1935: Cal Jardine is a soldier of fortune. Forced to leave Hamburg, where he has been helping Jews flee the Nazis, he is recruited by a secretive British committee to smuggle guns to Abyssinia, a country threatened by Italian invasion. But first Jardine must procure the weapons from Romania, a country full of treacherous locals, as well as German agents seeking his arrest. By sleight of hand, he contrives to steal the weapons he wanted to buy, before escaping the country leaving both the Romanians and Germans floundering. Taken to the Horn of Africa, the arms are then transported over a harsh landscape, an old slave trader 's route full of danger, into the hands of the Ethiopian Army. On his travels Jardine acquires more baggage than he anticipated, including a beautiful, but difficult American female in search of her archaeologist mother, a determined reporter and a daredevil French flyer, while missing out on a painful death by sheer good fortune.But the Ethiopians are ill-equipped to a face a modern Italian army using tanks, bombers, and poison gas. Trained for war, can Jardine simply walk away? Or will he be drawn into a bloody conflict against massive odds, and still save those who now depend on him?

Will the might of the Byzantine Empire crush the ambitions of the warrior brothers?Eleventh century Italy. The Byzantines rule the South, but do so in the face of constant revolt from their 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, 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?

The final book in the heart-stopping trilogy that began with Mercenaries.In twenty years the de Hauteville brothers have gone 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. Now, at the head of the tribe stands Robert, who has only one aim: to expand his power by military conquest. But his younger brother, Roger, has his own ambitions.Yet, the loyalty of blood that binds this family of warriors together is still present and it is that, above everything, which will be the catalyst that propels the name de Hauteville to the pinnacle of power, as they undertake the first true crusade of the 11th century.

Three fearless men are drawn into the endless battles of ancient Rome's Fiery War, fighting for power, for victory, for survival - and above all, for honour.Brennos, the barbarian leader of the Celtic tribes, faces bloody personal consequences when his enemies hatch a vicious assassination plot. Aquila, now fighting for Rome, carries with him his lucky talisman; a golden amulet shaped like an eagle in flight, the only clue to his true identity. And Marcellus, son of Rome's most powerful senator, must find within himself the ability to lead men into battle - and to win.

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. In company with his warrior nephew, Tancred of Lecce, Bohemund must once more cross the Adriatic to the lands of the Byzantine Empire. His first task, pushing back the Infidel Turks, calls for an uneasy alliance with old enemy Emperor Alexius. But can the Crusaders trust the wily Emperor, and is he really on their side?With old tensions and grudges arising, and the violent crusades of the People's Pilgrimage bringing destruction upon middle Europe, the strength of this reluctant truce, and the de Hauteville dynasty itself, is truly put to the test. Bohemund is faced once again with the opportunity to gain power, land and riches for himself, but do 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.Review'Historical fiction at its very best ... The story is fascinating and expertly told - narrated intelligently and with elan' Historical Novels Review About the AuthorJACK LUDLOW is the pen name of writer David Donachie, who was born in Edinburgh in 1944. He has had a variety of jobs, including selling everything from business machines to soap. He has always had an abiding interest in the naval history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which he drew upon for the many novels he has set in that period. The author of a number of bestselling books, he now lives in Deal with his wife, the novelist Sarah Grazebrook.

Review'A rip-roaring page-turner with considerable depth. A vivid, authentic flavour of those turbulent times, laced as it is with carefully worked-in historical detail that's informative without being intrusive' Historical Novels Review Product DescriptionHaving returned from Abyssinia, soldier of fortune Cal Jardine is convinced by his abhorrence of fascism to travel to Barcelona and help facilitate rival athletic games to the Berlin Olympics. But now he finds himself in Spain as the first shots of civil war ring out; and friendship, love, and political conviction converge to persuade Jardine to stay and once again embroil himself in foreign war.Discovering that the British athletes attending the games are keen to enlist for the fight, Jardine agrees to train them into a professional force. With old army comrade Vince Castellano and his beautiful interpreter Florencia Gardiola by his side, Jardine leads the athletes through the street battles of Barcelona and onto the fighting in the Catalan countryside, acquiring famous friends and effective allies along the way -- as well as dangerous enemies. Manfred Drecker is a German communist diehard, who brooks no moral qualms in his deadly determination to see Spain transformed into a socialist state under the rule of the Soviet Union. Having witnessed his trickery and torture, Jardine is already on his guard against Drecker; but when murderous betrayal blights his previous fortune, Jardine will go to any lengths to seek suitable revenge . . .