Hawkwood S Sword

'One of the finest writers of historical fiction in the world' BEN KANE THE BRAND NEW MEDIEVAL ADVENTURE FROM THE MASTER OF HISTORICAL FICTION 1368. France, Spain and England prepare for war. In Italy, the Pope and the Visconti princes are battling for bloody supremacy. The worst years of Sir William Gold's life are about to begin. Leaving the side of his commander, Sir John Hawkwood, William embarks on a new journey that will bring him fame and favour - until a heart-breaking personal tragedy leads him to put down his sword. But men of war can't stay out of battle for long. Gold yearns to return to Italy and rejoin Hawkwood. Only now the game of the Italian Princes is changing and, as chaos descends, Gold must finally decide who he stands for... * * * * * * * Praise for Christian Cameron: 'The master of historical fiction' SUNDAY TIMES 'A storyteller at the height of his powers' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY 'Superb' THE TIMES 'A sword-slash above the rest' IRISH EXAMINER

'The master of historical fiction' SUNDAY TIMES Sharpen your sword and prepare for battle... 1367: Europe stands on the brink of total war. Political alliances are beginning to rupture, and no state is immune: England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, Milan Genoa, Venice, Constantinople . . . Every mercenary knight must sharpen his sword and prepare for battle. But Sir William Gold has other problems. Just to reach Europe, he must capture its most unassailable fortress. He must also protect his liege lord, the Green Count, from assassins hell-bent on his death. The balance of power in the West will change. William Gold must trust in hope, and his men, that he lands on the winning side... Praise for Christian Cameron: 'A storyteller at the height of his powers' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY 'Superb' THE TIMES 'One of THE finest writers of historical fiction in the world' BEN KANE 'A sword-slash above the rest' IRISH EXAMINER Readers love SWORD OF JUSTICE and the Chivalry series: 'I can't recommend this too highly to any fan of historical fiction' 5 STARS 'You get to experience what it must have been like to be a knight' 5 STARS 'Brilliantly authentic' 5 STARS 'One of the finest historical series I have ever encountered.... Outstanding' 5 STARS 'I have a big issue with Christian Cameron... I read his books faster than he can write them!!!' 5 STARS 'Historical saga at its best!' 5 STARS IF YOU'VE READ AND LOVED SWORD OF JUSTICE, DON'T MISS THE BRAND NEW BOOK IN THE CHIVALRY SERIES, HAWKWOOD'S SWORD.

Hawkwood's Sword vividly portrays the life of a mercenary on the battle fields in 14th century Italy and France. A tough and resilient hero Captain John Hawkwood commands like-minded fighting men gathered from England and all over Europe Alongside the German and European mercenaries lead by Albrecht Sterz, they make war for whomever pays them the most. Hawkwood is one of the best at his trade: courageous, a practiced fighter, but also chivalrous. The various lords of Lombardy and the Papal states pay him to sack cities and ambush their enemies, but who of these counts and nobles can themselves be trusted? Hawkwood must rely on his sword and finely tuned instincts to protect his life and that of his men from treachery and betrayal on all sides. Despite his hard and ruthless life profession, Hawkwood is not immune to romance and finds that here too he must compete before he can win the lady of his dreams. A romantic tale of the actual campaign waged by the White Company in the 14th century Italy. Frank Payton writes with a sharp eye for historical detail that combined with well-executed battle scenes, brings to life the mercenaries of Europe's 14th century.

Since its initial strike in 1347, plague, called “The Death” by those who rightly fear it, has been continuously decimating populations across the known world. By 1401, the Venetian fleet has lost so many men to the disease’s swift and brutal fatality that the doge has resorted to recruiting foreigners to take up the republic’s oars. Enter Michael, a sixteen-year-old boy from a small fishing village on the Isle of Rhodes. Seeking adventure and escape from a dreary existence, Michael dreams of a larger life, perhaps even a heroic one. Little does he suspect that, within the idyllic myth of Venice the republic perpetuates and he is eager to embrace, a concerted, systematic attack on innocence as gruesome as “The Death” itself will quickly obliterate his juvenile misconceptions and initiate him into a grown-up world where his physical strength, his religious faith, and his very identity are challenged. Learning how to navigate both the seas his galley travels as well as the circuitous social machinations of Venice that mirror the city’s intricate canal system, Michael comes of age. What does his growth cost him? Where do his decisions lead? Can conscience trump cowardice? What, in the end, defines a man?

"The School of Donnina Visconti" is a fictionalized account of the life and adventures of Sir John Hawkwood, condottiere, (1331?-1394) and his wife Donnina Visconti. The story is told primarily through, first, the voice of an editor (who found the MS) and secondly, through the consciousness of Donnina and her "pictures." The poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was a descendant of Donnina Visconti and John Hawkwood. "School" is an expansion of "Donnina Visconti," a short story that won first place honors in Utah Arts Festival Short Short Story Contest in 1993.

Before iron helmets and steel swords, when dragons roamed the world, was an age of bronze and stone, when the Gods walked the earth, and people lived in terror. A scribe, a warlord, a dancer, a mute insect and a child should have no chance against the might of the bickering gods and their cruel games. But the gods themselves are old, addicted to their own games of power, and now their fates may lie in the hands of mere mortals . . . By divine plan a plague of cannibals has been unleashed across the world, forming an armada which preys on all who cross their path. Meanwhile the people who allied against the gods have been divided, each taking their own path to attack the heavens - if they can survive the tide of war which has been sent against them. All they need is the right distraction, and the right opportunity, to deal a blow against the gods themselves . . . An original, visceral epic weaving together the mythologies of a dozen pantheons of gods and heroes to create something new and magical, this tale of the revolt against the tyranny which began in Against All Gods is a must read from a master of the fantasy genre.

Return to the Universe of the ARCANA IMPERII with a collection of novellas from Miles Cameron. Following the events of ARTIFACT SPACE, the galaxy continues to change and expand. Frontiers are challenged and what was once a safe space becomes contested, hostile, and unpredictable. From normal people caught up in the unstoppable machinations of politics and war, to spies faced with making the ultimate sacrifice for their nations, these stories follow the DHC as it faces a challenge to everything it holds dear - human rights, fairness and equality. When a rogue system questions their values and power, how can they stay true to their beliefs and protect their citizens? And what are these rumours about new aliens lurking beyond the edges of known space? Praise for Artifact Space: 'Thrilling, terrifying and sublime' - The Times 'A superb military science fiction adventure, in a fascinating universe' - Garth Nix 'An extraordinary piece of science fiction' - FanFi Addict 'A tense, human, sci-fi story about a woman carving out a life for herself in a world she was told she'd never belong in' - The Fantasy Inn 'Artifact Space blew my mind' - The Quaint Book Nook 'This book sparked joy' - Locus

Winner, 2008 Otto Gründler Book Prize, The Medieval Institute Winner, 2008 Otto Gründler Book Prize, The Medieval Institute Notorious for his cleverness and daring, John Hawkwood was the most feared mercenary in early Renaissance Italy. Born in England, Hawkwood began his career in France during the Hundred Years' War and crossed into Italy with the famed White Company in 1361. From that time until his death in 1394, Hawkwood fought throughout the peninsula as a captain of armies in times of war and as a commander of marauding bands during times of peace. He achieved international fame, and city-states constantly tried to outbid each other for his services, for which he received money, land, and, in the case of Florence, citizenship—a most unusual honor for an Englishman. When Hawkwood died, the Florentines buried him with great ceremony in their cathedral, an honor denied their greatest poet, Dante. William Caferro's ambitious account of Hawkwood is both a biography and a study of warfare and statecraft. Caferro has mined more than twenty archives in Britain and Italy, creating an authoritative portrait of Hawkwood as an extraordinary military leader, if not always an admirable human being.