He was born Samson ben Manoah

in the hills of Palestine. His parents

were told the boy was chosen for a

special purpose--to begin to deliver

Israel fi-om the hands of her con-

querors. He must not drink; he must

not cut his hair. If he obeyed his call-

ing, when the time came he would be

strong, awesomely strong--and his

strength would lead the Israelites to

victory against the Philistines in the

first recorded guerrilla war in his-

tory.

But with Samson s strength of body

came weakness of the flesh: as a boy

he loved a servant girl, but that

brought bitter tragedy. As a man

Samson was unconquerable in war

and in love--until he met Delilah.

David Bolt has retold a classic story

with astonishing richness and au-

thenticity. His book is the best kind of

deeply researched historical fiction,

teeming with the lushness, eroticism

and brutality of the ancient world.

Ten years in the writing, SAMSON is

a brilliant panoramic tale of love, be-

trayal and revenge.