What do you think?
Rate this book
Border Knight #4
Magna Carta
The Earl of Cleveland has managed to put himself in King John’s good graces just at the time when other barons decide to rebel. They seek more land and power. The newly appointed Earl is caught in the middle. When the Scots begin to raid once more Sir Thomas is forced to rally the loyal knights of the north and repel them. Following the actual history which led to the Magna Carta and beyond this fast-moving novel moves from Scotland to Wales and Northampton and Lincoln. It culminates in the battle of Lincoln 1217 when the French army attempted to conquer England. So long as the Earl and William Marshal stand shoulder to shoulder with the boy king, Henry III, then England will be safe!
- GenresHistorical Fiction
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 11, 2018
276 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Griff Hosker
305 books419 followersI was born in 1950 in Lancashire and attended a boy’s grammar school. After qualifying as an English and Drama teacher in 1972, I worked in the North East of England for the next 35 years. During that time I did write, mainly plays, pantos and musicals for the students at the three schools in which I worked.
When I stopped teaching I set up my own consultancy firm and worked as an adviser in schools and colleges in the North East of England. The new Conservative Government ended that avenue of work and in 2010 I found that I had time on my hands; having started work at the age of 15 I found the lack of work not to my liking and used the time to research the Roman invasion of Britain and begin to create a novel. The result was The Sword of Cartimandua.
My decision to begin writing was one of the best I have ever taken.
griff-signature-360x57
When I stopped teaching I set up my own consultancy firm and worked as an adviser in schools and colleges in the North East of England. The new Conservative Government ended that avenue of work and in 2010 I found that I had time on my hands; having started work at the age of 15 I found the lack of work not to my liking and used the time to research the Roman invasion of Britain and begin to create a novel. The result was The Sword of Cartimandua.
My decision to begin writing was one of the best I have ever taken.
griff-signature-360x57
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 12, 2019
Good book for history buffs
I enjoy books which portray time periods not always familiar to most people. Not only that, England has had a turbulent past, despite its recent appearance as a pleasant place to live. Common folks and nobility lived in constant fear for lives and property.
This series, while fiction, portrays that life on the edge of disaster during the reign of King Richard I and John in the latter part of the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. Armies of knights and their retainers swarmed the land, destroying hapless farms and towns in their wake and engaging in bloody battles. Not to mention external enemies like France and Scotland, or the feuds over sections of the European continent left over from the Norman invasion of 1066. T'was a tough time to live in for most Englishmen and their families.
The Border Knight books, particularly the last three, graphically illustrate the times through the eyes of a a son of a noble family, Thomas of Stockton, knighted on the Crusade battlefield where his father died. After a time in France, he returns home to discover his lands confiscated and virtually destroyed by Prince John, who is filling in while Richard is crusading. The rest of the series revolves around his efforts to win them back and restore his family's reputation. It's a devious and violent path.
If you like reading about combat, there's plenty of that. Thomas is a likable character, though I think he's a Dudley-Do-Right, which makes him hard to believe. Also, he's an incredible fighter; he kills or maims so many people that one would lose count quickly if you even tried!
With those caveats, they are a good read.
I enjoy books which portray time periods not always familiar to most people. Not only that, England has had a turbulent past, despite its recent appearance as a pleasant place to live. Common folks and nobility lived in constant fear for lives and property.
This series, while fiction, portrays that life on the edge of disaster during the reign of King Richard I and John in the latter part of the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. Armies of knights and their retainers swarmed the land, destroying hapless farms and towns in their wake and engaging in bloody battles. Not to mention external enemies like France and Scotland, or the feuds over sections of the European continent left over from the Norman invasion of 1066. T'was a tough time to live in for most Englishmen and their families.
The Border Knight books, particularly the last three, graphically illustrate the times through the eyes of a a son of a noble family, Thomas of Stockton, knighted on the Crusade battlefield where his father died. After a time in France, he returns home to discover his lands confiscated and virtually destroyed by Prince John, who is filling in while Richard is crusading. The rest of the series revolves around his efforts to win them back and restore his family's reputation. It's a devious and violent path.
If you like reading about combat, there's plenty of that. Thomas is a likable character, though I think he's a Dudley-Do-Right, which makes him hard to believe. Also, he's an incredible fighter; he kills or maims so many people that one would lose count quickly if you even tried!
With those caveats, they are a good read.
January 16, 2021
Griff Hosker has written yet another brilliant book. I must confess that, although this book is number four in "The Border Knight" series, it is the first one in said series that I have read. There is a reason: I wrote a novel on the same subject of the First Barons' War and the French invasion of 1216 "If You Go Down in the Woods" ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...). My novel deals with the actions of Wilkin of the Weald and what happened in the south east of England, Hosker's "Magna Carta" deals with what happened in the north of England at the same time and, thus, compliments my own book.
Hosker has his fictional Earl of Cleveland involved in most of the actions that took place before, during and after Magna Carta and does so with his usual accurate and interesting flare.
Sir Thomas, Earl of Cleveland, is the perfect knight, though in a 13thC pattern - no wimpy stuff from Sir T, but he is fair, not at all cruel and does care for his folk, both civil and military.
One thing I must confess is that I re-enact as an English archer, so any novel in the Medieval period is seen through those eyes: Griff Hosker know his stuff when it comes to archers of the period I salute him - it is just one example of how good his research is.
Now, I must consider my finances. Should I get the three preceding "Border Knight" novels? or should I go back further, as in fact Sir T's family's story goes back 17 novels with "The Anarchy" series.
This book was read within 24 hours as I couldn't put it down.
The only negative is that, as with Hosker's other novels, it could have done with more proof reading.
Hosker has his fictional Earl of Cleveland involved in most of the actions that took place before, during and after Magna Carta and does so with his usual accurate and interesting flare.
Sir Thomas, Earl of Cleveland, is the perfect knight, though in a 13thC pattern - no wimpy stuff from Sir T, but he is fair, not at all cruel and does care for his folk, both civil and military.
One thing I must confess is that I re-enact as an English archer, so any novel in the Medieval period is seen through those eyes: Griff Hosker know his stuff when it comes to archers of the period I salute him - it is just one example of how good his research is.
Now, I must consider my finances. Should I get the three preceding "Border Knight" novels? or should I go back further, as in fact Sir T's family's story goes back 17 novels with "The Anarchy" series.
This book was read within 24 hours as I couldn't put it down.
The only negative is that, as with Hosker's other novels, it could have done with more proof reading.
February 19, 2020
Another great book for Griff Hosker
Another great book from Hosker. His research for his historical novels can't be out done. Very good and believable characters and all the action you expect. He makes you feel like you are there in Medieval England and seeing all that that is going on. If you like historical novels with plenty of battles that show you how everything happened in them, then this book is for you. Plus you get to see how the people lived and died in that era of history.
Another great book from Hosker. His research for his historical novels can't be out done. Very good and believable characters and all the action you expect. He makes you feel like you are there in Medieval England and seeing all that that is going on. If you like historical novels with plenty of battles that show you how everything happened in them, then this book is for you. Plus you get to see how the people lived and died in that era of history.
February 9, 2020
Fantastic Read
For history buffs and for those who want to read about England in the 13th century - this book and this series are for you. Griff Hosker is a master storyteller. Giving us believable characters, the way of life in the 13th century, and a great story line.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
For history buffs and for those who want to read about England in the 13th century - this book and this series are for you. Griff Hosker is a master storyteller. Giving us believable characters, the way of life in the 13th century, and a great story line.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
January 9, 2021
Getting more interesting
More names to know Thomas is getting older and do his boys and girls must have stories to tell..I like the stories told from the eyes of the common soldier...
More names to know Thomas is getting older and do his boys and girls must have stories to tell..I like the stories told from the eyes of the common soldier...
December 28, 2022
The final part. And a fine journey Griff has taken the reader, through the turmoil of protecting the borders of England. Graphic descriptions of battles, fought hand to hand. Cunning exploits of battle tactics. I absolutely loved it.
June 30, 2018
Hosker is a very good writer. The book puts you in the early 1200s as a great baron who is a rare sort; a charitable lord. Now I'm reading the first of the books in this series.
May 30, 2020
Another brilliant and captivating book following Sir Thomas The Earl of Cleveland in his quest to protect king and country as well as his family and manor
September 1, 2025
The action continues to hold me.
The History continues to inform me.
The modern-ness of the MC continues to irritate me.
The History continues to inform me.
The modern-ness of the MC continues to irritate me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews