAISE FOR A RAM FOR MARS
"Stanley's trilogy about a Roman slave named Marcus reaches a stirring conclusion in A Ram for Mars, which reveals once again the author's deep historical expertise and careful archaeological study.  The story follows Marcus as he adapts to life as a Jew in a new land while navigating the internal fractures of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans in 66-73 CE, creating a world that feels authentically 'lived-in.'"
               Dr. Alexander Marcus, Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Alberta

""It's rare for a novel based on sound historical scholarship to be as accessible and enjoyable as A Ram for Mars.  Stanley makes an often misunderstood period, the Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire in the first century CE, come alive for late  teen, student and adult readers."
               Dr. Alanna Nobbs, Professor Emerita of Classics, Macquarie University                            
 
"A Ram for Mars vividly animates the history of the first Jewish-Roman War while exploring its effects on one man and his family as they grapple with the moral complexities and compromises of life in a war zone.  It's a gripping, immersive novel that I found hard to put down!" 
               Dr. Joshua Garroway, Professor of Judaeo-Christian Studies, Hebrew Union College
 
"A Ram for Mars offers readers an entertaining entree into the complicated history and academic study of the Second Temple and New Testament worlds—a rare feat indeed!"
        Dr. Mark Nanos, Lecturer Early Judaism and Christianity, University of Kansas