‘A fast paced, action packed medieval adventure; a boy becomes a man during one of the most tumultuous pivot points of English history.’ J.A. Ironside, author of The King's Knight series

1067.

Aelfric, Earl of Huntendune lies dead, butchered for refusing to forfeit his lands to his Norman overlords.

And now, for taking vengeance against his lord’s killers, Thurkill, former huscarl of King Harold and loyal Saxon warrior, must leave everything behind before King William’s soldiers return to claim the blood price.

Landless, lordless and now homeless, Thurkill journeys west with his pregnant wife, Hild, and his five hearth-warriors to search for peace and security far away from the hated enemy.

To his horror, however, the warrior finds himself at the centre of a bitter struggle between Saxon and Norman, on the border between England and Wales - between the forces of Eadric the Wild and the Norman Earl of Hereford.

But when word reaches him of a rebellion against the Norman king, Thurkill realises his duty lies elsewhere. Perhaps now he can finally assuage the guilt for having failed King Harold at Senlac by helping his son to take the throne.

Thurkill must cross swords with the Normans once again. And in doing so, he must face his nemesis, Robert FitzGilbert, across the field of battle.

This time, however, there can be only one survivor

Paul Bernardi is the author of The Huscarl Chronicles and To the Devil His Due.

Praise for Paul Bernardi:

‘Thurkill’s Revenge, a bravura tale set against the backdrop of the Norman Conquest, presents the exploits of a Saxon bodyguard in cinematic detail. The narrative weaves a rich weft and warp of fact and fiction - the protagonist Thurkill’s father, Scalpi is one of the few Saxon fighting men known to have faced the Normans at Senlac Ridge, Hastings – and the author displays an historian’s eye for authentic detail in a galloping read.’ Paul Bannister, author of Storm of Arrows

‘Thurkill is a warrior with a heart and soul, a man of honour and mettle that Beobrand would be proud to have alongside him in the shieldwall.’ Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles

‘The cataclysmic events of 1066 seen through the eyes of a strapping youth — a gripping tale of courage and revenge.’ Alistair Forrest, author of Libertas

‘Thurkill is a warrior with a heart and soul, a man of honour and mettle that Beobrand would be proud to have alongside him in the shieldwall.’ Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles

Thurkill's Revenge

January 1066.

King Edward has died. With no son or brother to succeed him, the throne has passed to Harold, Earl of Wessex, for little other reason than he knows how to fight, a quality that England will have need of before the year is out.

By September, England – the richest kingdom in Christendom – is beset on all sides by its enemies. To the north, the Vikings lurk, supported by Harold’s rebel brother, Tostig. While to the south, Duke William of Normandy awaits a fair wind to speed his ships to take the crown.

Thurkill, a young huscarl warrior in the service of the king, wants nothing more than to stand with his father’s forces in battle, to win glory and renown. He is eighteen and eager to prove himself.

It is only after the conflict at Stamford Bridge and the devastating defeat at Hastings not three weeks later, that the warrior comes to understand the true meaning of duty. Returning to his village, he finds his father's lands occupied by the enemy and his family, the people of the village, looking to him for protection.

With the Normans now rampaging across the south of England, Thurkill not only learns how to fight and survive - but he must draw his sword to save his family and countrymen.

Thurkill's Battle

December 1066.

England’s future lies in ruins. King Harold is dead, mutilated. The cream of England’s warrior nobility lie with him.

In Lundenburh, those lords who were not killed in battle, have elected a new king. A beardless boy called Edgar – the last prince of Wessex – on whose young shoulders, all hope now rests. Edgar must summon what remains of the warriors of England if he is to prevent Duke William from taking his crown.

Following the brutal events at his father’s hall in Haslow, Thurkill has marched his warband north to join Edgar in Lundenburh. The charred remains of his childhood home hold nothing now but bloody memories that will haunt him to his dying day.

Determined to play his part, Thurkill offers his sword to the young king in defence of the city against marauding Norman horsemen. But he can only delay the inevitable as Duke William is finally crowned king on Christmas Day.

With Edgar defeated and, with him, all Saxon hopes dashed, Thurkill travels north to Gudmundcestre, where he sets up home with Hild, with whom he has been reunited. But any hopes he has of putting his past behind him are torn to shreds by the arrival of Robert FitzGilbert, brother of the man he killed in Haslow.

Robert has come to claim the blood price for his brother’s death - and he will stop at nothing in his quest for vengeance.

Paul Bernardi is the author of The Huscarl Chronicles and To the Devil His Due.

Praise for Paul Bernardi:

‘Displays an historian’s eye for authentic detail in a galloping read.’ Paul Bannister, author of Storm of Arrows

‘A fast paced, action packed medieval adventure; a boy becomes a man during one of the most tumultuous pivot points of English history.’ J.A.

‘Thurkill is a warrior with a heart and soul, a man of honour and mettle that Beobrand would be proud to have alongside him in the shieldwall.’ Matthew Harffy

December 1066.

England’s future lies in ruins. King Harold is dead, mutilated. The cream of England’s warrior nobility lie with him.

In Lundenburh, those lords who were not killed in battle, have elected a new king. A beardless boy called Edgar – the last prince of Wessex – on whose young shoulders, all hope now rests. Edgar must summon what remains of the warriors of England if he is to prevent Duke William from taking his crown.

Following the brutal events at his father’s hall in Haslow, Thurkill has marched his warband north to join Edgar in Lundenburh. The charred remains of his childhood home hold nothing now but bloody memories that will haunt him to his dying day.

Determined to play his part, Thurkill offers his sword to the young king in defence of the city against marauding Norman horsemen. But he can only delay the inevitable as Duke William is finally crowned king on Christmas Day.

With Edgar defeated and, with him, all Saxon hopes dashed, Thurkill travels north to Gudmundcestre, where he sets up home with Hild, with whom he has been reunited. But any hopes he has of putting his past behind him are torn to shreds by the arrival of Robert FitzGilbert, brother of the man he killed in Haslow.

Robert has come to claim the blood price for his brother’s death - and he will stop at nothing in his quest for vengeance.

Once more, Thurkill must kill or be killed.

Paul Bernardi is the author of The Huscarl Chronicles and To the Devil His Due.

Praise for Paul Bernardi:

‘Thurkill’s Revenge, a bravura tale set against the backdrop of the Norman Conquest, presents the exploits of a Saxon bodyguard in cinematic detail. The narrative weaves a rich weft and warp of fact and fiction - the protagonist Thurkill’s father, Scalpi is one of the few Saxon fighting men known to have faced the Normans at Senlac Ridge, Hastings – and the author displays an historian’s eye for authentic detail in a galloping read.’ Paul Bannister, author of Storm of Arrows

‘A fast paced, action packed medieval adventure; a boy becomes a man during one of the most tumultuous pivot points of English history.’ J.A. Ironside, author of The King's Knight series

‘The cataclysmic events of 1066 seen through the eyes of a strapping youth — a gripping tale of courage and revenge.’ Alistair Forrest, author of Libertas

‘The cataclysmic events of 1066 seen through the eyes of a strapping youth — a gripping tale of courage and revenge.’ Alistair Forrest, author of Libertas

January 1066.

King Edward has died. With no son or brother to succeed him, the throne has passed to Harold, Earl of Wessex, for little other reason than he knows how to fight, a quality that England will have need of before the year is out.

By September, England – the richest kingdom in Christendom – is beset on all sides by its enemies. To the north, the Vikings lurk, supported by Harold’s rebel brother, Tostig. While to the south, Duke William of Normandy awaits a fair wind to speed his ships to take the crown.

Thurkill, a young huscarl warrior in the service of the king, wants nothing more than to stand with his father’s forces in battle, to win glory and renown. He is eighteen, on the cusp of manhood, and eager to prove himself.

But he soon comes to realise that surviving the bloody carnage of the shield wall is only the start of his trials.

It is only after the conflict at Stamford Bridge and the devastating defeat at Hastings not three weeks later, that the warrior comes to understand the true meaning of duty. Returning to his village, he finds his father's lands occupied by the enemy and his family, the people of the village, looking to him for protection.

With the Normans now rampaging across the south of England, Thurkill not only learns how to fight and survive - but he must draw his sword to save his family and countrymen.

Paul Bernardi is the author of The Huscarl Chronicles and To the Devil His Due.

Praise for Paul Bernardi:

‘Thurkill’s Revenge, a bravura tale set against the backdrop of the Norman Conquest, presents the exploits of a Saxon bodyguard in cinematic detail. The narrative weaves a rich weft and warp of fact and fiction - the protagonist Thurkill’s father, Scalpi is one of the few Saxon fighting men known to have faced the Normans at Senlac Ridge, Hastings – and the author displays an historian’s eye for authentic detail in a galloping read.’ Paul Bannister, author of Storm of Arrows

‘A fast paced, action packed medieval adventure; a boy becomes a man during one of the most tumultuous pivot points of English history.’ J.A. Ironside, author of The King's Knight series

‘Thurkill is a warrior with a heart and soul, a man of honour and mettle that Beobrand would be proud to have alongside him in the shieldwall.’ Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles

It was a suicide mission. Sending two men deep into the heart of Nazi Germany with orders to assassinate Hitler and end the war for good. Would they be able to evade capture? Would they be able to get close enough to the most closely-guarded man in the world? And, when the time came, would they be able to pull the trigger.

Based on a real file prepared by the British Special Operations Executive, this novel imagines what might have happened if the British government had decided to put the plan into effect; had they dared to go one better than the earlier assassination of Reinhard Heydrich and kill the Fuhrer himself.