The Profession is a 2011 thriller novel by Steven Pressfield. Set in 2032, the novel depicts a highly militarized future where there is severe conflict in the Middle East. A reviewer in the Los Angeles Times favorably compared the novel to Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II's 1964 novel Seven Days in May . [1] Kirkus Reviews called the novel "A book that paints an all-too-plausible future in which America outsources its dirtiest jobs." [2]
The novel follows the actions of a soldier-mercenary named Gentilhomme from Louisiana who follows the prolific, Caesar-like, General Salter, who himself commands a mercenary army after he has been disgraced and exiled from the U.S. 'Gent', for short, is ordered to Egypt to find his old comrade and friend 'El Masri' to aid on a mission into Tajikistan, where a new oil field has been discovered.
At first their orders are to eliminate one warlord and put his son into power in Tajikistan, thus brokering a deal in which Salter will have some control over the rights of the newly discovered oil. However, upon learning of the news that the elder warlord has already been killed, their orders are changed. They eliminate the younger warlord, thus leaving the nation leaderless and in chaos, creating a vacuum that China and Russia rush into and keep them blind from other affairs.
Meanwhile, Salter has taken control of all Saudi Arabian oil reserves and pipelines, strategically rigging them with explosives to be used if threatened. Salter effectively becomes the most powerful man in the world and begins bargaining away rights to the highest bidders. He hopes to seek revenge against those who had him exiled years ago and also return home as a hero and supreme commander in chief.
Gent, Salter's most loyal soldier and the closest thing to a son he has had since his own son's death, is the only man that can stop him.
 | This section possibly contains original research .(July 2017) |
As per most Pressfield books, there are several reoccurring themes that are present in The Profession as well. There is, as always, the theme of warriors uniting in fraternity and under a mystic warrior code. This dynamic is especially strong between Gent and El Masri.
A minor theme is that of reincarnation, or re-occurrence of events, that seem to always find their characters through fate. For example, Gent narrates that he has always had a specific dream that in the end was his destiny in one life and one lived thousands of years before.
There are also references to Alexander the Great which has been the subject of several of Pressfield's novels.
There is a theme of liberty versus empire that is depicted in this novel and manifested in Gent, who has difficulty deciding between the two. It parallels the difficulties of the Roman Empire with the gain of Imperial power at the expense of liberty and freedom of the people. At the end of the novel, the United States republic has a similar end as did the Roman republic and Salter is even likened to Julius Caesar.
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American fantasy television series filmed on location in New Zealand. The series aired in first-run syndication from September 4, 1995, to June 18, 2001. Critics have praised the series for its strong female protagonist, and it has acquired a strong cult following, attention in fandom, parody, and academia, and has influenced the direction of other television series.
On Deadly Ground is a 1994 American environmental action adventure film directed, co-produced by, and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley and R. Lee Ermey. It is Seagal's only directorial effort and features a minor appearance by Billy Bob Thornton in one of his early roles. Seagal plays Forrest Taft, an expert firefighter who decides to fight back against the environmental destruction caused by his ruthless former boss (Caine).
The Warlord Chronicles or The Warlord Trilogy is a series of three novels about Arthurian Britain written by Bernard Cornwell. The story is written as a mixture of historical fiction and Arthurian legend. The books were originally published between 1995 and 1997 by Penguin and Michael Joseph in the United Kingdom and by St. Martin's Press in the United States, in hardcover and paperback editions, each with different ISBNs. It is currently being adapted for television as The Winter King.
The Serpent Squad is a fictional mercenary group composed of snake-themed criminals appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Most often antagonists of Captain America, the roster has changed through various incarnations.
Connor Iggulden is a British author who writes historical fiction, most notably the Emperor series and Conqueror series. He also co-authored The Dangerous Book for Boys along with his brother Hal Iggulden. In 2007, Iggulden became the first person to top the UK fiction and non-fiction charts at the same time.
Steven Pressfield is an American author of historical fiction, non-fiction, and screenplays.
Casca is a series of historical fantasy novels created by author Barry Sadler in 1979. The stories revolve around the exploits of Casca Rufio Longinus, the Roman legionary who drove the Holy Lance into the side of Jesus Christ on Golgotha. As a result of this action, Casca is cursed with immortality, and he is to wander the Earth aimlessly, always as a soldier, until the Second Coming. The character is loosely based on the Longinus legend of Christianity.
The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur is the first novel of the Warlord Chronicles trilogy by Bernard Cornwell, originally published in the UK in 1995 by Penguin Group. The book is based on characters and plot elements from Arthurian myth, but considerably changed and re-worked.
The Ruins of Gorlan is the first novel in the Ranger's Apprentice series written by Australian author John Flanagan. It was first released in Australia on 1 November 2004, and in the United States on 16 June 2005. Flanagan first conceived the world of the novel in a series of short stories he wrote for his son to incite his interest in reading. Ten years later, he decided to turn them into The Ruins of Gorlan, the first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series.
Gates of Fire is a 1998 historical fiction novel by Steven Pressfield that recounts the Battle of Thermopylae through Xeones, a perioikos born in Astakos, and one of only three Greek survivors of the battle.
Alexander the Great's accomplishments and legacy have been preserved and depicted in many ways. Alexander has figured in works of both "high" and popular culture from his own era to the modern day. Some of these are highly fictionalized accounts, such as the Alexander Romance.
Into the Wild is a fantasy novel about the lives of fictional cats, written by a team of authors using the pseudonym Erin Hunter. The novel was published by HarperCollins in Canada and the United States in January 2003, and in the United Kingdom in February 2003. It is the first novel in the Warriors series. The book has been published in paperback, and e-book formats in twenty different languages. The story is about a young domestic cat named Rusty who leaves his human owners to join a group of forest-dwelling feral cats called ThunderClan, adopting a new name: Firepaw. He is trained to defend and hunt for the clan, becomes embroiled in a murder and betrayal within the clan, and, at the end of the book, receives his warrior name, Fireheart, after a battle with another clan. He must face the evil Tigerclaw. The novel is written from the perspective of Fireheart.
The Afghan Campaign is a historical novel by the American writer Steven Pressfield. It was first published in 2006 by Doubleday. It is the story of Alexander the Great's invasion of the Afghan kingdoms in 330 BC through the eyes of Matthias, a young soldier from Macedonia, who narrates the adventures of the Macedonian army against the Eastern warriors. Matthias fights for Alexander the Great's infantry confronting ferocious people who, determined to defend their homeland, follow tough war methods.
The Ice Princess is a crime novel by Swedish author Camilla Läckberg. As her debut novel, it was originally published in 2003 in Swedish, entitled Isprinsessan. The novel follows detective Patrik Hedström and writer Erica Falck investigating a suspicious suicide. A sequel, The Preacher was published in 2004 and subsequently translated to English in 2009.
Killing Rommel is a 2008 historical fiction novel by Steven Pressfield set in North Africa during World War II. The book follows the actions of the British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG).
Resistance is a mythical concept created by American novelist Steven Pressfield that illustrates the universal force that he claims acts against human creativity. It was first described in his non-fiction book The War of Art and elaborated in the follow-up books Do The Work and Turning Pro, and in other essays. It is also a recurring theme in some of his fiction novels such as The Legend of Bagger Vance and The Virtues of War.
1356 is the fourth novel in The Grail Quest series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in 2012. It is set in 1356, nearly a decade after the original trilogy, and culminates with the Battle of Poitiers. Intertwined in the plot is the quest to find La Malice, a fabled sword of Saint Peter and Christian relic which may turn the tide of the long war for France. It is Cornwell's fiftieth novel.
Steven Hartov is an American-Israeli author of fiction and non-fiction works, journalist, screenwriter, lecturer in international security affairs and former Editor-in-Chief of "Special Operations Report". His works are recommended readings by the U.S. Army War College.
Kulipari is a Flash animated streaming television series co-produced by Splash Entertainment, The Outlook Company and Telegael Teoranta. Its first season An Army of Frogs debuted in September 2016 as a Netflix original series. The show is based on Trevor Pryce's novel series An Army of Frogs. Kulipari: Heritage, a four-issue comic book miniseries published by Red 5 Comics, was released from August to November 2016. The series was renewed for a second season called Kulipari: Dream Walker on March 8, 2017, which was released on November 20, 2018. A graphic novel called Kulipari: Warflower was purported to be released on January 1, 2019, but it was canceled.