Falkirk author’s latest book takes readers back to Bronze Age

‘Empires of Bronze: Son of Ishtar’ is the first of six war and adventure tales set almost 3000 years ago in the final throes of the Bronze Age.

It follows the struggles between the great powers of the day: Egypt, Assyria, Homeric Greece and a civilization almost lost to history – the Hittites.

Gordon said he was first inspired to write about the Hittites after discovering a number of dusty old books in his local library and then watching a “spine-tingling” docu-drama on the subject.

“I just knew I had to dive into the time-period and bring it to life,” he said.

“The Hittites were a peculiar people, with strange and sometimes very harsh customs - such as spitting in a sheep’s mouth to settle an argument!

“They ruled from the high, rugged plateau at the heart of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), commanding a ring of vassal states (most notably Troy) and boasting a ferocious army of chariots and footsoldiers.

“This book - the first of six in the Empires of Bronze series - begins with the birth of a new Hittite prince named Hattusili, or Hattu for short. The novel follows Hattu’s early years and how he is drawn into the first throes of conflict.”

Gordon (41) who is originally from Cambuslang, studied physics and astronomy at university and worked in IT before becoming an author eight years ago with the publication of his first novel, ‘Legionary’.

He said: “I find the process of researching and writing about the past so immersive that it feels akin to stepping into a time machine and travelling back to those forgotten eras, setting out on great quests with the heroes, standing on famous battlefields and walking the streets of cities that are now nothing but ruins and dust.

“I like to top up the imagination with occasional adventures to the sites where my novels take place. In fact, later this summer I’ll be setting off on a trek across northern Turkey to walk the old Hittite lands for myself.

“I’ve managed to pen a dozen novels so far, including seven books of the ‘Legionary’ series, set in the twilight of the Roman Empire, and a trilogy named ‘Strategos’, set during the Byzantine-Seljuk wars. Also, last year, I wrote the latest Assassin’s Creed novel ‘Odyssey’, which was published by Penguin all over the world in a multitude of languages — a very proud moment for me.”

‘Empires of Bronze: Son of Ishtar’ is available in eBook, paperback and audiobook formats.

For more information visit www.gordondoherty.co.uk/empiresofbronze