The Ill-Made Knight by Christian Cameron follows William Gold, a young man from a declining family whose romantic ideas of chivalry collide with the brutal realities of fourteenth-century warfare. Disgraced as a thief and serving as squire to his amb…
The Ill-Made Knight by Christian Cameron follows William Gold, a young man from a declining family whose romantic ideas of chivalry collide with the brutal realities of fourteenth-century warfare. Disgraced as a thief and serving as squire to his ambitious friend Sir Robert, William proves his skill at the Battle of Poitiers, only to find that his greatest act of vengeance brings him neither status nor recognition. Forced into life as a mercenary, he pieces together secondhand armour and fights across a devastated France before entering the shadowy conflicts of the Italian city-states alongside Sir John Hawkwood. Blending military action, political intrigue, and questions of honour, this historical fantasy traces William’s hard path toward understanding what knighthood truly demands.
The Ill-Made Knight by Christian Cameron follows William Gold, a young man from a declining family whose romantic ideas of chivalry collide with the brutal realities of fourteenth-century warfare. Disgraced as a thief and serving as squire to his amb…
The Ill-Made Knight by Christian Cameron follows William Gold, a young man from a declining family whose romantic ideas of chivalry collide with the brutal realities of fourteenth-century warfare. Disgraced as a thief and serving as squire to his ambitious friend Sir Robert, William proves his skill at the Battle of Poitiers, only to find that his greatest act of vengeance brings him neither status nor recognition. Forced into life as a mercenary, he pieces together secondhand armour and fights across a devastated France before entering the shadowy conflicts of the Italian city-states alongside Sir John Hawkwood. Blending military action, political intrigue, and questions of honour, this historical fantasy traces William’s hard path toward understanding what knighthood truly demands.
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…
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?
One of the finest historical fiction writers in the world - Ben KaneAfter the bloody trials of Alexandria, Sir William Gold is readying for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to ease the burden on his soul. He hopes, too, that the Holy City might allow his re…
One of the finest historical fiction writers in the world - Ben Kane
After the bloody trials of Alexandria, Sir William Gold is readying for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to ease the burden on his soul. He hopes, too, that the Holy City might allow his relationship with Emile, cousin of the Green Count of Savoy, to develop.
But the Roman Emperor of Constantinople has been taken hostage by an unknown enemy, and the Green Count is vital to the rescue effort. It is up to Sir William to secure his support, but he soon finds that his past, and his relationship with Emile, might have repercussions he had not foreseen...
Suddenly thrust onto the stage of international politics, Sir William finds himself tangled in a web of plots, intrigue and murder. He must hold true to his chivalric principles, and to his knights, if he is to save the Emperor and survive to tell the tale.
1367: Europe stands on the brink of total war.Political alliances are beginning to rupture. No state is England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, Milan, Genoa, Venice, Constantinople . . . Every mercenary knight for hundreds of miles must sharpen his s…
1367: Europe stands on the brink of total war.
Political alliances are beginning to rupture. No state is England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, Milan, Genoa, Venice, Constantinople . . . Every mercenary knight for hundreds of miles 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 demise.
The balance of power in the West will change. William Gold must trust to hope, and his men, that he lands on the winning side . . .
1368. War is coming between France and Spain, and England, and 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 H…
1368. War is coming between France and Spain, and England, and 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 journey to serve the Count of Savoy, finding fame and favour in his service. But when his wife and children are struck down by the plague, William uses the poisoning of the Duke of Clarence as an excuse to escape on a witch hunt across Southern France and embark on a pilgrimage that he'd always pledged to do with his wife, along the Camino de Santiago.
But men of war can't stay out of battle for long, and after his pilgrimage takes him home to England, it isn't long before Gold is drawn back into battle on behalf of the Duke of Lancaster.
Triumphant at the Battle of Limoges and in his quest to bring order to Lancaster's army, Gold yearns to return to Italy and to the service of his loyal Sir John Hawkwood. But it seems like wherever he goes Gold can't escape conflict - the game of the Italian Princes is changing, and Gold must finally decide who he stands for in the battle between the Pope and the Visconti...
The penultimate instalment in the Chivalry series from a master of historical fiction.The Chivalry series follows young William Gold, who runs away from London to follow the Black Prince, from the killing fields of France, through life as a routier a…
The penultimate instalment in the Chivalry series from a master of historical fiction.
The Chivalry series follows young William Gold, who runs away from London to follow the Black Prince, from the killing fields of France, through life as a routier and criminal, and to redemption with the Knights of Saint John, further disillusion and an eventual career as a professional soldier and knight. Rich in the details of life in the High Middle Ages, the series also deals with modern issues about the role of violence in society, rules of conflict and war, and the price that people pay for using violence.
'One of the finest historical fiction writers in the world' BEN KANE
