James Aitcheson

As a fearless knight seeks to avenge his lord, he stumbles upon a plot that could alter history Less than three years after the Battle of Hastings, English rebels ambush 2,000 Normans, slaying their lord and leaving Tancred, a zealous knight, near death. Seeking vengeance, Tancred gets caught up in secret dealings between a powerful Norman magnate and a shadow from the past. As the Norman and English armies prepare to clash, Tancred uncovers a plot which harks back to Hastings itself. If successful, it threatens to destroy the entire conquest. This stunning debut sweeps readers into an exciting, ruthless world where the fate of England hangs in the balance.

A Novel

Sworn Sword

Five strangers. Five secrets. No refuge. No turning back. In the aftermath of 1066, a Norman army marches through the North of England: burning, killing and laying waste to everything in its path. The Harrowing has begun. As towns and villages fall to the invaders, five travellers fleeing the slaughter are forced to band together for survival. Refugees in their own country, they journey through the wasteland, hoping to find sanctuary with the last stand of the Saxon rebellion. But are they fleeing the Normans or their own troubles? Priest, Lady, Servant, Warrior, Minstrel: each has their own story; each their own sin. As enemies past and present close in, their prior deeds catch up with them and they discover there is no sanctuary from fate.

The Harrowing

Další příběh normanského rytíře Tancreda Příběh začíná na nepokojné hranici Anglie a Walesu, kde Tancred, známý hrdinskými válečnými činy, dostane půdu od svého nového pána Roberta Maleta na oplátku za své služby v bitvě o Eoferwic. Teď je tedy i on vlastním pánem, má malou družinu rytířů a sídlo, které může nazývat domovem. Jenže situace v celém království, a obzvlášť na hranici, je víc než neklidná a Tancred by mohl o své těžce vydobyté výsady brzy přijít. Normanské království se ocitá na všech stranách v obklíčení – staří i noví nepřátelé se spojí a chystají se zaútočit. Křehká vláda krále Guillauma v Anglii se tím dostává až na pokraj pádu. Tancred je vybrán, aby vedl výpravu do vnitrozemí Walesu. Ujímá se tak nejtěžšího úkolu, který ho buď proslaví, nebo přivede do záhuby. V celém svém životě ještě nikdy nečelil beznadějnější situaci... Napínavý román se čte jedním dechem. Autor využívá svých historických zkušeností a nechá hlavní postavy jednat tak, jak by se skutečně mohly chovat v 11. století.

Rozervané království

January 1069. Less than three years have passed since Hastings and the death of the usurper, Harold Godwineson. In the depths of winter, two thousand Normans march to subdue the troublesome province of Northumbria. Tancred a Dinant, an ambitious and oath-sworn knight and a proud leader of men, is among them, hungry for battle, for silver and for land. But at Durham the Normans are ambushed in the streets by English rebels. In the battle that ensues, their army is slaughtered almost to a man. Badly wounded, Tancred barely escapes with his life. His lord is among those slain. Soon the enemy are on the march, led by the dispossessed prince Eadgar, the last of the ancient Saxon line, who is determined to seize the realm he believes is his. Yet even as Tancred seeks vengeance for his lord's murder, he finds himself caught up in secret dealings between a powerful Norman magnate and a shadow from the past. As the Norman and English armies prepare to clash, Tancred begins to uncover a plot which harks back to the day of Hastings itself. A plot which, if allowed to succeed, threatens to undermine the entire Conquest. The fate of the Kingdom hangs in the balance ...

historický román ze středověké Angliez anglického originálu přeložila Petra Pachlová Ve znamení meče je první díl historické trilogie z doby těsně po normanském vítězství na britských ostrovech. Hlavní hrdina Tancred bojuje na straně Normanů, kteří nemají ani tři roky po rozhodující bitvě u Hastings (1066) své panství v Anglii jisté a musí čelit povstáním neustále doutnajícím mezi původními anglosaskými obyvateli. Tancred je středověký rytíř, který se nejlépe cítí ve válečné vřavě, ve světě fyzické síly a jednoznačných povelů. Ve službách normanského šlechtice pomáhá udržovat mír na samé hranici normanského vlivu v severní Anglii. V situaci, kdy Normané ztrácí město Durham a schyluje se k rozhodující bitvě o York, je Tancred pověřen poněkud záhadným úkolem doručit zprávu do kláštera na jihu Anglie. Ze zdánlivě náhodné odbočky mezi bitvami se stává hlavní zápletka, když Tancred zjistí, že zpráva je určena vdově po posledním anglosaskémkráli Haroldovi...Román, který je poněkud netypicky vyprávěn z pohledu vítězných Normanů, nabízí vše, co čtenáři od románu ze středověké Anglie očekávají: napětí mezi francouzskou raně středověkou kulturou s jejími ideály lenní oddanosti a vojenské cti a tajemným světem anglosasko-keltské civilizace, dále líčení bitev, pletichy a intriky mocných a samozřejmě milostnou zápletku.

Ve znamení meče

England, 1070. Renowned for his exploits, the knight Tancred has become a lord in his own right, with men to command and a manor to call home on the turbulent Welsh Marches. But his hard-fought gains are soon placed in peril, as the Normans' newly won kingdom falls under siege on all sides. A coalition of enemies both old and new prepares to march, and King William's fragile hold on England is brought to breaking point. Amidst the turmoil, and with rivals seeking to undermine him, Tancred is chosen to lead an expedition deep into Wales. His sternest challenge yet, it will be either his chance for glory, or his undoing.

The Splintered Kingdom

This is the third novel in the compelling Conquest series (1066: The Bloody Aftermath) from the author of Sworn Sword. It is perfect for fans of Ben Kane. Autumn, 1071. The struggle for England has been long and brutal. Five years after the fateful Battle of Hastings, only a determined band of rebels in the Fens stand between King William and absolute conquest. Tancred, a proud and ambitious knight, is among the Normans marching to crush them. Once lauded for his exploits, his fame is now dwindling. He yearns for the chance to win back his reputation through spilling enemy blood. But as the Normans' attempts to assault the rebels' island stronghold meet with failure, the King grows increasingly desperate. With morale in camp failing, and the prospect of victory seeming ever more distant, Tancred's loyalty is put to the test as never before.

1066 - The Bloody Aftermath

Knights of the Hawk

England, 1070. Renowned for his exploits, the knight Tancred has become a lord in his own right, with men to command and a manor to call home on the turbulent Welsh Marches. But his hard-fought gains are soon placed in peril, as the Normans’ newly won kingdom falls under siege on all sides. A coalition of enemies both old and new prepares to march, and King William’s fragile hold on England is brought to breaking point. Amidst the turmoil, and with rivals seeking to undermine him, Tancred is chosen to lead an expedition deep into Wales. His sternest challenge yet, it will be either his chance for glory, or his undoing.

The third novel in the compelling Conquest series (1066: The Bloody Aftermath) from the author of Sworn Sword. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwall, Simon Scarrow and Ben Kane. AUTUMN, 1071. The struggle for England has been long and brutal. Five years after the fateful Battle of Hastings, only a desperate band of rebels in the Fens stands between King William and absolute conquest. Tancred, a proud and ambitious knight, is among the Normans marching to destroy them. Once lauded for his exploits, his fame is now dwindling. He yearns for the chance to restore his reputation through spilling enemy blood. But as the Normans’ attempts to assault the rebels’ island stronghold are thwarted, the King grows ever more frustrated. With the campaign stalling and morale in camp failing, he looks to Tancred to deliver the victory that will crush the rebellions once and for all.

James Aitcheson

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