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Chivalry #2
The Long Sword
'One of "the" finest historical fiction writers in the world' Ben Kane
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?
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?
443 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2014
182 people are currently reading
837 people want to read
About the author
Christian Cameron
81 books1,105 followersAka Miles Cameron. Also publishes as Gordon Kent with his father Kenneth M. Cameron.
Christian Cameron was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1962. He grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts, Iowa City, Iowa,Christian Cameron and Rochester, New York, where he attended McQuaid Jesuit High School and later graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in history.
After the longest undergraduate degree on record (1980-87), he joined the United States Navy, where he served as an intelligence officer and as a backseater in S-3 Vikings in the First Gulf War, in Somalia, and elsewhere. After a dozen years of service, he became a full time writer in 2000. He lives in Toronto (that’s Ontario, in Canada) with his wife Sarah and their daughter Beatrice, currently age four. And a half.
Christian Cameron was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1962. He grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts, Iowa City, Iowa,Christian Cameron and Rochester, New York, where he attended McQuaid Jesuit High School and later graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in history.
After the longest undergraduate degree on record (1980-87), he joined the United States Navy, where he served as an intelligence officer and as a backseater in S-3 Vikings in the First Gulf War, in Somalia, and elsewhere. After a dozen years of service, he became a full time writer in 2000. He lives in Toronto (that’s Ontario, in Canada) with his wife Sarah and their daughter Beatrice, currently age four. And a half.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
July 19, 2017
reread July 2017 on publication of The Green Count (#3) - like with the first volume reread, I both remembered pretty much all that happened and still had to turn the pages to see what happens next so to speak, so gripping was the story even on a re-read
(original review on publication date)
excellent stuff - one my big time favorites from the author - combining the first person immediacy of the Long War series with the late medieval atmosphere and setting of the Tom Swan serial (this series takes place some 80 years earlier)
the author mentions in a few places (including the postscript of this one) that William Gold is his favorite character and it shows very clearly in this book which starts where Ill made Knight ended and rolls for 400 odd pages, several years and lots of adventures and events in the hero's life
We meet again pretty much all (surviving) characters from the earlier volume and new intriguing ones - most notably famed knight, crusading leader and William's rival for the Countess d'Herblay's affections and bed, King Peter of Cyprus, while the villains of old have fewer moments but than in book 1 but whenever they appear they steal the page.
Action on land, sea, tournaments, intrigue, ambushes, sieges, but romance and carnal love too and the book has no slow moment as everything was established in volume 1
Highly recommended as the author at his best
(original review on publication date)
excellent stuff - one my big time favorites from the author - combining the first person immediacy of the Long War series with the late medieval atmosphere and setting of the Tom Swan serial (this series takes place some 80 years earlier)
the author mentions in a few places (including the postscript of this one) that William Gold is his favorite character and it shows very clearly in this book which starts where Ill made Knight ended and rolls for 400 odd pages, several years and lots of adventures and events in the hero's life
We meet again pretty much all (surviving) characters from the earlier volume and new intriguing ones - most notably famed knight, crusading leader and William's rival for the Countess d'Herblay's affections and bed, King Peter of Cyprus, while the villains of old have fewer moments but than in book 1 but whenever they appear they steal the page.
Action on land, sea, tournaments, intrigue, ambushes, sieges, but romance and carnal love too and the book has no slow moment as everything was established in volume 1
Highly recommended as the author at his best
February 15, 2018
Christian Cameron really is one of the top shelf writers in the historical fiction genre. He not only writes beautifully, with a true understanding of the mechanics and structure of the written word, but he is also so immersed and invested in the history through his past times and hobbies that he brings those words to life in a way that so many authors can only dream of.
Cameron sleeps, eats, breathes the cultures he writes about in this Chivalry Series through re-enactment, and then he plants this wealth of knowledge on the page and strings a darn good story through it. It is hard not to respect this level of commitment. And by living it and acting it out in real time, he gives an absorbing sense of place and atmosphere, and then he goes and 'magics' it up a bit more by drawing it also from the pages of his research and by breathing it in from the sites he must visit for field research.
I saw this fabulous combination at work in book one of this Chivalry Series, Ill-Made Knight, but I really stood up and took notice in this one, book two, The Long Sword.
What is truly marvellous - and this is something I should have remembered from Ill-Made Knight but so much time had lapsed between reading book one and two that I had forgotten - is that the majority of his characters were actually living breathing people from history. I got a shock when I read the Note at the end and was reminded of this. It just made me all the more impressed.
I don't think authors have to do this (use a real life character for the main character or make every character an actual person from history) however, for some reason with this particular tale, it is an excellent choice. Since there is so much written history for this period and the battles are well documented, well, why the heck not....the book's timeline basically writes itself and the author can put all their energy into describing surroundings, giving them something to do between battle scenes, and put some dialogue in their mouth. With this book, that helped enrich it, I think; that the author could put his mind to filling out already known people and battles from history.
I thought the first book, Ill-Made Knight, was a great read and I think The Long Sword is an even greater one. I wonder how I will go with book three, The Green Count. And then the one after that, Sword of Justice, and the one after that (which is a few years off as of the date of this review). I am kind of crushing on William Gold, so it is good to see that the show rolls on after The Green Count.
Negatives. Look, there are a couple and I think negatives are always worth mentioning otherwise reviews feel dishonest to me. I am giving this book 4 stars out of 5, so obviously there are some things I was not too fussed on. So, I will spit them out here and now.
Sometimes, the author does include too much 'stuff' and from time to time he gets his waffle on. It does not ruin the book, but there are some sections where it brings down the enjoyment of the read. Also, I am a fan of Chapter breaks. I really am. I need somewhere good to park my caboose when I go away from the book and then come back to it. Regular paragraph breaks aren't nearly good enough a story break for me. I find Chapter breaks can create tension and drama, if properly placed, and without them it is like being stuck in a conversation with someone who won't shut up. So yeah, Cameron does not include Chapters, and that is a bummer. But of course, some people don't care. This is just my preference.
Final negative, is an outright pointless nit pick. I hated the use of eh. You know what I mean, eh? Drove me nuts. Kept jolting me out of the story and made the speakers sound Canadian. As I say, just a nit pick. Had to share it.
Other than those pitiful few negatives, this was simply a great read. Better than Ill-Made Knight because William Gold is a worldly kick-arse man now, and what a fine worldly kick-arse man he is...
Cameron sleeps, eats, breathes the cultures he writes about in this Chivalry Series through re-enactment, and then he plants this wealth of knowledge on the page and strings a darn good story through it. It is hard not to respect this level of commitment. And by living it and acting it out in real time, he gives an absorbing sense of place and atmosphere, and then he goes and 'magics' it up a bit more by drawing it also from the pages of his research and by breathing it in from the sites he must visit for field research.
I saw this fabulous combination at work in book one of this Chivalry Series, Ill-Made Knight, but I really stood up and took notice in this one, book two, The Long Sword.
What is truly marvellous - and this is something I should have remembered from Ill-Made Knight but so much time had lapsed between reading book one and two that I had forgotten - is that the majority of his characters were actually living breathing people from history. I got a shock when I read the Note at the end and was reminded of this. It just made me all the more impressed.
I don't think authors have to do this (use a real life character for the main character or make every character an actual person from history) however, for some reason with this particular tale, it is an excellent choice. Since there is so much written history for this period and the battles are well documented, well, why the heck not....the book's timeline basically writes itself and the author can put all their energy into describing surroundings, giving them something to do between battle scenes, and put some dialogue in their mouth. With this book, that helped enrich it, I think; that the author could put his mind to filling out already known people and battles from history.
I thought the first book, Ill-Made Knight, was a great read and I think The Long Sword is an even greater one. I wonder how I will go with book three, The Green Count. And then the one after that, Sword of Justice, and the one after that (which is a few years off as of the date of this review). I am kind of crushing on William Gold, so it is good to see that the show rolls on after The Green Count.
Negatives. Look, there are a couple and I think negatives are always worth mentioning otherwise reviews feel dishonest to me. I am giving this book 4 stars out of 5, so obviously there are some things I was not too fussed on. So, I will spit them out here and now.
Sometimes, the author does include too much 'stuff' and from time to time he gets his waffle on. It does not ruin the book, but there are some sections where it brings down the enjoyment of the read. Also, I am a fan of Chapter breaks. I really am. I need somewhere good to park my caboose when I go away from the book and then come back to it. Regular paragraph breaks aren't nearly good enough a story break for me. I find Chapter breaks can create tension and drama, if properly placed, and without them it is like being stuck in a conversation with someone who won't shut up. So yeah, Cameron does not include Chapters, and that is a bummer. But of course, some people don't care. This is just my preference.
Final negative, is an outright pointless nit pick. I hated the use of eh. You know what I mean, eh? Drove me nuts. Kept jolting me out of the story and made the speakers sound Canadian. As I say, just a nit pick. Had to share it.
Other than those pitiful few negatives, this was simply a great read. Better than Ill-Made Knight because William Gold is a worldly kick-arse man now, and what a fine worldly kick-arse man he is...
February 6, 2017
Easy five stars...
December 29, 2018
This tremendous book is the 2nd volume of the chivalrous Sir William Gold (Chivalry) series.
Once again the book contains a very well documented glossary at the beginning of this book, as well as two well-drawn maps of Venice and Alexandria in AD 1364/1365, which are the main features within this superb tale, while at the end you'll find a wonderfully explained Historical Note.
Story-telling is as always of a top-notch quality, simply because the author has the ability to keep his readers spellbound right from the start till the very end.
All the characters, whether they are real or fictional, come all superbly to life within this fantastic story of Chivalry, with all it's good and bad things.
As in the 1st book, this one also starts with a beautiful Prologue which is set in Calais in the year AD 1381, and it's there where our main character of this series, the real Sir William Gold, is telling his audience his tale of chivalrous adventures which will now take him to Venice and other Italian city states, as well as Alexandria in Egypt.
The book is divided into two different sections, one that is mainly set in Venice and other Italian city states, and the other part in Alexandria, Egypt, and the years in which these stories are set are AD 1364/1365.
The story itself is about Sir William Gold, who after having been Knighted outside the gates of Florence, is asked by Father Pierre de Thomas, Papal Legate of the Crusade, to join him for the Crusade for the Holy Land.
What Sir William does know is that the Saracens will be his first enemies, but what at first he doesn't know or realise is that he has deadly adversaries closer at home, in the likes of Bourc le Camus and the Count D'Herblay, who both like to see him fail or that he gets assassinated.
So with enemies from all kind of angles, assassins and conspirators, Sir William Gold and his Band of Knights have to overcome overwhelming odds, if they can and want to survive this suicide mission of a Crusade.
Highly recommended, for this is an absorbing and terrific story about Knights and all their deeds, and that's why I like to call this book "Chivalry At Its Very Best"!
Once again the book contains a very well documented glossary at the beginning of this book, as well as two well-drawn maps of Venice and Alexandria in AD 1364/1365, which are the main features within this superb tale, while at the end you'll find a wonderfully explained Historical Note.
Story-telling is as always of a top-notch quality, simply because the author has the ability to keep his readers spellbound right from the start till the very end.
All the characters, whether they are real or fictional, come all superbly to life within this fantastic story of Chivalry, with all it's good and bad things.
As in the 1st book, this one also starts with a beautiful Prologue which is set in Calais in the year AD 1381, and it's there where our main character of this series, the real Sir William Gold, is telling his audience his tale of chivalrous adventures which will now take him to Venice and other Italian city states, as well as Alexandria in Egypt.
The book is divided into two different sections, one that is mainly set in Venice and other Italian city states, and the other part in Alexandria, Egypt, and the years in which these stories are set are AD 1364/1365.
The story itself is about Sir William Gold, who after having been Knighted outside the gates of Florence, is asked by Father Pierre de Thomas, Papal Legate of the Crusade, to join him for the Crusade for the Holy Land.
What Sir William does know is that the Saracens will be his first enemies, but what at first he doesn't know or realise is that he has deadly adversaries closer at home, in the likes of Bourc le Camus and the Count D'Herblay, who both like to see him fail or that he gets assassinated.
So with enemies from all kind of angles, assassins and conspirators, Sir William Gold and his Band of Knights have to overcome overwhelming odds, if they can and want to survive this suicide mission of a Crusade.
Highly recommended, for this is an absorbing and terrific story about Knights and all their deeds, and that's why I like to call this book "Chivalry At Its Very Best"!
December 2, 2014
I am a big fan of Christian Cameron, and when I reviewed the Ill Made Knight, to my opinion that was the best 100 years war and renaissance Italian historical fiction novel I had ever read. Trust me, I have read a lot of HF novels. Ill made knight is absolutely brilliant. Now I am not so sure this one was the best ever. The sequel of the Ill Made Knight and novel no. 2 in Christian Camerons Chivalry series, The long sword, is just as good, perhaps even better.
Again Christian Cameron plays out his vast knowledge and experience as a medieval reenactor, longsword fighter and (english)warbow archer in his storylines. And his understanding of the era and its politics is broad and deep. He studied f.i. with Professor Richard Kaeuper, one of the most distinguished medievalists of our time, and he has been in the military and in the war areas, as an intelligence officer, so he knows about war, about interests on a larger scale, and he knows about plots and plotting. Having so much knowledge, skills, and practical experience at your disposal can be a blessing or a curse. Christian Cameron is however a very gifted storyteller who can imbue all of this in a brilliant story without the reader even noticing it. It doesn’t hamper of obstruct the flow of the storyline in any way. That is a rare talent. It is so lively and realistic, it is as if you are really there.
The story of William Gold continues with William Gold – out fighting in Italy for Pisa with condottiere John Hawkwood- being summoned back to the order of the Hospitallers, of which the grand master, Father Pierre Thomas, has been appointed the legate of the crusade by the pope. Gold teams up with his fellow donats from the Ill Made Knight, and is soon in the centre of the snakepit with his friends, running errands for the Hospitallers, protecting Father Pierre Thomas from his enemies, safeguarding the cause. And of course there are also lots of mortal enemies who have a personal score to settle with William Gold.
It is a moving tale of adventure, peril, friendship, comraderie, slight of hand, betrayal, and of (courtly) love. And it is a Knights tale, the tale of the professional warrior, so there is fighting, there is a tournament, and lots of swordsplay and action, and there is the war, the battles, the sieges and the sackings in all of their gruesome reality. I have met Christian Cameron, and I have witnessed his prowess in medieval longsword fighting in the Italian style. He knows about fencing and he is a really fine swordsman and a great teacher in that. He also fights tournaments in full armor. All of that comes to play in his action scenes. This is real and realistic swordfighting. In the Long Sword the young Fiore dei Liberi is William Golds companion and fellow donat, and one of the leading characters. Fiore dei Liberi was a real man, and was considered one of the greatest swordsmasters of the age. It is therefore no surprise that you get all of the techniques and guards in armed and unarmed combat of Fiores fencing manual `Fior di Battaglia’, lat. `Flos Duellatorum’ ( one the oldest surviving fencing manuals around) as a bonus in the action scenes of the Long Sword.
As history has shown us, the 1365 crusade eventually went along, but ended up not exactly at its intended destination: freeing the holy land, but turned into a raid and pillage expedition of Alexandria. William Gold sees it all through, whilst trying to remain faithful to his ideals of Chivalry and the ideals of the order he has commited himself to and the teachings of his mentor fra. Pierre Thomas on board of the Alexandrian crusade rollercoaster.
So. There the story ends. Sir William Gold returns from the crusade and is 25 years old then. Still a lot of adventures and brilliant novels to write about the career and life of this historical character, who did serve again in Italy with Sir John Hawkwood and played a major role in the War of Chioggia, and ended up captain of Venice.
After this treat I was already looking forward to the next installment in the Chivalry series, but in the historical note of the Longsword, Christian Cameron explains he would like to tell the rest of the story of William Gold and write three more, but that his current contract with his publisher Orion doesn’t cover that.
My jaw dropped at that one. To my opinion The ill made knight and the longsword are not merely average, but really good, even right out into the fabulous as far as the quality of these Historical Fiction novels is concerned. And you are not interested in another one as a publisher? Or is this simple blackmail the audience, - buy the book and get all of your friends to buy this book, or you won’t get another one- and as such a quite brutal and inelegant marketing strategy?
I have done my share and bought the book, and it was worth every penny. Now fingers crossed we will get another one. Still, the Ill Made Knight and the Long Sword are good enough as stand alones to provide hours of reading pleasure. A must- read for anyone into a real knights story that covers the whole spectrum- the good, the bad, and the moral dilemmas. And as a bonus- for all of you swordswielding people out there- Italian longsword fighting 'fior di battaglia' style as good as it gets-. There are also good and strong female characters, not the damsels in distress in need of rescue by the knight in shining armor kind. I do like that a lot. I think there is a pick for everybody in this book. It is about knights and chivalry though. (less)
Again Christian Cameron plays out his vast knowledge and experience as a medieval reenactor, longsword fighter and (english)warbow archer in his storylines. And his understanding of the era and its politics is broad and deep. He studied f.i. with Professor Richard Kaeuper, one of the most distinguished medievalists of our time, and he has been in the military and in the war areas, as an intelligence officer, so he knows about war, about interests on a larger scale, and he knows about plots and plotting. Having so much knowledge, skills, and practical experience at your disposal can be a blessing or a curse. Christian Cameron is however a very gifted storyteller who can imbue all of this in a brilliant story without the reader even noticing it. It doesn’t hamper of obstruct the flow of the storyline in any way. That is a rare talent. It is so lively and realistic, it is as if you are really there.
The story of William Gold continues with William Gold – out fighting in Italy for Pisa with condottiere John Hawkwood- being summoned back to the order of the Hospitallers, of which the grand master, Father Pierre Thomas, has been appointed the legate of the crusade by the pope. Gold teams up with his fellow donats from the Ill Made Knight, and is soon in the centre of the snakepit with his friends, running errands for the Hospitallers, protecting Father Pierre Thomas from his enemies, safeguarding the cause. And of course there are also lots of mortal enemies who have a personal score to settle with William Gold.
It is a moving tale of adventure, peril, friendship, comraderie, slight of hand, betrayal, and of (courtly) love. And it is a Knights tale, the tale of the professional warrior, so there is fighting, there is a tournament, and lots of swordsplay and action, and there is the war, the battles, the sieges and the sackings in all of their gruesome reality. I have met Christian Cameron, and I have witnessed his prowess in medieval longsword fighting in the Italian style. He knows about fencing and he is a really fine swordsman and a great teacher in that. He also fights tournaments in full armor. All of that comes to play in his action scenes. This is real and realistic swordfighting. In the Long Sword the young Fiore dei Liberi is William Golds companion and fellow donat, and one of the leading characters. Fiore dei Liberi was a real man, and was considered one of the greatest swordsmasters of the age. It is therefore no surprise that you get all of the techniques and guards in armed and unarmed combat of Fiores fencing manual `Fior di Battaglia’, lat. `Flos Duellatorum’ ( one the oldest surviving fencing manuals around) as a bonus in the action scenes of the Long Sword.
As history has shown us, the 1365 crusade eventually went along, but ended up not exactly at its intended destination: freeing the holy land, but turned into a raid and pillage expedition of Alexandria. William Gold sees it all through, whilst trying to remain faithful to his ideals of Chivalry and the ideals of the order he has commited himself to and the teachings of his mentor fra. Pierre Thomas on board of the Alexandrian crusade rollercoaster.
So. There the story ends. Sir William Gold returns from the crusade and is 25 years old then. Still a lot of adventures and brilliant novels to write about the career and life of this historical character, who did serve again in Italy with Sir John Hawkwood and played a major role in the War of Chioggia, and ended up captain of Venice.
After this treat I was already looking forward to the next installment in the Chivalry series, but in the historical note of the Longsword, Christian Cameron explains he would like to tell the rest of the story of William Gold and write three more, but that his current contract with his publisher Orion doesn’t cover that.
My jaw dropped at that one. To my opinion The ill made knight and the longsword are not merely average, but really good, even right out into the fabulous as far as the quality of these Historical Fiction novels is concerned. And you are not interested in another one as a publisher? Or is this simple blackmail the audience, - buy the book and get all of your friends to buy this book, or you won’t get another one- and as such a quite brutal and inelegant marketing strategy?
I have done my share and bought the book, and it was worth every penny. Now fingers crossed we will get another one. Still, the Ill Made Knight and the Long Sword are good enough as stand alones to provide hours of reading pleasure. A must- read for anyone into a real knights story that covers the whole spectrum- the good, the bad, and the moral dilemmas. And as a bonus- for all of you swordswielding people out there- Italian longsword fighting 'fior di battaglia' style as good as it gets-. There are also good and strong female characters, not the damsels in distress in need of rescue by the knight in shining armor kind. I do like that a lot. I think there is a pick for everybody in this book. It is about knights and chivalry though. (less)
March 23, 2018
A tale of high adventure, chivalry and the lack thereof. We find ourselves in Italy, Germany, Poland, Greece, islands of the Mediterranean and finally in Alexandria. I learned a lot reading this, and realized that everything I've read about this time period was either from the early or late part of the Hundred Years' War and only about England and France. There were all kinds of other conflicts happening at the time and it must have been a very unpleasant Europe to live in.
The MC is a badass with great badass friends and the author really gets us to feel what their daily life would have been like. The fight and battle scenes are so well written that they're clear even to the likes of me. The amount of travel they did is flabbergasting. And the number of languages that soldiers/mercenaries with no formal education spoke?
The MC is a badass with great badass friends and the author really gets us to feel what their daily life would have been like. The fight and battle scenes are so well written that they're clear even to the likes of me. The amount of travel they did is flabbergasting. And the number of languages that soldiers/mercenaries with no formal education spoke?
March 14, 2015
True to the spirit of The Ill-Made Knight, the Long Sword features engaging politics, sprawling battles, hangovers and lechery, action and adventure, valor and audacity, true friendship, ordeals and meaningless wars, fighting prowess, blackmail, feats of arms and, of course, swords, all set in years where violence was daily happenstance and “swordplay was a form of human communication”.
Calais, 1381. Sir William Gold and his retinue, as well as Chaucher and Froissart, still wait for clearance to embark for England. Little snippets of conversation, meaningful glances and references to Prince Lionel's Italian wedding hint how deep the relationship runs between Chaucer and Gold. As another night approaches, William is ready to relate more tales of his youth, and this time he takes us in Venice and on the Alexandrian Crusade. Freshly knighted, William leaves John Hawkwood to keep his oath to go on a Crusade to his spiritual savior, Father Pierre Thomas, Grand Master of the Order of St. John, the Hospitallers. Along with longtime friend Fiore de' Liberi, he leaves the prospect of riches, fame and women to serve as a donat in the order, a low ranked volunteer, and goes back to Avignon under the orders of Fra Peter Mortimer. In companionship with other returning characters from the previous novel, and new ones such as the witty Nerio Acciaiuoli, William witnesses and actively takes part in the preparation for the Alexandrian Crusade, whose command falls on King Peter of Cyprus, a young and ambitious knight of great renown and high repute, with whom William eventually gets well acquainted on both a personal and professional level. To his disappointment, he quickly realizes the real battle is first with the inner enemies of the crusade and his own personal foes, while aiding the Hospitallers and the King of Cyprus in their quest to gather an army and seeking financial support for the emprise.
This time the starting pace of the narrative is more gradual, as probably required by the complexity of the events around William: he is not a mere cook boy, or an ill-armored routier living by the day in France, he's a professional knight who actually meets many of the most influential players of the period and who becomes a piece in the branched board of the Pope’s and Emperor’s feud.
As its predecessor, this book has plenty of humorous episodes, and William the narrator quickly captivates his audience with his story dropping hints for things to come and seasoning the passages with witty remarks and a lot of irony, but at the core, it is a tale of more mature scope and depth. He carefully discloses the political struggles and personal enmities playing out against the backdrop of the Crusade and its preparation in years 1364 and 1365, and the reader easily immerse in the flavor of the XIV century.
An "old hand at making war" (in a society where you're "older than dirt" at 40, I suppose early twenties compare to full maturity), Sir William is a man of enough consequence to become privy to some of the inner workings of the subtle and violent game of crowns which is afoot. Dumbfounded, every step he takes seems to lead him deeper into a dark maze of political intrigue, power strife, trade interests, bankers and internecine warfare.
Eager to live by his convictions, but no fool, William gradually comes to understand that he knows very little of the ways of “kings and princes and cardinals and popes” and at first, en route to Venice, his behavior is still brash and sweetly arrogant in the self-absorbed flush of his youthful exuberance, he faces challenges openly, angrily, and thinks that the rightfulness of his Order’s purpose will win the day. He’s soon to be disabused of such romantic notions and I loved the way he slowly learns through a personal “road to Damascus about temper” the fine art of keeping (every so often) his anger in check and to wager battle with words, reaching the conclusion that “I could not kill everyone I disliked” ().
However, he is full of contradictions, tormented by his love for Emile and the temptation of fleeting pleasures, and always wonderfully human in a very flawed way. No sooner had he reached an epiphany than his newfound resolutions are sorely tested. Violence and piety, chastity and carnality, friendship and egoism: William’s sense of humor sums (most of) it up nicely when, lost in his dark thoughts, he wonders why his friend Miles never seems in need of “a wench or a confessor”.
Again, William is not shy to indulge his audience with tales of his amorous encounters (that is, before he vows to forsake his libertine ways and focus on his lady par amours, striving towards the ideal of courtly love. Delectably enough, he often wavers in his resolve) or to relate his failures and the hard consequences of many of his mistakes. Of course the concept of sin and spirituality play an important part in the book, as religion cannot be excluded when dealing with a crusade or the society of that time in general, or with the disastrous combined effect of the “profession of arms” and the “profession of Christ”.
Of the first part of the book, I absolutely loved Venice and the events set in Krakow, and the engaging description of the tournament. It’s quick paced, superbly detailed and entertaining. As William gains new allies, like Nicholas Sabraham (well-known to Chaucer) and counts on his faithful friend donats, he also gains new foes, such as the powerful bishop Robert of Geneva, and confronts old acquaintances like his nemesis, the Bourc Camus, or the Count d’Herblay whose personal hate for William drives him to the brim of insanity.
The chapter about the eventful journey to Alexandria, the crusaders deployment and the battle aftermath is richly exhaustive, with scenes from naval battles –in full harness- to clashes with naphtha bombing Mamluks. Here William's narration takes a somber, almost detached quality, as if reminiscing the horrors of the Alexandrian Crusade through the emotions of both his younger and older self needs just chronicling to present the facts poignantly.
William’s paramount devotion to Father Pierre helps him to overcome the painful moments when the bright paint starts to crack, and the meat of the crusade emerges in its wretched and gruesome reality. His faith in the ideals of Chivalry and in the godly purposes of a few is thwarted in front of the more secular attitude and the evident shortcomings of his so-called allies, he eventually sees beyond the charade put up by most of the people sworn to battle for Christianity and acknowledges the bitter truth that, not even so much deep down, noble ideals and the quest for the true faith are just excuses to engage in power plays and to pursue economic interests, paltry self-righteousness to cover the little petty squabbles of men. Through grappling and loss, William reinvents, and rebuilds the very foundations of his personal hope. His new level of self-awareness and understanding of the importance of love and friendship in life reveal maybe a more balanced character, less prone to childish impetus but not disdainful of worldly affairs and still utterly amusing (and thrilling delectable to read about!).
I like that William is not a character of pure black and white morality, he lays open his inward grief and a flinch factor, during the tale he gets broken in body and spirit but he rises again because actions matter, the sacrifices for a purpose, a cause or for another person are, ultimately, never vain, or at least "it matters to the men who are in it. Even when the cause is worthless". Disenchanted, he still abides by the ideals of chivalry, revels in the genuine friendship of his companions, and hacks down anything that moves for good measure of survival, aptly called “the time of the longsword”.
Christian Cameron delights us with vivid descriptions of the period, his knowledge is vast and well documented; fictions facts and historical evidence are cleverly mingled together and his storytelling is surely enriched by his personal experience in medieval dueling. As in the previous novel, the descriptions of battle techniques, of military strategies deployed (or lack thereof), of armors and warships, of historical background and culture add to the tale and don’t dam up the flow of the narration. This time of course there are more such moments, as the readers are swept from Italian communes to Greece and then to Egypt all the way beneath the walls of mighty Alexandria.
On the editing and proofreading: fortunately, this time typos and errant punctuation do not reach the dismaying levels of the previous novel. Anyway, the editor should make up his mind about spelling; it's either "Accaioulo" or "Acciaioli" (“Acciaiuoli" would be better though). On other areas, I thought the Guelfs supported the Pope and the Ghibellines the Holy Roman Emperor, not the other way about, as the factions are presented in Verona. Am I missing something? Or confusing things like Admiral Contarini described as a man of sixty-five years old and a few pages later of “being over eighty”. And what’s with Miles Stapleton getting knighted both in Rhodes and on the sand of Alexandria? I think the editing still falls short of the standard one would expect from Orion, a veritable ricocheting blow for readers planning to buy a hardcover edition of a favorite book.
I liked better the first book, but this second could not count on the novelty of the format and the slower pace is probably intrinsic to 400 pages spanning only two years of one main character’s career.
William Gold is such fun! I am looking forward to the next book. Like the The Ill-Made Knight, The Long Sword can be appreciated as a standalone book, and the epilogue opens for more tales of the brilliant 25-years-old knight and returning crusader. The author is planning three more installments, depending on the sale figures of the current novels.
I keep my fingers crossed.
Calais, 1381. Sir William Gold and his retinue, as well as Chaucher and Froissart, still wait for clearance to embark for England. Little snippets of conversation, meaningful glances and references to Prince Lionel's Italian wedding hint how deep the relationship runs between Chaucer and Gold. As another night approaches, William is ready to relate more tales of his youth, and this time he takes us in Venice and on the Alexandrian Crusade. Freshly knighted, William leaves John Hawkwood to keep his oath to go on a Crusade to his spiritual savior, Father Pierre Thomas, Grand Master of the Order of St. John, the Hospitallers. Along with longtime friend Fiore de' Liberi, he leaves the prospect of riches, fame and women to serve as a donat in the order, a low ranked volunteer, and goes back to Avignon under the orders of Fra Peter Mortimer. In companionship with other returning characters from the previous novel, and new ones such as the witty Nerio Acciaiuoli, William witnesses and actively takes part in the preparation for the Alexandrian Crusade, whose command falls on King Peter of Cyprus, a young and ambitious knight of great renown and high repute, with whom William eventually gets well acquainted on both a personal and professional level. To his disappointment, he quickly realizes the real battle is first with the inner enemies of the crusade and his own personal foes, while aiding the Hospitallers and the King of Cyprus in their quest to gather an army and seeking financial support for the emprise.
This time the starting pace of the narrative is more gradual, as probably required by the complexity of the events around William: he is not a mere cook boy, or an ill-armored routier living by the day in France, he's a professional knight who actually meets many of the most influential players of the period and who becomes a piece in the branched board of the Pope’s and Emperor’s feud.
As its predecessor, this book has plenty of humorous episodes, and William the narrator quickly captivates his audience with his story dropping hints for things to come and seasoning the passages with witty remarks and a lot of irony, but at the core, it is a tale of more mature scope and depth. He carefully discloses the political struggles and personal enmities playing out against the backdrop of the Crusade and its preparation in years 1364 and 1365, and the reader easily immerse in the flavor of the XIV century.
An "old hand at making war" (in a society where you're "older than dirt" at 40, I suppose early twenties compare to full maturity), Sir William is a man of enough consequence to become privy to some of the inner workings of the subtle and violent game of crowns which is afoot. Dumbfounded, every step he takes seems to lead him deeper into a dark maze of political intrigue, power strife, trade interests, bankers and internecine warfare.
Eager to live by his convictions, but no fool, William gradually comes to understand that he knows very little of the ways of “kings and princes and cardinals and popes” and at first, en route to Venice, his behavior is still brash and sweetly arrogant in the self-absorbed flush of his youthful exuberance, he faces challenges openly, angrily, and thinks that the rightfulness of his Order’s purpose will win the day. He’s soon to be disabused of such romantic notions and I loved the way he slowly learns through a personal “road to Damascus about temper” the fine art of keeping (every so often) his anger in check and to wager battle with words, reaching the conclusion that “I could not kill everyone I disliked” ().
However, he is full of contradictions, tormented by his love for Emile and the temptation of fleeting pleasures, and always wonderfully human in a very flawed way. No sooner had he reached an epiphany than his newfound resolutions are sorely tested. Violence and piety, chastity and carnality, friendship and egoism: William’s sense of humor sums (most of) it up nicely when, lost in his dark thoughts, he wonders why his friend Miles never seems in need of “a wench or a confessor”.
Again, William is not shy to indulge his audience with tales of his amorous encounters (that is, before he vows to forsake his libertine ways and focus on his lady par amours, striving towards the ideal of courtly love. Delectably enough, he often wavers in his resolve) or to relate his failures and the hard consequences of many of his mistakes. Of course the concept of sin and spirituality play an important part in the book, as religion cannot be excluded when dealing with a crusade or the society of that time in general, or with the disastrous combined effect of the “profession of arms” and the “profession of Christ”.
Of the first part of the book, I absolutely loved Venice and the events set in Krakow, and the engaging description of the tournament. It’s quick paced, superbly detailed and entertaining. As William gains new allies, like Nicholas Sabraham (well-known to Chaucer) and counts on his faithful friend donats, he also gains new foes, such as the powerful bishop Robert of Geneva, and confronts old acquaintances like his nemesis, the Bourc Camus, or the Count d’Herblay whose personal hate for William drives him to the brim of insanity.
The chapter about the eventful journey to Alexandria, the crusaders deployment and the battle aftermath is richly exhaustive, with scenes from naval battles –in full harness- to clashes with naphtha bombing Mamluks. Here William's narration takes a somber, almost detached quality, as if reminiscing the horrors of the Alexandrian Crusade through the emotions of both his younger and older self needs just chronicling to present the facts poignantly.
William’s paramount devotion to Father Pierre helps him to overcome the painful moments when the bright paint starts to crack, and the meat of the crusade emerges in its wretched and gruesome reality. His faith in the ideals of Chivalry and in the godly purposes of a few is thwarted in front of the more secular attitude and the evident shortcomings of his so-called allies, he eventually sees beyond the charade put up by most of the people sworn to battle for Christianity and acknowledges the bitter truth that, not even so much deep down, noble ideals and the quest for the true faith are just excuses to engage in power plays and to pursue economic interests, paltry self-righteousness to cover the little petty squabbles of men. Through grappling and loss, William reinvents, and rebuilds the very foundations of his personal hope. His new level of self-awareness and understanding of the importance of love and friendship in life reveal maybe a more balanced character, less prone to childish impetus but not disdainful of worldly affairs and still utterly amusing (and thrilling delectable to read about!).
I like that William is not a character of pure black and white morality, he lays open his inward grief and a flinch factor, during the tale he gets broken in body and spirit but he rises again because actions matter, the sacrifices for a purpose, a cause or for another person are, ultimately, never vain, or at least "it matters to the men who are in it. Even when the cause is worthless". Disenchanted, he still abides by the ideals of chivalry, revels in the genuine friendship of his companions, and hacks down anything that moves for good measure of survival, aptly called “the time of the longsword”.
Christian Cameron delights us with vivid descriptions of the period, his knowledge is vast and well documented; fictions facts and historical evidence are cleverly mingled together and his storytelling is surely enriched by his personal experience in medieval dueling. As in the previous novel, the descriptions of battle techniques, of military strategies deployed (or lack thereof), of armors and warships, of historical background and culture add to the tale and don’t dam up the flow of the narration. This time of course there are more such moments, as the readers are swept from Italian communes to Greece and then to Egypt all the way beneath the walls of mighty Alexandria.
On the editing and proofreading: fortunately, this time typos and errant punctuation do not reach the dismaying levels of the previous novel. Anyway, the editor should make up his mind about spelling; it's either "Accaioulo" or "Acciaioli" (“Acciaiuoli" would be better though). On other areas, I thought the Guelfs supported the Pope and the Ghibellines the Holy Roman Emperor, not the other way about, as the factions are presented in Verona. Am I missing something? Or confusing things like Admiral Contarini described as a man of sixty-five years old and a few pages later of “being over eighty”. And what’s with Miles Stapleton getting knighted both in Rhodes and on the sand of Alexandria? I think the editing still falls short of the standard one would expect from Orion, a veritable ricocheting blow for readers planning to buy a hardcover edition of a favorite book.
I liked better the first book, but this second could not count on the novelty of the format and the slower pace is probably intrinsic to 400 pages spanning only two years of one main character’s career.
William Gold is such fun! I am looking forward to the next book. Like the The Ill-Made Knight, The Long Sword can be appreciated as a standalone book, and the epilogue opens for more tales of the brilliant 25-years-old knight and returning crusader. The author is planning three more installments, depending on the sale figures of the current novels.
I keep my fingers crossed.
December 1, 2014
I challenge anyone to read this book and not literally feel the excitement, passion and action as you read each word of the battle scenes - from the melee in Krakow, to the Battle of Chioggia, to the Siege of Alexandria, and also in each skirmish and swing of the sword. The fights are gritty, but not for the sake of being gritty. Instead, they show you the gore because war is gory and the death of men is tragic. I dare you to not be moved as you read Sir William's monologue, as he grows to be more knightlike - less idealistic, yet less worldly. I've read many books of this genre, and also fantasy, but never had each word really brought home the importance of chivalry; of self-discipline; that in seeking glory, the price might be that you lose your soul. Or maybe I'm a bit overly poetic - I can't help it, I've just finished the book (or rather, just finished "listening" to Sir William Gold's story), and I'm still very much caught in the mood.
You may find that the storytelling style a bit on the slow in the beginning - I take it that an old man (Sir Wiiliam) is warming up to his tale - and the pace really does pick up, and you get immersed into the story.
I look forward to reading the next chapters of Sir William's life - especially having read hints - at the end of the book and also in Mr. Cameron's Tom Swan series - about what Sir William becomes.
An awe-some tale by a master storyteller. Recommended for not just lovers of historical fiction, but also those who read fantasy and any other action novel.
You may find that the storytelling style a bit on the slow in the beginning - I take it that an old man (Sir Wiiliam) is warming up to his tale - and the pace really does pick up, and you get immersed into the story.
I look forward to reading the next chapters of Sir William's life - especially having read hints - at the end of the book and also in Mr. Cameron's Tom Swan series - about what Sir William becomes.
An awe-some tale by a master storyteller. Recommended for not just lovers of historical fiction, but also those who read fantasy and any other action novel.
February 25, 2019
Wow. Once again, Christian Cameron does not disappoint. This is the beginning of a long lasting relationship ♡
January 20, 2019
Review to follow (but once again, fantastic!)...
July 14, 2021
Continuing the tale of William Gold, this time as Gold goes on the Crusade. Again, Cameron give us the view of the Crusade as less than a Holy War. If the Middle Ages is your jam, you need to put Christian Cameron on your To Be Read list. William Gold is a real historical person as well as most of the characters in this series. Author first, amateur historian and someone who tries out all Middle ages technology, Christian Cameron knows his stuff. Just check out his YouTube channel devoted to writing fighting techniques with Middle Age's weaponry. On to book 3 The Green Count.
December 11, 2022
Historical fiction at its finest. I was completely invested in all the characters, both good and evil. A sweeping tale of conflict, betrayal, and dark age politics and a story I will follow to the end.
November 8, 2021
3.5 stars
I have quite enjoyed the entries in the Chivalry series by Christian Cameron so far, even though I keep running into issues that might have driven me away in the works of other authors. One is the penchant Cameron has for the infodump. I have to say that there is still a fair bit of it going on, but I must admit that Cameron tends to be fairly clever in the way he works them in and few, if any, fall into the heinous “as you know, Bob…” variety. Much of this no doubt comes from the fact that Cameron is a historical reenactor and practitioner of ‘historical European martial arts’ and thus his attention to detail in regard to a knight’s harness and fighting techniques is certainly much more fulsome than one might otherwise expect. I could see how this might actually be distracting to some readers, but for the most part I found it informative as opposed to invasive. The other ‘tic’ that persists is one that bothers the language prig in me: either Cameron needs a better editor, or he needs to brush up on a few grammar basics. I have almost made a game of looking for the places where I find Cameron’s grammar wanting: “who” for “whom”, the ever present “then/than” issue, and various misspellings and less than happy phrasings. I’m starting to wonder if this is just an issue due to the fact that I’ve been reading electronic versions of the books and perhaps they were transcribed with a less than perfect method. All that said I will reiterate that I still love these books. Cameron is a strong enough storyteller that these ‘flaws’ can be easily overlooked (by me at least) and I still find myself immersed in the tales he tells. No doubt this is largely due to the very personable character of our narrator, and hero, Sir William Gold. Cameron deftly avoids the trap of making his hero a Mary Sue by readily showing his flaws along with his strengths, but for all that he is a very likeable character and probably all the more compelling as a result.
In this volume we follow Sir William as he embarks on the Alexandrian crusade led by King Peter of Cyprus in 1365. Now a volunteer member of the Knights Hospitaller, Gold follows his mentor and spiritual leader Father Pierre Thomas on this crusade whose ostensible aim is the ‘liberation’ of the Holy Land from the Muslims, but which in actuality turns out to exemplify the worst characteristics of humanity. Neither Christian nor Gold shy away from the violence and venality of many of the soldiers and noblemen of the era, but somehow the story still didn't come across as a monotone grim-dark world to me. There are still those who aspire to be better, our narrator amongst them (though he still has his fair share of faults and falls) and while the horror of the sack of Alexandria is on full display, and nearly breaks many of the characters involved, few characters are simply evil and the world still retains its complexity. I think it’s this balance that makes the story not only believable, but also enjoyable.
I have quite enjoyed the entries in the Chivalry series by Christian Cameron so far, even though I keep running into issues that might have driven me away in the works of other authors. One is the penchant Cameron has for the infodump. I have to say that there is still a fair bit of it going on, but I must admit that Cameron tends to be fairly clever in the way he works them in and few, if any, fall into the heinous “as you know, Bob…” variety. Much of this no doubt comes from the fact that Cameron is a historical reenactor and practitioner of ‘historical European martial arts’ and thus his attention to detail in regard to a knight’s harness and fighting techniques is certainly much more fulsome than one might otherwise expect. I could see how this might actually be distracting to some readers, but for the most part I found it informative as opposed to invasive. The other ‘tic’ that persists is one that bothers the language prig in me: either Cameron needs a better editor, or he needs to brush up on a few grammar basics. I have almost made a game of looking for the places where I find Cameron’s grammar wanting: “who” for “whom”, the ever present “then/than” issue, and various misspellings and less than happy phrasings. I’m starting to wonder if this is just an issue due to the fact that I’ve been reading electronic versions of the books and perhaps they were transcribed with a less than perfect method. All that said I will reiterate that I still love these books. Cameron is a strong enough storyteller that these ‘flaws’ can be easily overlooked (by me at least) and I still find myself immersed in the tales he tells. No doubt this is largely due to the very personable character of our narrator, and hero, Sir William Gold. Cameron deftly avoids the trap of making his hero a Mary Sue by readily showing his flaws along with his strengths, but for all that he is a very likeable character and probably all the more compelling as a result.
In this volume we follow Sir William as he embarks on the Alexandrian crusade led by King Peter of Cyprus in 1365. Now a volunteer member of the Knights Hospitaller, Gold follows his mentor and spiritual leader Father Pierre Thomas on this crusade whose ostensible aim is the ‘liberation’ of the Holy Land from the Muslims, but which in actuality turns out to exemplify the worst characteristics of humanity. Neither Christian nor Gold shy away from the violence and venality of many of the soldiers and noblemen of the era, but somehow the story still didn't come across as a monotone grim-dark world to me. There are still those who aspire to be better, our narrator amongst them (though he still has his fair share of faults and falls) and while the horror of the sack of Alexandria is on full display, and nearly breaks many of the characters involved, few characters are simply evil and the world still retains its complexity. I think it’s this balance that makes the story not only believable, but also enjoyable.
May 11, 2015
Long Sword: Review
I’m sure many of my regulars are expecting my usual litany of effusive comments about the remarkable writing that Christian produces. I do feel a bit like his English fan boy some days when I write the review, but I love the writing.
full review: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
I’m sure many of my regulars are expecting my usual litany of effusive comments about the remarkable writing that Christian produces. I do feel a bit like his English fan boy some days when I write the review, but I love the writing.
full review: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
November 3, 2022
Sir Willliam Gold is in a Calais inn talking with his friends when he is persuaded to recount his part in the Crusade that led to the sacking of Alexandria. It is a tale of Chivalry of friendships of enemies without and within. It is also a tale of love. The book is long and at first, seemed to be too drawn out. However, the tale became more addictive as the blood and thunder increased and as soon we are cast up on the beach with the remnants of the force and Gold goes to Emile, his great love, and where will the tale lead next.
Good, well researched novel in the realms of chivalry and the intrigues of the courtly world of Kings and Clergymen. 4 star book.
Good, well researched novel in the realms of chivalry and the intrigues of the courtly world of Kings and Clergymen. 4 star book.
February 2, 2018
This book picks up shortly after the end of the first in the series and follows Gold as he tries to navigate his way through the political intrigues and marauding mercenaries of mid-14th century Europe. It's an interesting story, one that takes in an era I'm not that familiar with, so it's also educational in that it makes me want to read up on the events of that era.
My main problem with this hardback edition is the number of typos/misprints. In some cases, words are mixed up e.g "site" used instead of "sight" and things like that. You would assume that a proof-reader would have picked up such mistakes, but increasingly these days, publishing houses don't seem to be employing proof-readers.
That sloppiness lets down what is otherwise an engrossing story with characters who, if you've read the first book, you've come to know and care for by now. I've already read the third book in the series and I look forward to more of Gold's adventures in future.
I just hope the publishers take the time to check the spelling of those future installments!
My main problem with this hardback edition is the number of typos/misprints. In some cases, words are mixed up e.g "site" used instead of "sight" and things like that. You would assume that a proof-reader would have picked up such mistakes, but increasingly these days, publishing houses don't seem to be employing proof-readers.
That sloppiness lets down what is otherwise an engrossing story with characters who, if you've read the first book, you've come to know and care for by now. I've already read the third book in the series and I look forward to more of Gold's adventures in future.
I just hope the publishers take the time to check the spelling of those future installments!
July 11, 2020
Maybe even better than the first book. Wow. Loved it.
May 6, 2018
Warfare penned by an author who has done extensive research. You can almost taste the carnage. The blood. Magnificent!
May 30, 2019
Decent second book, perhaps a bit more courtly love than I'm normally looking for, but I like how the events just happen, which is refreshing. The death of a major character is not drawn out, indeed happens off stage for our hero to find after the fact - no meaningful death, just part of the business of soldiering, not to say that his death wasn't felt, but his death wasn't some heroic feat, which was a nice touch.
June 18, 2025
If you want a realistic tale interspersed with fiction & really fleshed out characters, don't miss this book.
The prose, the writing, the way with words & the description of full-fledged battles alongside the crusades are really some of the most distinguishing features. This is a 6-part series & it touches your inner reading demon in so many ways than one.
The prose, the writing, the way with words & the description of full-fledged battles alongside the crusades are really some of the most distinguishing features. This is a 6-part series & it touches your inner reading demon in so many ways than one.
March 7, 2018
I just love this series. Cameron's medieval Europe is so alive and vibrant, so authentic. One of the many things I really appreciate is how the dialogue shifts as the characters switch languages, even though it's obviously all in English. Slang terms, names and syntax is ever so slightly different when the story is in a French-speaking court rather than an Italian, and that's the kind of stuff that just really gets you that extra push of immersion. It's so good, par dieu.
November 28, 2025
Good sequel. Gives a fantastic glimpse at life and war in the 14th century. But the characters fell a little flat in this one and there isn’t much of a story progression, just battle followed by horse-back adventure followed by sword fight and on and on and on. But, I will certainly read the next one. Too historically accurate to quit on it.
January 18, 2015
C2014. FWFTB: crusade; tournament; hospitallers; knights, fortune.
Mr Cameron is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. There is always a ring of authenticity when reading the fight scenes and I was not surprised to learn of the rigorous research in the Historical Note.
The protagonist, Sir William Gold, is an odd mixture of savage and romantic. The story is told from his POV in the guise of keeping his companions entertained. This could account for some of the contradictions in character. The writing is hypnotic and page turning at the same time and there is no way to even think of trying to skim any part of the book. The book was dedicated to Guy Windsor who taught/teaches chivalric martial arts – not a sport I have seen looking for Olympic inclusion but sounds marvellous to watch! Now if only Sky Sports or ESPN could get in on the action. It really doesn’t hurt for a writers such as Ben Kane to state that Mr Cameron is ‘one of the finest historical fiction writers in the world’ – high praise indeed.The cover looks suitably historic-lly with the ubiquitous sword prominently displayed and some armoured chaps in the background with their standards. Perhaps something a bit more special is needed for this series. At the end of the historical note, the author says the following: I would like to write three more – but that can only happen if you, my readers, support it. Please consider pushing it on your sword-swinging friends – I’d really like to tell the rest of the story.” So, I have no hesitation in highly recommending this to all the members of the normal crew that have a penchant for a sword swinger (!) or those with a love of history. FCN: Sir William Gold (a young brash newly knighted knight with copper hair): Fiore dei Liberi a tall, strong man of twenty with good manners and an ascetic manner..: Nerio Niccolo ”Nerio was my own age, as handsome as his father, and at this late stage he had another spectacularly beautiful woman at his elbow”: Peter de Lusignan, King of Cyprus, King of Jerusalem “ a young man, not much older than me, in a cloth of gold jupon and a hose of red..
”Chaucer took his turn to shrug, ‘I’d like to see what you do with it. You take all the blood and shit and make it into something. As if it mattered. “
Mr Cameron is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. There is always a ring of authenticity when reading the fight scenes and I was not surprised to learn of the rigorous research in the Historical Note.
The protagonist, Sir William Gold, is an odd mixture of savage and romantic. The story is told from his POV in the guise of keeping his companions entertained. This could account for some of the contradictions in character. The writing is hypnotic and page turning at the same time and there is no way to even think of trying to skim any part of the book. The book was dedicated to Guy Windsor who taught/teaches chivalric martial arts – not a sport I have seen looking for Olympic inclusion but sounds marvellous to watch! Now if only Sky Sports or ESPN could get in on the action. It really doesn’t hurt for a writers such as Ben Kane to state that Mr Cameron is ‘one of the finest historical fiction writers in the world’ – high praise indeed.The cover looks suitably historic-lly with the ubiquitous sword prominently displayed and some armoured chaps in the background with their standards. Perhaps something a bit more special is needed for this series. At the end of the historical note, the author says the following: I would like to write three more – but that can only happen if you, my readers, support it. Please consider pushing it on your sword-swinging friends – I’d really like to tell the rest of the story.” So, I have no hesitation in highly recommending this to all the members of the normal crew that have a penchant for a sword swinger (!) or those with a love of history. FCN: Sir William Gold (a young brash newly knighted knight with copper hair): Fiore dei Liberi a tall, strong man of twenty with good manners and an ascetic manner..: Nerio Niccolo ”Nerio was my own age, as handsome as his father, and at this late stage he had another spectacularly beautiful woman at his elbow”: Peter de Lusignan, King of Cyprus, King of Jerusalem “ a young man, not much older than me, in a cloth of gold jupon and a hose of red..
”Chaucer took his turn to shrug, ‘I’d like to see what you do with it. You take all the blood and shit and make it into something. As if it mattered. “
January 2, 2016
Wow. This is how historical fiction ought to be: dripping with authentic detail, a current of philosophical questioning underneath (primarily concerning chivalry), and plenty of in-the-thick-of-it action. Perhaps I took so long to read The Long Sword because I didn't want to hurry the immersive experience. Or perhaps it was because, exemplary as it is in almost all respects, this novel does not possess a driving, pacy plot.
Not that it really mattered. I have never encountered a historical novelist who pays such exquisite attention to accuracy and yet never bores me in the process. The use of the first-person narrator throughout (excepting the brief Prologue and Epilogue) makes the occasional historical background briefing entirely believable - William Gold is simply informing his contemporary 'listeners' (Chaucer and Froissart!) of details they would not otherwise know. Hence the reader is fed necessary information as if by accident. I particularly appreciated the military detail. The care of armour, the varying qualities of swords, the temperament of a warhorse, the effect of smoke or night on warfare, and especially the brutality and waste of war are rendered in incredibly realistic and thoughtful strokes, yet without sensationalising the blood and violence.
Unfortunately for Cameron, his editor/publisher let him down a little in this paperback edition. There were a reasonably large number of minor spelling errors of the variety that spell-check ignores. More fundamentally, I also wondered whether this series would read more comfortably without the framing device provided by the Prologue/Epilogue which sees an older William Gold relate tales of his life to Chaucer and co. For one, this device quite clearly removes any doubt about whether William survives his many tribulations. The framing device seems a bit strained when one considers that a 400+ page tale is narrated to indefatigable listeners with nary an interruption, a snore, or straining William's vocal chords beyond repair. Better to simply launch into a first-person narrative without the third-person introduction to it?
A minor niggle, merely. The Long Sword's multitudinous virtues more than make up for any plot slackness, typos, or framing quibbles. I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment of William Gold's adventures!
Not that it really mattered. I have never encountered a historical novelist who pays such exquisite attention to accuracy and yet never bores me in the process. The use of the first-person narrator throughout (excepting the brief Prologue and Epilogue) makes the occasional historical background briefing entirely believable - William Gold is simply informing his contemporary 'listeners' (Chaucer and Froissart!) of details they would not otherwise know. Hence the reader is fed necessary information as if by accident. I particularly appreciated the military detail. The care of armour, the varying qualities of swords, the temperament of a warhorse, the effect of smoke or night on warfare, and especially the brutality and waste of war are rendered in incredibly realistic and thoughtful strokes, yet without sensationalising the blood and violence.
Unfortunately for Cameron, his editor/publisher let him down a little in this paperback edition. There were a reasonably large number of minor spelling errors of the variety that spell-check ignores. More fundamentally, I also wondered whether this series would read more comfortably without the framing device provided by the Prologue/Epilogue which sees an older William Gold relate tales of his life to Chaucer and co. For one, this device quite clearly removes any doubt about whether William survives his many tribulations. The framing device seems a bit strained when one considers that a 400+ page tale is narrated to indefatigable listeners with nary an interruption, a snore, or straining William's vocal chords beyond repair. Better to simply launch into a first-person narrative without the third-person introduction to it?
A minor niggle, merely. The Long Sword's multitudinous virtues more than make up for any plot slackness, typos, or framing quibbles. I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment of William Gold's adventures!
August 12, 2018
The second volume in the "Chivalric" series chronicling the life and times of the historical Sir William Gold. In this book, covering the years 1364 and 1365, William is ordered to go on a crusade; and it's a wonderful tale of preparations, political intrigues and William's love for a married woman.
So why three stars... That's because there is an unacceptable amount (literally dozens!) of typos and sloppy punctuation. Like dear/deer, to/too, lose/loose, etc.
Edit before publish!
So why three stars... That's because there is an unacceptable amount (literally dozens!) of typos and sloppy punctuation. Like dear/deer, to/too, lose/loose, etc.
Edit before publish!
December 23, 2014
as always christian Cameron writes an amazing book, there was a few parts i didn't like but that is due to my own personal prejudice.
June 15, 2016
Dammit Cameron. I want the rest of the series ready now so I don't have to stop!
A wonderful book. Nothing else needs to be said.
A wonderful book. Nothing else needs to be said.
December 7, 2017
One of the best
Cameron is a master storyteller. I loved this book, and I can’t wait to get to the next one. Highly recommend.
Cameron is a master storyteller. I loved this book, and I can’t wait to get to the next one. Highly recommend.
December 22, 2024
rereading the series. It was also great the second time though.
October 4, 2022
The more I read Christian Cameron's series on Sir William Gold, the more addicted I become. Told in the first person, with many short side diversions, it is as if you are sitting in the tavern with Geoffrey Chaucer and the chronicler Froissart listening to the scarred old knight reminiscing about his misadventures in politically complex France and Italy and the Crusade that was to be led by King Peter of Cyprus: a Crusade that many didn't want to happen, many wanted to use for their own political advantage or, as in King Peter's case, economic advantage. The objective was supposedly the re-taking of Jerusalem, but ended up with being the sack of the rich port of Alexandria. The complexity of just who is allied to whom and at what given time is mind boggling.
Sir William, still perusing his courtly love of a married woman, starts the tale with three mortal enemies out for his life and that of those he cares for, gains another foe and then loses one. For this adventure Sir William has left the mercenary army of Sir John Hawkwood and is serving, first as a man-at-arms, then as a knight with the Knights Hospitaller of St John.
Politics, frustration, tournaments, illness, broken bodies and bloody unrelenting war - it is all here.
Sir William, still perusing his courtly love of a married woman, starts the tale with three mortal enemies out for his life and that of those he cares for, gains another foe and then loses one. For this adventure Sir William has left the mercenary army of Sir John Hawkwood and is serving, first as a man-at-arms, then as a knight with the Knights Hospitaller of St John.
Politics, frustration, tournaments, illness, broken bodies and bloody unrelenting war - it is all here.
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