Shieldwall

Shieldwall
Author: Justin Hill
Publisher: Abacus
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2011-05-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0748120009

A Sunday Times Book of the Year 'Justin Hill's Shieldwall . . . superbly evoked the wordplay of the period's poetry as it unfolds a compelling story of Earl Godwin's battles against the Norse' The year is 1016 and England burns while the Viking armies blockade the great city of London. King Ethelred lies dying and the England he knew dies with him; the warring kingdoms of Mercia, Wessex and Northymbria tremble on the brink of great change. One man lives to bear witness to the upheaval: Godwin, barely out of boyhood and destined to become one of his country's great warriors. When Ethelred's son Edmund takes the throne, determined to succeed where his father failed, he plucks Godwin from domestic peace to be right-hand man in his loyal shield wall. Godwin must traverse the meadows, wintry forests and fogbound marshes of Saxon England, raising armies of monks, ploughmen and shepherds against the Viking invader. With epic courage and ferocity, Godwin and Edmund repel the butchering Danes in three great battles. But an old enemy, the treacherous Earl Eadric, dogs Godwin's footsteps, and as the final battle approaches, around the valiant English the trap begins to close.

Lion Rampant: Second Edition

Lion Rampant: Second Edition
Author: Daniel Mersey
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2022-08-18
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 1472852591

An expanded edition of the Origins Award-nominated Lion Rampant, featuring new rules, scenarios, and sample armies. Take to the battlefield as Richard the Lionheart, Joan of Arc or William Wallace – or forge your own legend – with Lion Rampant: Second Edition. From the Dark Ages to the Hundred Years' War, raids, skirmishes, and clashes between small retinues were a crucial part of warfare, and these dramatic small-scale battles are at the heart of this easy-to-learn but tactically rewarding wargame. Lion Rampant: Second Edition is a new, updated version of the hit Osprey Wargames series title, and retains the core gameplay while also incorporating a wealth of new rules and updates from several years' worth of player feedback and development. Whether they are looking to recreate historical encounters or tell their own stories, the varied scenarios, unit types, and sample retinue lists found in this volume provide everything players need to face each other in quick, exciting, and, above all, fun tabletop battles.

Beloved Pilgrim

Beloved Pilgrim
Author: Nan Hawthorne
Publisher: Shieldwall Books
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2011-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780983398509

Unwilling to settle for the passive life of a noblewoman, Elisabeth dons her late twin brother's armor and sets out for the Holy Land. On the journey she learns many things, not the least of which is that she can pass for a young man because, as she says, "People see what they expect to see." Her lessons also include that honor is not always where you expect to find it, and that true love can come in the form... of another woman.

The Shadow of the Gods

The Shadow of the Gods
Author: John Gwynne
Publisher: Orbit
Total Pages: 515
Release: 2021-05-04
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316539872

"A masterfully crafted, brutally compelling Norse-inspired epic." —Anthony Ryan THE GREATEST SAGAS ARE WRITTEN IN BLOOD. A century has passed since the gods fought and drove themselves to extinction. Now only their bones remain, promising great power to those brave enough to seek them out. As whispers of war echo across the land of Vigrid, fate follows in the footsteps of three warriors: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman pursuing battle fame, and a thrall seeking vengeance among the mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn. All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods. Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic, and vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.

The Crusader Armies

The Crusader Armies
Author: Steve Tibble
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 365
Release: 2018-08-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 0300241143

A major history of the Crusades that illuminates the strength and sophistication of the Western and Muslim armies. During the Crusades, the Western and Muslim armies developed various highly sophisticated strategies of both attack and defense, which evolved during the course of the battles. In this ambitious new work, Steve Tibble draws on a wide range of Muslim texts and archaeological evidence as well as more commonly cited Western sources to analyze the respective armies’ strategy, adaptation, evolution, and cultural diversity and show just how sophisticated the Crusader armies were even by today’s standards. In the first comprehensive account of the subject in sixty years, Tibble takes a fresh approach to Templars, Hospitallers, and other key Orders and makes the controversial proposition that the Crusades were driven as much by sedentary versus nomadic tribal concerns as by religious conflict. This fluently written, broad-ranging narrative provides a crucial missing piece in the study of the West’s attempts to colonize the Middle East during the Middle Ages. “Now Tibble takes a new approach, one that adds to prior research and may well influence subsequent research. This book is a must read for medievalists.” —R. J. Powell, Choice “A book that welcomes everyone, regardless of the reader’s background in the subject. . . . Crusade historians like to complain that the general public knows nothing about their scholarship. It is books like this that will change that.” —Thomas F. Madden, Reading Religion “The Crusader Armies offers more than the obligatory corrections to the historical ignorance of our age. It is a full-scale reassessment of the warfare, armies, and enemies of the Western Crusades in the Middle East . . . readable, expertly sourced, and well organized.” —Timothy D. Lusch, Chronicles “The Crusader Armies: 1099–1187 is a worthy and sound contribution to the literature on its subject. . . . Steve Tibble paints a compelling picture of continual systemic warfare.” —Laurence W. Marvin, Michigan War Studies Review Selected for Choice's 2019 Outstanding Academic Titles List

The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare

The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare
Author: Nicholas Hooper
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 204
Release: 1996-01-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521440493

This book offers a highly readable account of warfare in Europe and the Mediterranean from the Battle of Poitiers to the Wars of the Roses. With an emphasis on superb full-colour cartography and illustration, The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: The Middle Ages, 768 1487 focuses on military strategy, debunking some of the prevailing myths of medieval warfare. Often characterized as an era dominated by lone knights and long sieges, the Middle Ages in fact had a military culture as sophisticated and complex as our own, with organized armies and a high degree of tactical intelligence. This complexity is detailed in maps, plans, and an informative text. Development of naval warfare, cavalry, and siege tactics are all covered, as is the nature of contemporary logistics and contemporary understanding of the science of warfare.

Viking Fire

Viking Fire
Author: Justin Hill
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Total Pages: 407
Release: 2016-09-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0748120017

A Times Book of the Year 'A literary, intelligent read from a masterful storyteller' In 1035, a young fifteen year old Viking is dragged wounded from the battle. Left for dead, for the next twenty years his adventures lead him over mountains, down the length of Russia and ultimately to Constantinople and the Holy City of Jerusalem. Drawn into political intrigue he will be the lover of Empresses, the murderer of an emperor; he will hold the balance of power in the Byzantine Empire in his hands, and then give it all up for a Russian princess and the chance to return home and lead his own people, where he must fight the demons of his past, his family and his countrymen in a long and bitter war for revenge and power. Told in his own voice, this is the astonishing true story of the most famous warrior in all Christendom: Harald Hardrada, the last Viking.

The Serpent Sword

The Serpent Sword
Author: Matthew Harffy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2016-06-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1784978825

THE NEW BERNICIA CHRONICLES NOVEL FROM MATTHEW HARFFY, SHADOWS OF THE SLAIN, AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW! The first thrilling instalment in the Bernicia Chronicles. Adventure and agony, bloodshed and burning hatreds collide in the story of mighty young Anglo-Saxon warrior Beobrand of Ubbanford. 'HISTORICAL FICTION DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS' ANGUS DONALD AD 633. Beobrand is a young man with a shadowy past. As an outsider in the kingdom of Bernicia, he is compelled to join his brother as a warrior in the household of King Edwin. He must learn to fight with sword and shield to defend the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. It is a period of great upheaval, and the land is rife with danger as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. All Beobrand finds is despair, death and war. Amongst the blood and the betrayals, he learns of his brother's near-certain murder. Inexperienced but ruthless, Beobrand must form his own allegiances as a warrior. Driven by his desire for vengeance and a relentless pursuit of his enemies, he must face challenges which will transform him from a boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall. Can Beobrand mete out the retribution he craves, and avenge his brother, without sacrificing his honour... and even his soul? Reviews for Matthew Harffy 'Nothing less than superb' Historical Novel Society 'Beobrand is the warrior to follow' David Gilman 'A tale that rings like sword song in the reader's mind' Giles Kristian 'A brilliant characterization of a difficult hero in a dangerous time.' Christian Cameron 'A terrific novel. It illuminates the Dark Ages like a bolt of lightning' Toby Clements 'Battles, treachery, revenge and a healthy dose of Dark Age adventure' Simon Turney 'Matthew Harffy tells a great story' Joanna Hickson 'Harffy's writing just gets better and better... the rightful heir to Gemmell's crown' Jemahl Evans 'A genuinely superb novel' Steven A. McKay 'A breathtaking novel that sweeps the reader into a dark and dangerous world' Paul Fraser Collard