RAY GLEASON

"You don’t need to be a history lover to enjoy this story and it will leave you with a much clearer appreciation of life in an ancient civilization. Through Gai and the characters that surround him I also gained a new level of understanding of Julius Caesar and his triumphs and defeats. It is a masterful piece of historical fiction that will keep you engaged throughout."

“An amazing intertwining of stories of the lives of ordinary men and women who became involved in the Vietnam War. As a veteran who served in an armor company (1967/1968) in Nam, this book touched me very deeply. The author evokes memories of the loss of innocence, anger and disillusionment but added to that are very deep feelings of love for the men with whom I served.”

“As a former Platoon leader with the 9th Inf Div in the Mekong Delta, I think this book captures the essence of the “field” environment of the infantryman in Vietnam.”

"I must say it was a great read. ... as the main character, Gai, begins to come to life, the story gets rolling and never loses its momentum. Gleason does a magnificent job of weaving his detailed knowledge of Roman politics and military practices into the compelling story of a young man coming of age in a turbulent and unpredictable society."

"Cornwell did it for the British soldier under Wellington. Forrester did it for Hornblower and the British sailor, and more recently, James Nelson for the birth of the American navy... We now have a wonderful and worthy addition to this literature in Gleason's Gaius Marius."

"In school, I learned about the war in history classes, but none of this compared to the emotional closeness and rawness that I felt when reading The Violent Season by Ray Gleason. Superbly written, this series transports the reader to 'Nam' with the perfect balance of soul-wrenching honesty and soul-feeding beauty."