Ben-Hur

One of the most popular American novels of all time, Ben-Hur vividly reimagines the oppressive Roman occupation of ancient Palestine and the rise of Christianity. The saga of Judah Ben-Hur's spiritual journey from slavery to vengeance to redemption is both a vivid historical adventure and a powerful story of one man's religious awakening. Born the son of a Jewish nobleman, Ben-Hur is condemned to a life of slavery when his former friend wrongly accuses him of attempting to kill a Roman official. While his mother and sister are imprisoned in a leper colony, Ben-Hur heroically escapes to challenge Massala's domination in a chariot race. Before the cheering multitudes at the Roman Circus in Antioch, he achieves his revenge and glory. But it is later, at the foot of a cross on a hill in Jerusalem, that he fulfills his true destiny. "This is a performance of sustained excellence -- sustained across a range of characters and emotions, across time and geography....[James's] reading is at once evocative, moving, and entertaining." -- AudioFile Lewis "Lew" Wallace (1827-1905) was a lawyer, governor, Union general in the American Civil War, American statesman, and author, best remembered for his historical novel, Ben-Hur. Lloyd James hails from the Midwest. He received a B.A. in theater from a small liberal-arts college in New Mexico. He acts in the theater when his schedule permits and spends much of his free time working in his garden. He lives in Virginia with his wife and son.