The Lost Army, Valerio Massimo Manfredi

 

 The Lost Army

Valerio Massimo Manfredi

Storyline

In the 4th century BC, in a village in Syria, a woman, dressed in rags and covered in blisters and sores, is seen approaching on the road coming from the north. Suspicious of her, the villagers shout and throw rocks at her. She is struck and falls. She seems dead...Her story encompasses one of the great collective acts of heroism of the ancient world. She was the mistress of Xenophon, a general in the vast army of ten thousand Greek mercenaries from virtually every Greek city state that was employed by Cyrus the Younger, in his quest to seize the throne of Persia from his brother, Artaxerxes II. Manfredi, one of the world's experts, has created a rip-roaring adventure seen from the perspective of the women who accompanied the soldiers on their long journey. This is a new and intense account of the most celebrated march in man's history, by the acclaimed author of the "Alexander" trilogy.

Review

It's essential for me to begin this review by emphasizing how Valerio Massimo Manfredi is one of my favorite authors, and this book, in particular, is my absolute favorite. It is a novel rich in character, where love and blood intertwine, capable of transporting the reader into a whirlwind of emotions through the narrative voice of a woman. This voice belongs to Abira, a young woman from a small Mesopotamian village, whose life seems to flow monotonously and without intense emotions. This aspect is one of the reasons I appreciated the book so much, as the story is inspired by real events and is told through the eyes and thoughts of a woman who is thrust into a wild, harsh, and dangerous world.
As the plot unfolds, we witness the challenging journey back of the Ten Thousand, inspired by Xenophon's "Anabasis", but from a completely unique perspective: the depictions of the landscapes and the army with their red cloaks are truly captivating. The narrative now emphasizes the beauty and brutality of the locations, the hardships of enduring cold and hunger, and the difficult lives of the women who accompany the army, including the prostitutes.
In my view, Manfredi's writing is a true masterpiece; he makes me relive every battle, every hardship, the fear of the unknown, and all the accompanying emotions, all with a fluid and gripping style. Valerio Massimo Manfredi once again demonstrates his talent in the genre, maintaining a rigorous respect for history and giving voice to those characters who, in traditional narratives, often remain in the shadows, considered secondary to great generals and kings.
For all these reasons, and because of how its narrative captivated me, this book has remained my favorite for years, and I can't help but wholeheartedly recommend it, giving it 5 beautiful sunflowers out of five.