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In twenty years, the de Hauteville brothers have risen from
penniless obscurity to become the most potent warrior family in
Christendom: depended on by the Pope, feared by Byzantium, and
respected by the Holy Roman Emperor. And now Roger, the youngest
son, has finally come to Italy, where he also proves himself to be
a great warrior and canny politician. It is he who will raise the
family to the pinnacle of influence, not as vassals beholden to a
greater power, but rulers in their own right. But the path is not
easy; brotherly love only goes so far and nothing has altered in
the bubbling stew of Italian politics. There are enemies at
Roger’s back as well as before him, battles to fight and defeats
to be reversed, treacheries both secret and transparent to
circumvent. Yet the loyalty of blood that binds this family of
warriors together is still present and it is that, above
everything, which will in the end be the catalyst that propels the
name de Hauteville to the pinnacle of power as they face the mighty
Saracen Emirs of Sicily and undertake, with papal blessing, the
first true crusade of the eleventh century.
With barbarians at the gate and enemies within, two men must fight
for the soul of the Republic and the greatest empire in the world.
Inside a cave hacked out of the rock, lit by flickering torches,
two young boys appeal to the famed Roman oracle for a glimpse into
their future. The Sybil draws a blood-red shape of an eagle with
wings outstretched: an omen of death. As the boys flee from the
cave in fear, Aulus and Lucius make an oath of loyalty until
death—an oath that will be tested in the years to come. Thirty
years on, Aulus is Rome’s most successful general and faces his
toughest battle. Barbarian rebels have captured his wife and are
demanding the withdrawal of Roman legions from their land in return
for her life. It is unthinkable for Aulus to agree, and he fears
his beloved must be forfeit to Rome. Meanwhile, Lucius has risen to
high rank in the Senate, a position he uses and abuses. But when
Lucius is suspected of arranging a murder, the very foundations of
the Republic are threatened. Lucius and Aulus soon find themselves
on very different sides of the conflict—perhaps the prophecy of
the eagle will come true after all. History and adventure,
brutality and courage combine to powerful effect, making The
Pillars of Rome an outstanding opening to the Republic series.
The final volume in the powerful Crusades trilogy The crusading
armies go from besieging the citadel of Antioch to themselves being
besieged. Although Bohemund, leader of the Apulian Normans, manages
to take a firm grip on the city, the army of crusaders is depleted,
thinned by death, disease, and defection. And for Bohemund and his
nephew Tancred there is yet another difficulty: the dissent between
the Crusade leaders has broken out into the open, with the wealthy
Raymond of Toulouse stirring up conflict. If the Christian host is
fighting on two fronts, so is Bohemund himself. With the enemy
Turks at his front and his warring peers at his back, can he gain
the mighty city of Antioch once and for all? Only one of the
greatest battles of the age will decide.
With his fiery Irish blood and well-known reputation for trouble,
Lieutenant George Markham leads his embattled Royal Marines against
the French in Corsica. His mission: to seize the island. His
problem: not just the French, but spies, traitors, and jealous
rivals—including jealous husbands. As the bastard son of a
Catholic father and a Protestant mother, Markham has a lot to
prove. But as a scarred veteran of the war in America and against
the French, Markham is battle-hardened in a way too many of his
senior officers aren't, and his hardness wins over his men—men
whom even their own officers regard as the scum of the earth. With
the help of these men, Markham ventures across the island to
persuade the veteran war hero Pasquali Paoli to unite the Corsicans
behind him. But their loyalty remains torn by a heritage of
vendettas, French bribery, and cross and double-cross. Enemies
abound, in both French blue and British red, and the only men
Markham can rely on are the grim, taciturn Sergeant Rannoch and a
man who owes Markham his life: Bellamy, the educated, black Marine.
Brimming with violent action and an energetic, pulsating plot,
Honour Redeemed is a worthy successor to A Shred of Honour in the
gripping Markham of the Marines series.
In the tradition of Patrick O’Brian’s adventure novels and C.S.
Forester’s Horatio Hornblower series, A Shred of Honour is an
epic of eighteenth-century warfare that introduces Lieutenant
George Markham of His Majesty’s Royal Marines. Irishman, papist,
reputed coward: Markham is a man with something to prove. The death
of his commander—killed by a lucky French musket ball to the
throat—provides him with a chance to lead his men to glory. But
it’s not that easy. Markham, a foot soldier by training, is no
sailor, and he is suddenly left with a band of surly, disgruntled
conscripts under his command. The salty marines aboard the frigate
Hebe deride his ignorance and undermine his authority. The soldiers
from Markham’s old regiment who have been transferred to the Hebe
blame him for the fact that they now must spend their days crammed
on a ship. Worse, as the winter of 1793 comes, Markham and his
troublemaking men must face the expansive terror of Revolutionary
France. The fighting takes Markham to the city of Toulon, where he
makes the acquaintance of a French soldier named Napoleon
Bonaparte. Acclaimed author David Donachie follows Markham through
bloody battles, lively seductions, fights with superiors, and
run-ins with French spies to offer a stirring tale of derring-do
that heats the blood and fires the imagination.
Following David Donachie's earlier Conquest trilogy, the de
Hautville warrior dynasty shows no sign of falling back into
obscurity. This is the first volume in the powerful Crusades
trilogy. Eleventh-century Italy: The domination of the Normans, the
most feared warriors in Christendom, is causing trouble. At their
head is Robert de Hauteville, the “Guiscard,” who has colonised
much of Italy and now commands the triple dukedom of the extended
Norman family. But Robert has made many enemies, including the
ever-powerful papacy in Rome. As Robert successfully suppresses a
Lombard revolt, his firstborn, Bohemund – now seventeen and
blessed with the strength, height, and military prowess of his
father – has come to fight in his army. Already recognised as a
formidable warrior, Bohemund seeks to assert his natural right as
the heir of his father's dukedom. But with Robert's second son,
Borsa, legally entitled to inherit, his quest is not without
conflict. A battle between the sons is inevitable, and blood ties
will count for nothing.
The second volume in the powerful Crusades trilogy 1096: The Pope
has called for a crusade to free Jerusalem, and half the warriors
of Europe have responded. Among them is the Norman Count Bohemund,
one-time enemy of Byzantium, whose help is required if progress is
to be possible. His first task, pushing back the infidel Turks from
the holy places of Christendom, calls for an uneasy alliance with
old enemy Emperor Alexius. But can the crusaders trust the wily
emperor? With past tensions and grudges arising, Bohemund is faced
once again with the opportunity to gain power, land, and riches for
himself – but will the risks of doing so outweigh the rewards?
The crusaders must contend with sieges, open battles, hunger, and
want on their journey to mighty Antioch, where they face the
stiffest test of their mettle. As defeat threatens, only Norman
discipline can save the day.
Edward Brazier is enlisted by Prime Minister William Pitt to assist
his investigation into smuggling activity in Deal. However, with
his love Betsy now locked into a loveless marriage with Tom
Spafford, a useless drunk, and living as a prisoner, Brazier is
distracted from his mission. Having foiled Spafford's plan to steal
Betsy away to her family-owned plantation in the West Indies,
Brazier finds himself taken captive. Only his ingenuity will help
engineer his escape and his cunning use of subterfuge will then
allow him to infiltrate the smuggling gangs of Deal in a determined
bid to unmask those in control. But with suspicion raised around
him and his enemies banding together, can Brazier survive long
enough to bring those responsible to justice?
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Hawkwood (Paperback)
David Donachie
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R590
R480
Discovery Miles 4 800
Save R110 (19%)
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days
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Fourteenth-century Italy: The Hundred Years' War is over and the
country is in upheaval as desperate cities struggle against both
each other and venal Papal rule. Unable to rely on their own
citizens to fight their battles, the cities and Popes are forced to
pay vast amounts of money to mercenary captains to fight on their
behalf. Newly-knighted Sir John Hawkwood is headed for France to
make his fortune. A valiant Englishman, shrewd and relentless on
the battlefield, Hawkwood soon finds himself fighting for and
against any state of Italy prepared to pay handsomely. If none will
pay, he and the White Company brutally seize what they desire. As
he leaves stains of his presence up and down the country, those who
curse Hawkwood at their defeat can soon be those who praise him for
their deliverance. It is a world of massacre and pillage in which
life is less than cheap and no one can be trusted. To survive, a
man has to be quick thinking, fleet of foot, and strong in his
sword arm . . . and Hawkwood is such a man.
Eleventh-century Italy: The Byzantine Empire rules much of Europe,
but in the Italian states to the south it does so in the face of
constant revolt from its unwilling subjects—a strife that extends
from the great trading ports to the rich agricultural lands of
Apulia. The Lombards, heirs to a northern tribe, are no exception
and their leader, Arduin of Fassano, feels the time may have come
to rejoin his brethren and rise up in revolt against their Eastern
rulers. And so he brings into the conflict the fearsome mercenary
brothers, the de Hautevilles, to help him in his quest to destroy
the power of Constantinople. Will the might of the Byzantine Empire
crush Arduin's revolt? Can his ambitious plan succeed, or will the
treachery that stalks the land play into the hands of the Normans?
Honour Be Damned finds the fiery British lieutenant George Markham
in the waning days of the French Revolution. The revolution is
turning in on itself—Robespierre has met the guillotine—but
still the French fight on. After completing the siege of a French
fortress in Corsica, Markham and his men are assigned to the sloop
Sylphide under the impetuous Captain Germain. Before long,
Germain's foolhardy hunt for glory throws Markham and his
“Lobsters” into desperate ship-to-ship action. Fortunately,
fighting hand to hand is what the battle-hardened Marines do best.
Like Markham, Germain has been branded a coward, but in his zeal to
restore his good name he sets Markham on another, more perilous
venture. This time, Markham must go ashore to escort a group of
French royalists on a secret mission. Dodging the French army
patrols is difficult enough, but it is particularly hazardous
because he is shackled with a French count, a devious Catholic
prelate, a young lady, and their contingent of servants. But what
is the secret prize they are hunting for? Why have they embarked on
this fool's errand? Markham must answer these questions as he
untangles the deceit and subterfuge all around him. And he must
rely on the loyalty of his men and the ever-grudging assistance of
Sergeant Rannoch to succeed in this most unusual and dangerous
mission—one complicated by the unexpected arrival of a figure
from Markham's past.
Justinian, a paranoid leader, desperately wants the lost provinces
returned to his rule but must first dispatch his brave general,
Belisaurius, to fight the Persians in the East. Justinian grows
concerned that Belisaurius will grow successful and courageous in
his feats, thus becoming a threat to his power and person. He
subsequently dispatches him on a near-impossible mission to North
Africa to take back from the Vandals what was once ancient
Carthage. Meanwhile back in Constantinople, Marcus Donatus has
found favor with Empress Theodora, wife of Justinian, in the hopes
of being able to influence Justinian himself.
1033, on the Norman–French border: It is thirty years before
William Duke of Normandy sails to England and does battle at
Hastings, but the events leading up to that epic moment are already
taking shape. The twelve sons of Tancred de Hauteville are
following in their father’s footsteps. As knights, they have but
one true purpose: to fight. But denied service with their duke,
they are forced to take employment as mercenaries. Their unequalled
battle skills are for hire to the highest bidder. Victory and
defeat, betrayal and revenge combine as the desperation to rule
becomes an intense battle, testing even the strongest of ties. But
through it all shines the loyalty of blood that binds
families—and warriors—together. This is the epic story of a
true band of brothers.
John Pearce faces a court martial, but will cowardly Toby Burns,
chief witness, stand up to questioning? With the matter unresolved,
HMS Hazard is put under the command of Horatio Nelson, with whom no
cruise can be without incident. Sure enough, battle is joined with
two Spanish frigates, though success is short-lived and flight in
the face of a superior foe becomes the only option. In London, the
government denies prize money for the cargo of silver Pearce took
off the Santa Leocadia, claiming it as property of the Crown.
Pearce’s prize agent seeks to fight this, only to be
outmanoeuvred by devious Henry Dundas. Worse, some very bad pennies
from the past have come back to haunt the life of Emily Barclay and
the thief-taker Walter Hodgson. From Elba, Pearce is sent on a
mission to collect fleeing members of the Corsican government: an
assignment which looks simple but is anything but. Seeking a
solution which will not risk his ship, he seeks the aid of a local
clan chief, inadvertently putting himself, his crew, and his
rescued charges in jeopardy. Pearce finds himself trapped in a deep
Corsican bay, facing odds of two to one, which he can only overcome
by employing devious tactics. And even successful, he will be
forced to make a decision: to follow his instincts or to obey his
orders.
1938: While Hitler sets his sights on the Sudetenland, not everyone
in Britain is willing to appease him. Convinced that the Fuhrer's
land-hunger is insatiable, the head of the SIS recruits Cal Jardine
to help him prove that Czechoslovakia is threatened with invasion.
As jealousy and mutual suspicions within secret service ranks make
it impossible for Jardine to tell friend from foe, he rediscovers
old friends of dubious loyalty and makes new enemies of untested
ruthlessness. This is the final installment in Ludlow's sweeping
series set in the pre-WWII European powder-keg.
Lucius Falerius is dead, and Rome in its entirety mourns the
passing of its most powerful senator. It falls to his young son
Marcellus to carry out his father’s legacy and restore the rights
promised to the defeated Sicilian slaves, yet there are those who
will not see the honour of Rome compromised and the slaves
assuaged. On the Roman border provinces there is also trouble, and
the legions move north to neutralize the threat posed by the Celts.
The confederation of Celtic tribes is united under one chieftain,
the formidable and unpredictable Brennos, but a plot is being
crafted to see him dead and the confederation broken. For Brennos,
the treachery comes from within his own family, for which he will
exact a brutal and bloody revenge. Meanwhile Aquila, accompanied by
his ‘nephew,’ Fabius, finds himself under the command of a
young tribune who bears the same name as the man responsible for
the death of his old friend and mentor. And still there remains the
question of the eagle charm he wears around his neck—the only
clue as to his real identity.
July 1940: A month after the evacuation of the defeated and
battered Allied forces from Dunkirk, a German invasion of England
threatens. In this thrilling historical "what-if," Prime Minister
Winston Churchill has resigned without naming a successor and
leaders of Parliament are calling for an armistice with Hitler.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of Counter-Espionage at MI5, Adam
Strachan, faces his own daunting task. During a botched burglary,
the fugitive Billy Houston commits murder and discovers his victim
was in possession of Britain's plans to thwart the German invasion.
No patriot, Houston is determined to get the information to the
right people and help bring about a Nazi-run Britain. Strachan soon
finds himself pursuing Houston through England, from London's
blacked-out streets and seedy narrow lanes to the thinly guarded
Channel coast and the Isle of Wight, in a desperate bid to stop the
missing defense plans from falling into German hands. The clock is
ticking, and Britain's immediate future is anything but secure.
1794: Stuck in Palermo harbour, headstrong Lieutenant John Pearce
and his trusty Pelicans must repair the battle-damaged HMS Larcher
with only meagre funds. Once again, he finds himself protecting
Emily Barclay, abandoned by the captain of her merchantman after he
discovers her true identity. When Pearce sets sail for Naples, he
discovers disloyalty among his crew, who are suspicious of Emily's
presence and the troubles that seem to be coming their way. Sailing
into danger, they encounter enemies armed with more speed and
greater firepower. Lacking proper masts and a bowsprit, Pearce has
no option but to run until forced to abandon and burn his ship
trapped in an Italian bay. Pearce must face a court-martial for his
actions. However, his troubles are only beginning. Admiral Hotham,
now in command, seeks to neutralise Pearce, who poses a threat to
him. Hotham contrives a deadly plan to send the unwitting Pelicans
into mortal danger against a bloodthirsty and piratical Turk called
Mehmet Pasha. Only luck and Pearce's fiery thirst for battle can
save them.
1794: The Mediterranean is proving dangerous waters for John Pearce
and his Pelicans. Having left his lover, Emily, the wife of his
mortal enemy Ralph Barclay, in the Tuscan port of Leghorn, Pearce
is detained in Naples. When he unknowingly delivers a letter
promoting the shady and incompetent Admiral Hotham, Pearce finds
himself entangled in a political plot that soon puts those closest
to him at peril. When reunited with Emily, John Pearce faces a
losing battle to maintain her reputation. Emily sees no future for
herself with Pearce and leaves while he is conveying private
letters for Horatio Nelson to the British Ambassador, Sir William
Hamilton. Learning of her departure, Pearce sets off in pursuit. At
the same time, he takes on a superior Barbary corsairs force that
has targeted the merchant ship on which Emily is traveling, the
Sandown Castle. Outgunned by a barbaric opponent, John Pearce's
chances of survival-and those of Emily and Pearce's crew-are
dubious. And even if they can win this fierce battle, another
threat looms on the horizon, as Pearce is not the only one chasing
Emily. Ralph Barclay has learned of his wife's desertion and is on
his way to recapture her.
It is the fifth century of the Byzantium Empire. Flavius
Belisaurius is son of the governor of Dorostorum City, and his
father has two goals: to keep out the barbarians and to expose the
deep roots of secular and ecclesiastical corruption. Seeking to
prevent a raid, the governor enlists the help of the powerful
magnate Senuthius Vicinus. Vicinus's corruption is widespread but
his support is crucial to win the battle. When Vicinus betrays this
trust, Belisaurius Jnr witnesses the death of his father and the
irretrievable tarnishing of his reputation. With Belisaurius's life
changed for good, he swears vengeance on the man who betrayed his
father and begins a journey from which there is no virtuous way
back.
Lieutenant John Pearce is in London seeking protection for his
friends, the Pelicans, from a reluctant Admiralty. Sitting in the
tavern where they were first press ganged, Pearce considers his
future. Lacking the evidence of perjury he once had to bring
Captain Ralph Barclay to justice, his prospects are not promising.
Ralph Barclay's young wife, Emily, is refusing to live under the
same roof as him and she has the means to get her own way: the
evidence Pearce believes was lost at sea. Pearce's companions
finally arrive in London just in time to join Pearce in fetching a
ship laden with contraband back from France-an illegal act but very
profitable. Are Pearce and his Pelicans sailing into prosperity or
danger?
John Pearce discovers that Madrid plans to desert the British-led
coalition and join the enemy. In company with Lord Langholm, he has
taken a Spanish treasure ship. But a violent Atlantic westerly
forces them into a deep bay, overlooked by Spaniards who have
created a trap with cannon on the heights aimed at the narrow
entrance. Pearce must take the lead, exposed to plunging fire,
lucky the guns do not quite have the range and, having succeeded,
he must find a way to get Langholm's frigate and the damaged Santa
Leocadia through the same bottleneck. Only quick thinking and an
act of sheer inspiration make it possible. His orders take him via
Gibraltar, then on Admiral Jervis, who hates him, to warn of
Spanish duplicity. Finally, Jervis sends him to Bastia in Corsica,
where the Viceroy, Sir Gilbert Elliot, is seeking told the island
for Britannia in the face of Napoleon's successes in Italy. In
night actions, outnumbered on land and sea, he must fight the
Francophile Corsicans, arming themselves for an insurrection. Will
he succeed, or will John Pearce, HMS Hazard, and the Pelicans pay
the ultimate price of failure?
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