Wages of Empire

The John Callahan Series No Horsing Around

Wages of Empire

In the summer of 1914, sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair leaves home to join the Great War for
Civilization. Little does he know that, despite the war raging in Europe, the true source of conflict will emerge in Ottoman Palestine since it’s from Jerusalem where Kaiser Wilhelm II dreams to rule as
Holy Roman Emperor.

Wages of Empire

by Michael J. Cooper

Genre: YA Historical WWI Fiction

Grand prize winner – 2022 CIBA
Dante Rossetti Award for YA fiction
First place honors – 2022
CIBA Hemingway Award for wartime fiction
#1 Amazon Best
Seller—Jan 2024—Historical World War I Fiction

In the summer of 1914, sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair leaves home to join the Great War for
Civilization. Little does he know that, despite the war raging in Europe, the true source of conflict will emerge in Ottoman Palestine, since it’s from Jerusalem where the German Kaiser dreams to rule as
Holy Roman Emperor.

Filled with such historical figures as Gertrude Bell, T.E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, Faisal
bin Hussein and Chaim Weizmann, Wages of Empire follows Evan through
the killing fields of the Western Front where he will help turn the
tide of a war that is just beginning, and become part of a story that never ends.

“Masterful storytelling will keep you furiously turning the pages of this
compelling (historical WWI) novel. A winner!”–Andrew Kaplan, New
York Times Best-Selling Author of Blue Madagascar and the Homeland
Novels

“The characters, historical and fictional, come to life on the page as the
storyline drives relentlessly forward. Bravo!”–Matt Coyle,
bestselling author of the Rick Cahill novels

“A
beautifully written tale…exhibits seamless research in illuminating
unforgettable historical and fictional characters…a tour de force!”
–Professor Ronit Meroz, Dept of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud,
Tel-Aviv University, Israel

“This superb historical novel is a must read…directly relates to issues
we face today.” –Rizek Abusharr – Emeritus Director General of
Jerusalem International YMCA

“Cooper has made this period of history come alive. It is a treat to read.”
–Rabbi David Zisenwine, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Education, Tel
Aviv University

“A Young Indiana Jones–style adventure.” –KIRKUS reviews

“Story is gripping and the characters that he describes come alive through
his skillful writing. I couldn’t put it down!” –Rabbi Gordon
Freeman, Ph.D., Rabbi Emeritus, B’nai Shalom, Walnut Creek, CA

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Michael J Cooper writes historical mysteries set in the Holy Land at major turning points of history—all
the while subtly promoting the notions of coexistence and peace. His books have won multiple awards and include; Foxes in the Vineyard (winner of the 2011 Indie Publishing Contest Grand Prize), set in 1948
Jerusalem, The Rabbi’s Knight (finalist for the CIBA 2014 Chaucer Award for historical fiction) set at the twilight of the Crusades in 1290, and his current novel, Wages of Empire set at the start of WWI in 1914 and winner of the CIBA 2022 Grand Prize for young adult fiction as well as the Hemingway first prize for wartime historical fiction. A sequel of Wages of Empire, Crossroads of Empire, will be published in the fall of 2024, and the unpublished manuscript has already won first prize honors in the 2023 CIBA Hemingway wartime historical fiction category.

A native of Berkeley, California, Cooper absconded to Israel after high school
and spent the next eleven years studying and working there. He lived
in Jerusalem during the last year the city was divided between Israel
and Jordan, studied at Hebrew University, and graduated from Tel Aviv
University Medical School. He returned to the US to specialize in
pediatric cardiology, and after 40 years of practice, he continues to
return to the Middle East for biannual volunteer missions serving
Palestinian children who lack access to care. Otherwise, he lives in
Northern California with his wife and a spoiled-rotten cat. Three
adult children occasionally drop by.

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