'One of the finest historical fiction writers in the world' Ben Kane Pisa, May 1364. Sir William Gold is looking forward to a lucrative career as a hired sword in the endless warring between Italy's city states. But when a message comes from the Grand Master of the Hospitaliers, William is forced to leave his dreams of fame and fortune behind him. The Hospitaliers are gathering men for a crusade, and Sir William must join them. Yet before they set out for the holy land, the knights face deadly adversaries much closer to home . . . In the twisting politics of Italy, no one can be trusted. And there are those who would be pleased to see the crusade fail . . . Can Sir William and his knights survive this impossible mission into the heart of the enemy?
Spirited away to France after the death of her father, the Earl of Salisbury, young Ela is soon found by a wandering minstrel and taken to the court of Richard Lionheart. Aged nine, she is betrothed to the King's illegitimate half-brother, William Longsword, before being sent for education in the household of Eleanor of Aquitaine.Some years later, Ela and William form a harmonious bond, despite their arranged marriage, and have many children, but their lives are always threatened by uncertainty. King John now rules, and William is his most loyal brother--and his enforcer.When the King tries to seduce Ela while William lies in the dungeons of the fighting Bishop of Bouvines, at last he decides to change his allegiance from the brother he once loved who has now become a tyrant. He returns to the Plantagenet fold only on King John's demise and the accession of his young nephew, King Henry III.But war and strife is never far away, and on a journey from Gascony, William is shipwrecked and believed dead by most, barring Ela. Men of ambition start clamouring to wed the widowed Countess--and claim the earldom of Salisbury through marrying her...LONGSWORD'S LADY is historical fiction based on the life of the remarkable medieval woman who placed a founding stone of Salisbury Cathedral, became the Sheriff of Wiltshire, one of only two female Sheriffs, and ended up a powerful Abbess in the beautiful convent she founded at Lacock.
In the global world of the twenty-first century, martial arts are practised for self-defense and sporting purposes only. However, for thousands of years, they were a central feature of military practice in China and essential for the smooth functioning of society. This book, which opens with an intriguing account of the very first female martial artist, charts the history of combat and fighting techniques in China from the Bronze Age to the present. This broad panorama affords fascinating glimpses into the transformation of martial skills, techniques and weaponry against the background of Chinese history, the rise and fall of empires, their governments and their armies. Quotations from literature and poetry, and the stories of individual warriors, infuse the narrative, offering personal reflections on prowess in the battlefield and techniques of engagement. This is an engaging and readable introduction to the authentic history of Chinese martial arts.
Kregen, that grim and beautiful, marvelous and terrible world four hundred light-years away beneath the red and green fires of Antares is a world too rich in passion and action to allow a fighting man like Dray Prescot to rest for long. Once more, then, he is launched into fresh adventures, but this time there is a hiatus which might easily break a man of lesser fire and spirit... The Tides of Kregen: Of all the honours that Dray Prescot, Earthman, has won during his fabulous adventures on Kregen, none are valued by him more than his membership in the Order of the Krozairs of Zy. The Krozairs are the highest order of chivalry on that turbulent planet, dedicated men, warriors of stern convictions and unflinching hearts. Thus, when the Krozairs in their hour of need called on all their far-flung members for aid, he should have gone. But he could not. His return from Earth was blocked by the anger of the mysterious Star Lords. And before Dray Prescot can achieve redemption, he has two armies opposed to him, two warring kingdoms naming him outlaw, and only the tides of the seven moons as a weapon... Renegade of Kregen: Never before in his adventurous career under the double suns of Antares has Dray Prescot been in as desperate a situation as he finds himself on his second entry into the city of Magdag. Magdag was the scene of one of Prescot's earliest experiences on Kregen and he recalled it with loathing as a city of power-lusting slavers, of decadent worshippers of the Green Sun. As one who had been initiated into the chivalric order of Krozairs, he despises all that the city stood for. But now Prescot is an outcast. Any Krozair, any follower of the Red Sun of his former friends, will slay him on sight. For him there is only one way to recover his home, his children, his self-respect. He would have to perform an act of valor so extreme, so fabulous, that its glory would wash away all that now stains his name. Only by reaching to the very heart of mighty Magdag could he hope to achieve such a suicidal triumph... Krozair of Kregen: Dray Prescot has been condemned by his old enemies whose battle color is the green of the sun Grodno. For while among these slavers and conquerors of the green, searching for a way to turn the tide of war to his own redemption and his friends' advantage, he had personally encountered the deadly animosity of Grodno's king, had betrayed his champion, and had shattered all he so carefully worked for. But he must soldier on. For, now, in addition to the enormous feat that alone would restore his honor, he has a blood vengeance to achieve that overrides everything. This edition contains the short story "Wizard of Scorpio", and a glossary to the Krozair Cycle.
