Death in Babylon

Death in Babylon

Author: Vincent Barletta

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2010-05-15

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 0226037398

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Though Alexander the Great lived more than seventeen centuries before the onset of Iberian expansion into Muslim Africa and Asia, he loomed large in the literature of late medieval and early modern Portugal and Spain. Exploring little-studied chronicles, chivalric romances, novels, travelogues, and crypto-Muslim texts, Vincent Barletta shows that the story of Alexander not only sowed the seeds of Iberian empire but foreshadowed the decline of Portuguese and Spanish influence in the centuries to come. Death in Babylon depicts Alexander as a complex symbol of Western domination, immortality, dissolution, heroism, villainy, and death. But Barletta also shows that texts ostensibly celebrating the conqueror were haunted by failure. Examining literary and historical works in Aljamiado, Castilian, Catalan, Greek, Latin, and Portuguese, Death in Babylon develops a view of empire and modernity informed by the ethical metaphysics of French phenomenologist Emmanuel Levinas. A novel contribution to the literature of empire building, Death in Babylon provides a frame for the deep mortal anxiety that has infused and given shape to the spread of imperial Europe from its very beginning.


Book Synopsis Death in Babylon by : Vincent Barletta

Download or read book Death in Babylon written by Vincent Barletta and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-05-15 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though Alexander the Great lived more than seventeen centuries before the onset of Iberian expansion into Muslim Africa and Asia, he loomed large in the literature of late medieval and early modern Portugal and Spain. Exploring little-studied chronicles, chivalric romances, novels, travelogues, and crypto-Muslim texts, Vincent Barletta shows that the story of Alexander not only sowed the seeds of Iberian empire but foreshadowed the decline of Portuguese and Spanish influence in the centuries to come. Death in Babylon depicts Alexander as a complex symbol of Western domination, immortality, dissolution, heroism, villainy, and death. But Barletta also shows that texts ostensibly celebrating the conqueror were haunted by failure. Examining literary and historical works in Aljamiado, Castilian, Catalan, Greek, Latin, and Portuguese, Death in Babylon develops a view of empire and modernity informed by the ethical metaphysics of French phenomenologist Emmanuel Levinas. A novel contribution to the literature of empire building, Death in Babylon provides a frame for the deep mortal anxiety that has infused and given shape to the spread of imperial Europe from its very beginning.


Alexander The Great

Alexander The Great

Author: Graham Phillips

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2012-03-31

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0753535823

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MURDER IN BABYLON is a real-life historical detective story: a true tale of murder and mystery that has remained untold for over two thousand years. Recreating the scene of the crime to reveal eight suspects, each with the motive and opportunity to have assassinated the king. Graham Phillips uncovers a maze of intrigue, power-play and romantic tragedy that led inevitably towards Alexander's death. Ultimately, in a dramatic twist in the tale, the murderer is finally unveiled.


Book Synopsis Alexander The Great by : Graham Phillips

Download or read book Alexander The Great written by Graham Phillips and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-03-31 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MURDER IN BABYLON is a real-life historical detective story: a true tale of murder and mystery that has remained untold for over two thousand years. Recreating the scene of the crime to reveal eight suspects, each with the motive and opportunity to have assassinated the king. Graham Phillips uncovers a maze of intrigue, power-play and romantic tragedy that led inevitably towards Alexander's death. Ultimately, in a dramatic twist in the tale, the murderer is finally unveiled.


Wrestling Babylon

Wrestling Babylon

Author: Irv Muchnick

Publisher: ECW Press

Published: 2010-11-16

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13: 155490286X

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Irvin Muchnick ' a widely published writer and nephew of the late, legendary St. Louis wrestling promoter Sam Muchnick ' has produced a book unlike any other on the astonishing growth of professional wrestling and its profound impact on mainstream sports and society. In Wrestling Babylon, he traces the demise of wrestling's old Mafia-like territories and the rise of a national marketing base thanks to cable television, deregulation and a culture-wide nervous breakdown. Naturally, the figure of WWE's Vince McMahon lurks throughout, but equally evident is the public's late-empire lust for bread, circuses, and blood. As this book demonstrates, the more cartoonishly unreal wrestling got, the more chillingly real it became. What truly distinguishes Wrestling Babylon, however, is Muchnick's ability to show how professional wrestling has become the ur-carnival for a culture that feeds on escapist displays of humiliation, revenge, fantasy characters, and sex. His People magazine article on Hulk Hogan blew the lid off the drug abuse of the sport's signature superstar. His award-winning Penthouse profile of the ill-starred Von Erich clan was the first to connect the dots between wrestling, televangelism, and MTV-style production values. His never-before-published investigation of the death of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's girlfriend suggests the cover-up of a murder. The book's appendix ' a comprehensive listing of the dozens of wrestlers who died prematurely over the last generation, with little or no attention ' is both a valuable resource for wrestling historians and a shocking document of the ruthless way sports entertainment eats its own.


Book Synopsis Wrestling Babylon by : Irv Muchnick

Download or read book Wrestling Babylon written by Irv Muchnick and published by ECW Press. This book was released on 2010-11-16 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Irvin Muchnick ' a widely published writer and nephew of the late, legendary St. Louis wrestling promoter Sam Muchnick ' has produced a book unlike any other on the astonishing growth of professional wrestling and its profound impact on mainstream sports and society. In Wrestling Babylon, he traces the demise of wrestling's old Mafia-like territories and the rise of a national marketing base thanks to cable television, deregulation and a culture-wide nervous breakdown. Naturally, the figure of WWE's Vince McMahon lurks throughout, but equally evident is the public's late-empire lust for bread, circuses, and blood. As this book demonstrates, the more cartoonishly unreal wrestling got, the more chillingly real it became. What truly distinguishes Wrestling Babylon, however, is Muchnick's ability to show how professional wrestling has become the ur-carnival for a culture that feeds on escapist displays of humiliation, revenge, fantasy characters, and sex. His People magazine article on Hulk Hogan blew the lid off the drug abuse of the sport's signature superstar. His award-winning Penthouse profile of the ill-starred Von Erich clan was the first to connect the dots between wrestling, televangelism, and MTV-style production values. His never-before-published investigation of the death of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's girlfriend suggests the cover-up of a murder. The book's appendix ' a comprehensive listing of the dozens of wrestlers who died prematurely over the last generation, with little or no attention ' is both a valuable resource for wrestling historians and a shocking document of the ruthless way sports entertainment eats its own.


Death in Babylon, Love in Istanbul

Death in Babylon, Love in Istanbul

Author: Iskender Pala

Publisher: Bentang Pustaka

Published: 2017-07-25

Total Pages: 536

ISBN-13: 6022914051

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Fuzuli, seorang sastrawan kenamaan asal Baghdad pada masa Ottoman, diminta oleh Sultan Sulaiman untuk menuliskan kembali kisah Layla dan Majnun—salah satu kisah cinta terhebat sepanjang masa, yang telah menginspirasi kisah-kisah cinta seperti Romeo dan Juliet. Akan tetapi, rupanya cerita Layla dan Majnun tak hanya tentang cinta antar sepasang manusia saja. Fuzuli menemukan bahwa di dalamnya pun terdapat sebuah misteri berusia ribuan tahun. Konon, ada tujuh rahasia sejati bagi seseorang yang mengenal cinta. Rahasia tentang umat manusia serta arti cinta sejati. Orang yang memiliki ketujuh rahasia tersebut akan menguasai dunia. Dan, pintu yang menuju ke jawaban dari tujuh rahasia tersebut terdapat di reruntuhan Babylon, Baghdad, Istanbul, Roma, dan Paris. Maka dimulailah pencarian panjang Fuzuli untuk mengungkap rahasia dan membuktikan misteri tersebut. [Mizan, Bentang Pustaka, Novel, Sejarah, Indonesia]


Book Synopsis Death in Babylon, Love in Istanbul by : Iskender Pala

Download or read book Death in Babylon, Love in Istanbul written by Iskender Pala and published by Bentang Pustaka. This book was released on 2017-07-25 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fuzuli, seorang sastrawan kenamaan asal Baghdad pada masa Ottoman, diminta oleh Sultan Sulaiman untuk menuliskan kembali kisah Layla dan Majnun—salah satu kisah cinta terhebat sepanjang masa, yang telah menginspirasi kisah-kisah cinta seperti Romeo dan Juliet. Akan tetapi, rupanya cerita Layla dan Majnun tak hanya tentang cinta antar sepasang manusia saja. Fuzuli menemukan bahwa di dalamnya pun terdapat sebuah misteri berusia ribuan tahun. Konon, ada tujuh rahasia sejati bagi seseorang yang mengenal cinta. Rahasia tentang umat manusia serta arti cinta sejati. Orang yang memiliki ketujuh rahasia tersebut akan menguasai dunia. Dan, pintu yang menuju ke jawaban dari tujuh rahasia tersebut terdapat di reruntuhan Babylon, Baghdad, Istanbul, Roma, dan Paris. Maka dimulailah pencarian panjang Fuzuli untuk mengungkap rahasia dan membuktikan misteri tersebut. [Mizan, Bentang Pustaka, Novel, Sejarah, Indonesia]


Alas, Babylon

Alas, Babylon

Author: Pat Frank

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2013-06-04

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0062296205

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“An extraordinary real picture of human beings numbed by catastrophe but still driven by the unconquerable determination of living creatures to keep on being alive.” —The New Yorker “Alas, Babylon.” Those fateful words heralded the end. When the unthinkable nightmare of nuclear holocaust ravaged the United States, it was instant death for tens of millions of people; for survivors, it was a nightmare of hunger, sickness, and brutality. Overnight, a thousand years of civilization were stripped away. But for one small Florida town, miraculously spared against all the odds, the struggle was only just beginning, as the isolated survivors—men and women of all ages and races—found the courage to come together and confront the harrowing darkness. This classic apocalyptic novel by Pat Frank, first published in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, includes an introduction by award-winning science fiction writer and scientist David Brin.


Book Synopsis Alas, Babylon by : Pat Frank

Download or read book Alas, Babylon written by Pat Frank and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-06-04 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An extraordinary real picture of human beings numbed by catastrophe but still driven by the unconquerable determination of living creatures to keep on being alive.” —The New Yorker “Alas, Babylon.” Those fateful words heralded the end. When the unthinkable nightmare of nuclear holocaust ravaged the United States, it was instant death for tens of millions of people; for survivors, it was a nightmare of hunger, sickness, and brutality. Overnight, a thousand years of civilization were stripped away. But for one small Florida town, miraculously spared against all the odds, the struggle was only just beginning, as the isolated survivors—men and women of all ages and races—found the courage to come together and confront the harrowing darkness. This classic apocalyptic novel by Pat Frank, first published in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, includes an introduction by award-winning science fiction writer and scientist David Brin.


The Curse of Babylon (Death of Rome Saga Book Six)

The Curse of Babylon (Death of Rome Saga Book Six)

Author: Richard Blake

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Published: 2013-08-01

Total Pages: 755

ISBN-13: 1848947054

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The thrilling sixth book in the DEATH OF ROME SAGA. 'An extraordinary series' - The Morning Star 615 AD. A vengeful Persian tyrant prepares the final blow that will annihilate the Byzantine Empire. Aelric of England - now the Lord Senator Alaric - is almost as powerful as the Emperor. Seemingly without opposition, he dominates the vast and morally bankrupt city of Constantinople. He alone is able to conceive and to push forward reforms that are the Empire's only hope of survival, and perhaps of restoration to wealth and greatness. Aelric faces his greatest challenge yet with danger of all frontiers. His domestic enemies are waiting for their moment to strike back and the world's most terrifying military machine is assembling in secret beyond the mountains of the eastern frontiers.


Book Synopsis The Curse of Babylon (Death of Rome Saga Book Six) by : Richard Blake

Download or read book The Curse of Babylon (Death of Rome Saga Book Six) written by Richard Blake and published by Hodder & Stoughton. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 755 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The thrilling sixth book in the DEATH OF ROME SAGA. 'An extraordinary series' - The Morning Star 615 AD. A vengeful Persian tyrant prepares the final blow that will annihilate the Byzantine Empire. Aelric of England - now the Lord Senator Alaric - is almost as powerful as the Emperor. Seemingly without opposition, he dominates the vast and morally bankrupt city of Constantinople. He alone is able to conceive and to push forward reforms that are the Empire's only hope of survival, and perhaps of restoration to wealth and greatness. Aelric faces his greatest challenge yet with danger of all frontiers. His domestic enemies are waiting for their moment to strike back and the world's most terrifying military machine is assembling in secret beyond the mountains of the eastern frontiers.


By the Waters of Babylon

By the Waters of Babylon

Author: Stephen Vincent Benet

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2015-08-24

Total Pages: 38

ISBN-13: 9781517031244

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The north and the west and the south are good hunting ground, but it is forbidden to go east. It is forbidden to go to any of the Dead Places except to search for metal and then he who touches the metal must be a priest or the son of a priest. Afterwards, both the man and the metal must be purified. These are the rules and the laws; they are well made. It is forbidden to cross the great river and look upon the place that was the Place of the Gods-this is most strictly forbidden. We do not even say its name though we know its name. It is there that spirits live, and demons-it is there that there are the ashes of the Great Burning. These things are forbidden- they have been forbidden since the beginning of time.


Book Synopsis By the Waters of Babylon by : Stephen Vincent Benet

Download or read book By the Waters of Babylon written by Stephen Vincent Benet and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-08-24 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The north and the west and the south are good hunting ground, but it is forbidden to go east. It is forbidden to go to any of the Dead Places except to search for metal and then he who touches the metal must be a priest or the son of a priest. Afterwards, both the man and the metal must be purified. These are the rules and the laws; they are well made. It is forbidden to cross the great river and look upon the place that was the Place of the Gods-this is most strictly forbidden. We do not even say its name though we know its name. It is there that spirits live, and demons-it is there that there are the ashes of the Great Burning. These things are forbidden- they have been forbidden since the beginning of time.


The Black Death of Babylon

The Black Death of Babylon

Author: Edward J. McFadden, III

Publisher:

Published: 2012-09-27

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 9780615706092

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Don Oberbier investigated anomalies, but he had never encountered one as powerful as the Black Death of Babylon. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its tool and its seal-black patches that appeared to eat its victim from the inside out. And the disease attacked with a viciousness that decomposed its victim within two hours. When a Professor at prestigious Babylon University snaps and starts killing people with the disease, Don has the campus quarantined. He learns that the universities alumni directory contains a list of those to be murdered, and the investigation picks up speed as Don tries to catch the killer before everyone on the list is infected. PRAISE for The Black Death of Babylon A fun, dark, globe-hopping adventure that's part action thriller, party mystery, and part atmospheric horror tale. There's something here in Ed McFadden's novel for everybody." Tom Piccirilli, author of THE LAST KIND WORDS, two time International Thriller award winner, and four time Bram Stoker award winner. "The Black Death of Babylon is a riveting murder mystery drawing upon the enigmatic elements of Fringe or The X-Files. And yet, Edward McFadden finds a way to make everything happening in this book truly believable. The plot is fascinating for what it reveals about the behind the scenes workings of brilliant scientists who've let their experiments get the best of them. The story is beautifully written-this allows seasoned fans of mystery, horror, and SF to find this book irresistibly hard to put down." Michael Laimo, author of DEAD SOULS and DEEP IN THE DARKNESS. "In this age of horrifying natural plagues--AIDS, flesh-eating bacteria--and the threat of even scarier manufactured ones--terrorist-designed Avian Flu--it takes a truly creepy book to go beyond the daily headlines. Thankfully for all lovers of high-tech bio-horror, Ed McFadden has written that novel with his The Black Death of Babylon. Marrying characters you embrace with terrors you flee, this novel will take readers on a mystery-suspense filled-spook-house ride they won't soon forget." Paul Di Filippo, author of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON: TIME'S BLACK LAGOON. "Edward McFadden's The Black Death of Babylon is a dark roller coaster ride that will leave you wanting more. When a prestigious member of the Babylon University faculty finds DNA that he uses to recreate the most deadly disease planet Earth has ever seen-the Black Death-his enemies start dying, and the Babylon Campus is quarantined. The pace picks up even more as the book moves toward a believable and satisfying conclusion. Realistic, entertaining, well written, and different. Don't miss this one." Patrick Thomas, author of the Murphy's Lore Series and FAIRY WITH A GUN.


Book Synopsis The Black Death of Babylon by : Edward J. McFadden, III

Download or read book The Black Death of Babylon written by Edward J. McFadden, III and published by . This book was released on 2012-09-27 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Don Oberbier investigated anomalies, but he had never encountered one as powerful as the Black Death of Babylon. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its tool and its seal-black patches that appeared to eat its victim from the inside out. And the disease attacked with a viciousness that decomposed its victim within two hours. When a Professor at prestigious Babylon University snaps and starts killing people with the disease, Don has the campus quarantined. He learns that the universities alumni directory contains a list of those to be murdered, and the investigation picks up speed as Don tries to catch the killer before everyone on the list is infected. PRAISE for The Black Death of Babylon A fun, dark, globe-hopping adventure that's part action thriller, party mystery, and part atmospheric horror tale. There's something here in Ed McFadden's novel for everybody." Tom Piccirilli, author of THE LAST KIND WORDS, two time International Thriller award winner, and four time Bram Stoker award winner. "The Black Death of Babylon is a riveting murder mystery drawing upon the enigmatic elements of Fringe or The X-Files. And yet, Edward McFadden finds a way to make everything happening in this book truly believable. The plot is fascinating for what it reveals about the behind the scenes workings of brilliant scientists who've let their experiments get the best of them. The story is beautifully written-this allows seasoned fans of mystery, horror, and SF to find this book irresistibly hard to put down." Michael Laimo, author of DEAD SOULS and DEEP IN THE DARKNESS. "In this age of horrifying natural plagues--AIDS, flesh-eating bacteria--and the threat of even scarier manufactured ones--terrorist-designed Avian Flu--it takes a truly creepy book to go beyond the daily headlines. Thankfully for all lovers of high-tech bio-horror, Ed McFadden has written that novel with his The Black Death of Babylon. Marrying characters you embrace with terrors you flee, this novel will take readers on a mystery-suspense filled-spook-house ride they won't soon forget." Paul Di Filippo, author of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON: TIME'S BLACK LAGOON. "Edward McFadden's The Black Death of Babylon is a dark roller coaster ride that will leave you wanting more. When a prestigious member of the Babylon University faculty finds DNA that he uses to recreate the most deadly disease planet Earth has ever seen-the Black Death-his enemies start dying, and the Babylon Campus is quarantined. The pace picks up even more as the book moves toward a believable and satisfying conclusion. Realistic, entertaining, well written, and different. Don't miss this one." Patrick Thomas, author of the Murphy's Lore Series and FAIRY WITH A GUN.


The Streets of Babylon

The Streets of Babylon

Author: Carina Burman

Publisher: Marion Boyars Publishers

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 9780714531380

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In this romp of a crime novel, Euthanasia Bondeson searches London for her missing companion.


Book Synopsis The Streets of Babylon by : Carina Burman

Download or read book The Streets of Babylon written by Carina Burman and published by Marion Boyars Publishers. This book was released on 2008 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this romp of a crime novel, Euthanasia Bondeson searches London for her missing companion.


Day of the False King

Day of the False King

Author: Brad Geagley

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 0743250818

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Another brilliant and out-of-the-ordinary murder mystery by the author ofYear of the Hyenas,with an unusual and interesting detective, this time trying to pursue and rescue his own ex-wife, sold into slavery in the city of Babylon (in modern times, near Baghdad) at a time of violence and great danger, much like today.Day of the False Kingcontinues the story of Semerket, Egypt's Clerk of Investigations and Secrets. The time is approximately 1150 B.C., and the conspirators who plotted the overthrow of Pharaoh Ramses III have been tried and executed. But the old pharaoh has succumbed to the wounds inflicted by his Theban wife, Queen Tiya; it is his first-born son who now rules Egypt as his chosen successor, Ramses IV.Geographically placed at the center of the Old World, where East literally meets West, Babylon has forever been the crossroads for conquering armies and adventuresome merchants, and the prize of dynasts. From cruel tyrants to far-seeing visionaries, an ever-changing set of rulers have claimed Babylon's throne as their own. But they were not god-kings as in Egypt; in fact, there was no term for "king" in any of the Babylonian languages. Instead, they were called simply "Strong Man" or "Big Man." Then as now, only martial strength determined who ruled. Strangely, or perhaps inevitably, the rights of the individual were first codified and set down as laws here.Around the time thatDay of the False Kingtakes place, the Middle East is undergoing -- just as it is today -- a tortuous, protracted transformation. The old regimes have vanished, setting the stage for the aggressive emergence of the new nations of Phoenicia, Israel, and Philistia; it is the fourth of these new peoples, the Assyrians, who will achieve dominance in the years ahead.Babylonia in particular has suffered a series of cataclysms. The old Kassite Dynasty, themselves invaders from the north, has been toppled. The nation of Elam (soon to be known as Persia) has launched a massive war to conquer Babylonia from the southeast. Native tribes in the country also see this moment as their own chance to evict the foreigners and re-establish a dynasty of their own.Into this roiling alchemy, Semerket's adored ex-wife, Naia, is thrust. She and Rami, the tomb-maker's son, have been banished to Babylon as indentured servants -- punishment for their accidental roles in the Harem Conspiracy against Ramses III.As inYear of the Hyenas, most of the events and characters inDay of the False Kingare drawn from history. The Elamite invader King Kutir and the native-born Marduk truly vied for the throne of Babylonia. There really was a festival calledDay of the False King, when the entire world turned upside down for a day, when slaves ruled as masters, when the most foolish man in Babylon was chosen to become king. Semerket the detective is plunged into the midst of these events in pursuit of his own goals: to serve his Pharaoh and to find the woman he loves.


Book Synopsis Day of the False King by : Brad Geagley

Download or read book Day of the False King written by Brad Geagley and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Another brilliant and out-of-the-ordinary murder mystery by the author ofYear of the Hyenas,with an unusual and interesting detective, this time trying to pursue and rescue his own ex-wife, sold into slavery in the city of Babylon (in modern times, near Baghdad) at a time of violence and great danger, much like today.Day of the False Kingcontinues the story of Semerket, Egypt's Clerk of Investigations and Secrets. The time is approximately 1150 B.C., and the conspirators who plotted the overthrow of Pharaoh Ramses III have been tried and executed. But the old pharaoh has succumbed to the wounds inflicted by his Theban wife, Queen Tiya; it is his first-born son who now rules Egypt as his chosen successor, Ramses IV.Geographically placed at the center of the Old World, where East literally meets West, Babylon has forever been the crossroads for conquering armies and adventuresome merchants, and the prize of dynasts. From cruel tyrants to far-seeing visionaries, an ever-changing set of rulers have claimed Babylon's throne as their own. But they were not god-kings as in Egypt; in fact, there was no term for "king" in any of the Babylonian languages. Instead, they were called simply "Strong Man" or "Big Man." Then as now, only martial strength determined who ruled. Strangely, or perhaps inevitably, the rights of the individual were first codified and set down as laws here.Around the time thatDay of the False Kingtakes place, the Middle East is undergoing -- just as it is today -- a tortuous, protracted transformation. The old regimes have vanished, setting the stage for the aggressive emergence of the new nations of Phoenicia, Israel, and Philistia; it is the fourth of these new peoples, the Assyrians, who will achieve dominance in the years ahead.Babylonia in particular has suffered a series of cataclysms. The old Kassite Dynasty, themselves invaders from the north, has been toppled. The nation of Elam (soon to be known as Persia) has launched a massive war to conquer Babylonia from the southeast. Native tribes in the country also see this moment as their own chance to evict the foreigners and re-establish a dynasty of their own.Into this roiling alchemy, Semerket's adored ex-wife, Naia, is thrust. She and Rami, the tomb-maker's son, have been banished to Babylon as indentured servants -- punishment for their accidental roles in the Harem Conspiracy against Ramses III.As inYear of the Hyenas, most of the events and characters inDay of the False Kingare drawn from history. The Elamite invader King Kutir and the native-born Marduk truly vied for the throne of Babylonia. There really was a festival calledDay of the False King, when the entire world turned upside down for a day, when slaves ruled as masters, when the most foolish man in Babylon was chosen to become king. Semerket the detective is plunged into the midst of these events in pursuit of his own goals: to serve his Pharaoh and to find the woman he loves.