Crusader: The Complete Campaigns

by Paul Bannister

Crusader: The Complete Campaigns
"Full of action, intrigue and historical insight." Richard Foreman
CRUSADER
1165 AD.
The Third Crusade is on the horizon, and Henry II is on the throne.
And now young Frederick Banastre is being sent to court to become a steward to the young prince Richard, readying him for his own chance at glory.
But as the King ages, and the heir to the throne, Young Henry, prepares to take over, Frederick and Richard need to prove themselves on the battlefield.
They journey to France in an attempt to quell rebellious uprisings, and cement English rule.
But then disaster strikes, and with both Henrys in mortal danger, the way is paved for the rise of Richard the Lionheart…

TREASON
1190 AD.
Frederick Banastre has taken the cross, to fight alongside Europe’s finest warrior, Richard the Lionheart, in the Holy Land.
To manage England in his absence, Richard appointed three regents: a chancellor and two others who shared the duties of Justiciar.
Although Earl John would act as surrogate king, the real power would not be in his hands, or so Richard thought.
Bannastre saw evidence of John’s treachery before he left England’s shores when John had attempted to seize Richard’s crusading sword for himself.
Only John’s royal blood had stopped Banastre running the cold, tempered steel through his flesh and muscle...

TEMPLAR
1216 AD.
King John has died and his young son, Henry, a boy of only nine years has been left to rule.
A new regent must be found before internal strife tears the country apart once more.
Count Ramon of Toulouse seems to be the perfect choice; he is powerful enough to bring the barons to heel until Henry is ready to fully assume the throne.
But convincing Ramon to leave his lands to become regent of England is more difficult than Frederick and Alaric first thought…
After Alaric takes up holy orders with the Templar Knights, he and Frederick travel to France to bring back a regent that England is so desperately in need of.
But Ramon is tied up many troubles of his own, most prominently the 5th Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort, who is wreaking havoc by declaring a holy crusade against him and his people.

SIEGE
1215.
King John Signs the Magna Carta in an unconditional submission to a group of rebel barons.
The Pope declares it illegal.
During the ensuing First Baron War, King John dies and nine-year-old Henry inherits the crown.
Treachery and rebellion blight the years that follow.
One man stands both participant and observer: the rebel Lancastrian Baron Frederick de Banastre.

927 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2018

About the author

A recovering journalist who worked for national publications on both sides of the Atlantic, and who has freelanced for magazines worldwide, Bannister began writing historical fiction in 2012 and is still working at the craft.

He authored the autobio 'Tabloid Man & the Baffling Chair of Death' which details his life as the National Enquirer's chief reporter of the paranormal, when he worked worldwide on stories such as the Stanford Research Institute's decade-long investigation into psychic spying; he traveled with astronaut Dr Edgar Mitchell for months during his time founding the Institute of Noetic Sciences and with Guy Playfair during his investigation into the Enfield poltergeist case.

Bannister uses his research and investigative training to provide exhaustive and accurate detail in his Roman and Crusader suites of novels and posits that the hero of 'Arthur Britannicus,' the usurper emperor Carausius (CE 286 - 293) is the real source of the Arthurian legends.

Reviews

[Martha J. Acord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting if you are a history buff.

[Madi]

Plan to come back when I don’t have an extremely tantalizing TBR pile.