The year is 1803. Swashbuckling, ribald, and irreverent hero Ethan Gage has outsmarted wily enemies and survived dangerous challenges across the globe, from the wilds of the American frontier to the pyramids of Egypt. Now the rakish hero finds himself in the Caribbean with his wife, Astiza, on a desperate hunt to secure the lost treasure of Montezuma--a legendary hoard rumored to have been hidden from Cortes's plundering Spanish conquistadors. Hot on his heels are British agents who want the gold to finance a black slave revolt in Saint-Domingue, robbing hostile France of its richest colony. The French, too, seek the treasure for the secrets it contains, the key to an incredible new means of invasion that can ensure Britain's defeat--on its own land.

Caught between the French and the rebel slave forces, Ethan and Astiza are in a race for gold and glory that will thrust them into the center of a bloody struggle for freedom as they try to rescue their son. And this time, Gage's luck may be running out.

Brilliantly combining science, history, mythology, and wit, William Dietrich has woven a larger-than-life tale that sees Ethan embroiled in the Napoleonic era's ideals, opportunism, and inventions, which gave rise to the modern world. Filled with intrigue, voodoo, a hurricane, violent political unrest, and unexpected passion, The Emerald Storm is Dietrich's most captivating work to date.

A matchless warrior A true friend lost A love like none before The son of a Celtic King and a Romano-British aristocrat, Uther Pendragon learns early to respect honour, nobility and integrity, but he also learns to love to fight, and to kill when necessary. His closest boyhood friend is his cousin Merlyn Britannicus, and together they will set Britain on a new path. But Camelot attracts the envy and dislike of others, among them Gulrhys Lot, King of Cornwall, and Lot's hunger for power and conquest will come to define Uther's life as his friendship with his cousin Merlyn disintegrates. While war ravages the land, Uther seems invincible, but he is powerless against the love that will undo him; a love that will seal his place in legend as he becomes father to Arthur, High King of Britain. Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

Bridging the gap between 'Game of Thrones' and Bernard Cornwell comes the second chapter in James Wilde's epic adventure of betrayal, battle and bloodshed . . . It is AD 367, and Roman Britain has fallen to the vast barbarian horde which has invaded from the north. Towns burn, the land is ravaged and the few survivors flee. The army of Rome - once the most effective fighting force in the world - has been broken, its spirit lost and its remaining troops shattered. Yet for all the darkness, there is hope. And it rests with one man. His name is Lucanus who they call the Wolf. He is a warrior, and he wears the ancient crown of the great war leader, Pendragon, and he wields a sword bestowed upon him by the druids. With a small band of trusted followers, Lucanus ventures south to Londinium where he hopes to bring together an army and make a defiant stand against the invader. But within the walls of that great city there are others waiting on his arrival - hidden enemies who want more than anything to possess the great secret that has been entrusted to his care. To seize it would give them power beyond imagining. To protect it will require bravery and sacrifice beyond measure. And to lose it would mean the end of everything worth fighting for. Before Camelot. Before Excalibur. Before all you know of King Arthur. Here is the beginning of that legend . . .

A tragic accident . . . or was it? Emperor Domitian has been awarded (or rather, has demanded) yet another Triumph to celebrate two so-called victories. Preparations are going smoothly until one of the men overseeing arrangements for the celebration accidentally falls to his death from a cliff on the symbolic Capitoline Hill. But Flavia Albia suspects there's more to the incident than meets the eye, as there are plenty of people who would have been delighted to be rid of the overseer. He was an abusive swine who couldn't organise a booze-up in a winery and was caught up in a number of scams, including one surrounding the supply of imperial purple dye and a family of shellfish-boilers. As Flavia finds herself drawn into a theatrical world of carnival floats, musicians, incense and sacrificial beasts, can she see to the heart of the matter and catch those responsible for the unpopular man's untimely death? ************* Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series 'Lindsey Davis has seen off all her competitors to become the unassailable market leader in the 'crime in Ancient Rome' genre . . . Davis's squalid, vibrant Rome is as pleasurable as ever' - Guardian 'Davis's prose is a lively joy, and Flavia's Rome is sinister and gloriously real' - The Times on Sunday 'For fans of crime fiction set in the ancient world, this one is not to be missed' - Booklist 'Davis's books crackle with wit and knowledge . . . She has the happy knack of making the reader feel entirely immersed in Rome' - The Times

Hunter's Rage, the third in The Civil War Chronicles, Michael Arnold's acclaimed series of historical thrillers, sees battle-scarred hero Captain Stryker, 'the Sharpe of the Civil War', take on his oldest foe. 'Stands in comparison with the best of Cornwell' Yorkshire Post Posted to the hostile territory of Dartmoor, Captain Innocent Stryker and his men are attacked by an elite cavalry unit commanded by the formidable Colonel Gabriel Wild and suffer heavy losses. Stryker has already clashed once with Wild, and the Roundhead has sworn to seek his revenge. After the attack, Stryker is faced with the annihilation of his company as he is hounded across the moor, eventually seeking shelter on an isolated tor populared by an enigmatic former priest who harbours no love for the King's cause. Colonel Wild is assisted in his revenge by Osmyn Hogg, Parliamentarian Witchfinder, who shares his own deadly history with Stryker. To save his honour and his life, Stryker must lead his men to glory from the protection of the lonely granite-topped hill. Into this atmosphere of intrigue and danger comes the beautiful but mysterious Cecily Cade. Stryker comes to her aid, unaware that she carries with her special knowledge that may prove the key to Royalist victory. The battle between Stryker and his old foes takes him from the bleak isolation of Dartmoor, through the war-ravaged lands of southern England and finally to Stratton, where the bloody battle between Cornwall and Devon will decide the fate of the south-west.

The gripping and action-packed new Roman army adventure in the Eagles of the Empire series by Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Scarrow. The perfect read for readers of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell. Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro, hardened veterans of the Roman army, have faced the Empire's enemies from Britannia to Parthia, from Hispania to Judea. Now once again they are on a mission that will imperil their lives and those of all who serve with them. Loyal to the last to their comrades in battle, fearless in the face of the most brutal or barbaric opponents, they are the finest men the Emperor can call on in the service of Rome. IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME! Praise for Simon's novels: 'Scarrow's [novels] rank with the best' Independent 'Blood, gore, political intrigue' Daily Sport 'Always a joy' The Times

This is the first novel by award-winning Washington Post journalist John Burgess. A Woman of Angkor is historically accurate and a very imaginative telling of the history of World Heritage site Angkor. "Pure and beautiful, she glows like the moon behind clouds." The time is the 12th Century, the place Cambodia, birthplace of the lost Angkor civilisation. In a village behind a towering stone temple lives a young woman named Sray, whom neighbors liken to the heroine of a Hindu epic. Hiding a dangerous secret, she is content with quiet obscurity, but one rainy season afternoon is called to a life of prominence in the royal court. There her faith and loyalties are tested by attentions from the great king Suryavarman II. Struggling to keep her devotion is her husband Nol, palace confidante and master of the silk parasols that were symbols of the monarch's rank. This lovingly crafted first novel by former Washington Post correspondent John Burgess revives the rites and rhythms of the ancient culture that built the temples of Angkor, then abandoned them to the jungle. In telling her tale, Sray takes the reader to a hilltop monastery, a concubine pavilion and across the seas to the throne room of imperial China. She witnesses the construction of the largest of the temples, Angkor Wat, and offers an explanation for its greatest mystery - why it broke with centuries of tradition to face west instead of east.

________________ Conn Iggulden has called it 'a masterpiece' while The Times has hailed it 'a gorgeous, rich retelling of the Arthurian tale' . . . ________________ Rome is burning. In Britain, Uther Pendragon is dying. Enemies stalk his land. Into this uncertain world a boy is cast - an outsider, plagued by memories of those he's lost. Under the watchful eye of Merlin, the boy begins his journey to manhood. He meets another outcast, Guinevere - wild, proud and beautiful. And he is dazzled by Arthur - a warrior who carries the hopes of the people like a flaming torch in the dark. But these are treacherous times, and the fate of Britain rests on a sword's edge. This young man becomes a lord of war: loved, hated, admired and feared. He is a man forsaken but not forgotten. He is Lancelot. ________________ Set in a 5th century Britain besieged by invading bands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, Giles Kristian's epic new novel tells - in Lancelot's own words - the story of the most revered yet reviled of all Arthur's knights, the warrior who fought at his lord's side - yet stole his wife. This is the story of one of the great figures of British myth and legend - a story ready to be re-imagined for our times.

A profoundly unsettling story of a plantation slave's desperate escape into a rainforest beyond human control, with his master and a ferocious dog on his heels. This flight to freedom takes them on a journey that will transform them all, as the overwhelming physical presence of the forest and its dense primeval wilderness reshapes reality and time itself. In the darkness, the old man grapples with the spirits of all those who have gone before him; the knowledge that the past is always with us, and the injustice that can cry out from beyond the grave. From a Prix Goncourt writer hailed by Milan Kundera as the 'heir of Joyce and Kafka', The Old Slave and the Mastiff fearlessly portrays the demonic cruelties of the slave trade and its human costs -- a wise, loving tribute to the Creole culture of Martinique, and a vividly told journey into the heart of Caribbean history and human endurance.

Written by the pen of a swordsman who has immersed himself in the warrior traditions of old Japan for over 50 years and author of several books relating to the Samurai culture and traditions, here are 14 tales set across a period of a thousand years, ending during the final upheavals of the mid-sixteenth century prior to the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shoguns. Drawing inspiration from his own extensive researches, previous writings and popular folklore of late nineteenth-century scholars, these delightfully told tales, supported by the author's own illustrations, make compulsive reading and offer a fascinating window on times now long past.

Written by the author of "Tales of the Samurai," here the focus is on the stories told by a former warrior turned traveling monk known as Enshin (accompanied by his ox named Kuroi-san, or 'Mr. Black'). Enshin's accounts cover the period from the Kamakura era in the 13th century to the strife-torn 'Age of War' in the 16th. It is a time when the warriors' martial arts in Bujutsu 'the arts of the battlefield' reached their peak. Although not historically factual, these stories, delightfully illustrated by the author, parallel the 'martial ways' of those days, which the reader will find completely absorbing.

The Lost Temple of Sheba is not just a biblical legend. A German archaeologist has found it. The Nazis have claimed it. And one American explorer has stumbled upon their secret - a plot that could change the course of World War II. The year is 1939. An American archaeologist named Gavin Kane is asked to help a woman search for her missing husband. When Kane follows the man's trail into the ruthless desert of Southern Arabia he makes two shocking discoveries. One is the legendary Temple of Sheba, an ancient world as fantastic as King Solomon's Mines. The other is a band of Nazi soldiers who plan to turn the sacred landmark into Hitler's secret stronghold... This electrifying thriller is Jack Higgins' most exciting novel of World War II intrigue since The Eagle has Landed.

The French Revolution is in full swing and the aristocracy are being sent to the guillotine in their hundreds. In the shadows, English dandy Sir Peter Blakeney – working under his alter ego, the Scarlet Pimpernel – is breaking the condemned out of prison and leaving his distinctive calling card, a picture of a red flower, to torment the French authorities. A master of disguise, infamous escape artist and flamboyant swordsman, his identity is such a closely guarded secret that even his wife is in the dark. But, with enemy agents on close his tail, his failure to trust her might be his undoing.

The very first hero with a secret identity, the Scarlet Pimpernel is a worthy precursor to Zorro and Batman. His daring antics (and undeniable flair) are just as delightful today as they were a century ago.

Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector’s Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector’s Library are books to love and treasure.

Book 3 of the classic trilogy of humorous rural adventures through pre-war England Mr Finchley takes a fancy to a horse-drawn caravan that he sees for sale, but his new wife does not relish the prospect of a caravan journey so she goes to visit her brother, while he sets out to explore the countryside and go house-hunting. While learning to handle the horse and the caravan, he encounters a variety of eccentrics and country characters, and several unsuitable houses. It gradually emerges that the caravan contains a secret, and Mr Finchley finds himself in real trouble - until his wife comes to the rescue. This gentle comedy trilogy was a runaway bestseller on first publication in the 1930s and retains a timeless appeal today. It has been dramatized twice for BBC Radio, with the 1990 series regularly repeated. What people are saying about the Mr Finchley series: 'Wonderful character from a kinder slower England between the wars.' 'An overlooked gem. An innocent picaresque novel set in an arcadian version of mid 20th century England. The literary equivalent of naive painting, it narrates the adventures of a respectable upper middle-aged man who takes retirement.' 'An antidote to the rush of the early 21st century.' 'A thoroughly enjoyable stroll through a vanished England with some lovable characters. Don't expect modern, fashionable agonisings, here there is good, evil, and understanding. A lovely reminiscent wallow of a read.' 'Gentle well told simple story, full of pleasant surprises, and a mild mannered believable hero. Loved it to bits.' 'So gentle, it hurts.' 'There is a freshness about the writing which is charming and that disarms criticism. Don't expect any great profundities, a gripping plot or inter-character tensions - these books are of the world of Billy Bunter and William Brown - but do expect a very well-written and enjoyable romp through early twentieth-century England in the company of an engaging protagonist.' 'A delightful story of a man who finds himself jolted out of his comfort zone and taken on a journey beyond his wildest imaginings.' 'Another lovely book detailing the adventures of Mr Finchley in altogether far too short a series. Full of humour and a book I was sorry to finish as I wanted it to go on and on.' 'Highly recommended for anyone seeking an entertaining amusing read.' 'A delight to be transported to an England I never knew despite growing up in the 1950s and to experience the countryside through the sharp eyes of the author who obviously had a great love of all things rural.' Editorial reviews: 'Quite delightful, with an atmosphere of quiet contentment and humour that cannot fail to charm ... The longer we travel with Mr Finchley, the better we come to love him. He makes us share his bread and cheese, and beer and pipe. His delight at the beauties of the countryside and his mild astonishment at the strange ways of men are infectious.' Daily Telegraph 'His gift of story-telling is obviously innate. Rarely does one come on so satisfying an amalgam of plot, characterisation and good writing.' Punch 'A paean to the beauties of the English countryside and the lovable oddities of the English character... [Mr Finchley] runs into one astonishing situation after another, sticking gamely to his resolve that he must take things as they come and accept them.' New York Times 'What counts for most in the story, as it did for Mr Finchley, is his mounting pleasure in vagabondage and the English scene.' The Times 'There is such a gentle humour in the book ... Mr Finchley is the ideal Englishman.' Daily Sketch

The odds are against Commander Smith in this epic story of battle on the high seas.Autumn, 1917: Britain is just about surviving against incessant U-boat attacks, but there are mutinies in France, a revolution in Russia and stalemate on the Western Front. The Allies must get the upper hand and, in London, plans are hatched to renew the pressure in the Middle East. Commander David Cochrane Smith finds himself on a formidable assignment in the Mediterranean. He is wily, experienced and tough but his mission is dangerous and his force is small. With this ramshackle squadron he must elude the U-boats and sink a heavily armed enemy cruiser whose captain is as able and daring as Smith himself. The action is fierce on land and on sea - and the odds are uneven. But this is an assignment designed to test Smith to the utmost and he is determined to succeed... Dauntlessis an unputdownable First World War Thriller perfect for fans of David Black, Patrick O'Brian and Alexander Fullerton. Praise for Dauntless'I think a 21 gun salute is required... Alan Evans has produced a cracking thriller' Daily Mirror 'Evans provides a different sea story, sustained suspense and vivid battle scenes' Publishers Weekly

Save lives... Or take them? A gripping novel of the Roman frontier.Army Medic Postumus Justinius Corvus is a long way from his native Britannia, in the Syrian provinces at the far corner of Empire. But now he is going home, unexpectedly promoted to Senior Surgeon in the Sixth. The new Emperor faces problems in the far flung island at the edge of Empire. Trouble is brewing north of the Wall. The tribes are stirring, a new conflict is brewing, old and new loyalties will be tested. Postumus will find himself at the heart of the maelstrom - and with his hands soaked in blood... Deeply researched an utterly enthralling, this is a searing historical epic perfect for fans of Ben Kane, Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.

The second adventure with vain, amoral, and sexually voracious seventh-century scholar Aelric 610AD. The bloodthirsty Emperor Phocas is preparing for the greatest battle of his life. Enemy armies are racing closer to attack his fortress, the golden city of Constantinople, and traitors within plot his downfall. Clinging to power by masterminding a campaign of terror, he is running out of funds, allies, and time--but he has one card left to play. Aelric, a naive and ambitious young clerk from Britain, is sent to Constantinople ostensibly on a mission to copy old texts for the Church of Rome. On his arrival he discovers the terrible dangers lurking behind the shining streets and glittering facades. A pawn in a secret conspiracy that will change the course of history, he can only rely on his wits, charm, and fighting skills to stay alive.

"You Anglo-Saxon people, who have never called any man or nation 'Master, ' who since the days of the Norman Kings have never had other manners and customs forced upon you-how can you understand?"-Edward Ahenakew, Voices of the Plains CreeIn the spring of 1884, a young man packs his bags and heads for a new adventure with hopes to get involved in an Indian war. Instead, he lucks into a challenging job in the fur trade and meets many of the great native chiefs, such as Poundmaker and Big Bear. But his exciting new life has its downside and, in a succession of events, he witnesses the murder of his friends and is captured by native warriors. The Frog Lake Massacre is the first book in a trilogy about a young man who is trying to forge an independent life for himself in a huge and newly established country. He discovers that escaping one's heritage is not easy and that loyalty often goes unrewarded

IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME! THE EAGLE'S PROPHECY is the powerful sixth novel in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Eagles of the Empire seires. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell. Praise for Simon Scarrow's gripping novels: 'Ferocious and compelling' Daily Express The Adriatic Sea, AD 45. Cato and Macro, centurions of the Roman army, are horrified to learn that they face possible execution after the death of their commanding officer. Fortunately, the Emperor's secretary is willing to offer them an alternative: to join the marines and hunt down a band of brutal pirates who are decimating not only Rome's reputation, but also a critical supply chain. As they discover the true horror of battle at sea, Macro and Cato must also remember their real mission: to recover from those pirates a set of scrolls that hold secrets vital to the future of the Roman Empire. Rome will do anything to get them back...

AD 634. ANGLO SAXON BRITAIN.

Confusion and conflict continue as warlords battle across Britain to become the first King of the English.

After a stunning victory against the native Waelisc, Beobrand returns to a hero's welcome. His valour is rewarded by wealth and land by Oswald, King of Northumbria.

Exhausted, he retires to his new estate with his bride only to find himself surrounded once again by enemies old and new. With treachery and death on all sides, Beobrand fears he will lose all he holds dear.

On a quest for revenge and redemption, he accepts the mantle of lord, leading his men into the darkest of nights and the bloodiest of battles.

The Cross and the Curse is the second gripping, action-packed instalment in The Bernicia Chronicles.

'Murder, betrayal and vengeance fuel tribal warfare and personal combat. Beobrand is the warrior to follow' DAVID GILMAN.