Constantinople 1302.
Luca Baldi, a young shepherd, is catapulted into the violent world of mercenary warfare when he is forced to flee his native Sicily. He falls in with the Almogavars – ruthless mercenaries from the Catalonia region of Spain who have just finished butchering the French during a 20-year war on the island. He and they take ship to Constantinople when they are hired by the Byzantine emperor, whose empire is disintegrating in the face of remorseless Muslim advances.
Alone and marooned amid danger and violence and surrounded by enemy forces, Luca must master the Almogavar way of war to survive. Plunged into the brutal world of Medieval warfare when the mercenaries take the fight to the emperor’s many enemies, can Luca live through fighting impossible odds as he battles to preserve a crumbling empire that has stood for a thousand years?
‘The Black Sheep’ is the first volume in the Catalan Chronicles, a Medieval saga set in the early 14th century. Maps of the Byzantine Empire and western Anatolia at this time can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
Emilie of the oppressed le Tiers-Etat, captivates Lucien, the Marquis de Bocage. One passionate night, she surrenders to him. Forced to choose between loyalty to her revolutionary brother and love for Lucien, Emilie doesn't inform him of her pregnancy. When he discovers her duplicity, Lucien forces her into marriage to protect their son from his ruthless father. With the people's revolt raging, not only is their already strained relationship tested but their very lives are threatened.
Like pancakes and garlic—and 17-year-old Wendy’s family—some things aren’t meant to be blended. When her six-year-old stepbrother bursts into her room and destroys her English project, it doesn’t matter that he has severe autism. Her father and his wife blame Wendy. Her mother’s recent remarriage means that the one place she could escape to is now a shared bedroom with a hostile stepsister.
Wendy gets a job after school to escape her families and earn money for college. She meets Sam and falls in love for the first time. Sam gives her the acceptance she needs and he becomes Wendy’s refuge—until she discovers he has been keeping a dangerous secret. When trouble strikes, Sam lashes out at Wendy, and his reckless fury causes a tragedy for which Wendy feels responsible. Is the family she rejected the only thing that can save her?
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
The darkest secrets never stay buried forever.
Charles Abernathy Vanderough has been dead for nineteen years. But when his clone shows up on the doorstep of the old Vanderough estate, a family is forced to confront their troubled past and face their darkest secrets.
Cuckoo Cuckoo is the story of Charlie B, a penniless clone and conman, who goes in search of the family fortune, only to find deception and tragedy at every turn. Set against the backdrop of the 2016 presidential primary, the proliferation of gun violence in America, and the apotheosis of selfie culture, Cuckoo Cuckoo reminds us that nobody can outrun their demons in an increasingly technological world.
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
‘How will history judge you, Leon Muller?’
Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.
Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?
‘The Wolf of Rimini’ is the second volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.