''Warrior of Rome II: King of Kings'' is the second in Harry Sidebottom's vivid five-part series. AD256 - the spectre of treachery hangs ominously over the Roman Empire. The sparks of Christian fervour have spread through the empire like wildfire, and the imperium is alive with the machinations of dangerous and powerful men. All the while, Sassanid forces press forward relentlessly along the eastern frontier. The battle-bloodied general Ballista returns to the imperial court from the fallen city of Arete - only to find that there are those who would rather see him dead than alive. Ballista is soon caught in a sinister web of intrigue and religious fanaticism ...his courage and loyalty will be put to the ultimate test in the service of Rome and the Emperor. The Warrior of Rome is back...Dr Harry Sidebottom is a leading authority on ancient warfare - he applies his knowledge with a spectacular flair for sheer explosive action and knuckle-whitening drama. Fans of Bernard Cornwell will love Sidebottom's recreation of the ancient world. Praise for Harry Sidebottom: ''Sidebottom's prose blazes with searing scholarship''. (''The Times''). ''The best sort of red-blooded historical fiction''.(Andrew Taylor, author of ''The American Boy''). Dr. Harry Sidebottom is Fellow of St Benets Hall, and Lecturer at Lincoln College, Oxford - where he specializes in ancient warfare and classical art.