Conquest

The Conquest Trilogy #3

by Jack Ludlow

In twenty years the de Hauteville brothers have gone from penniless obscurity to become the most potent warrior family in depended on by the Pope, feared by Byzantium and respected by the Holy Roman Emperor. Now, at the head of the tribe stands Robert, who has only one to expand his power by military conquest. Yet his equal has yet to make his presence felt.


Roger, the youngest of the brothers, is a giant in build and a great fighter. In company – and sometimes in conflict – with Robert, he will seek to raise the family to the pinnacle of influence, not as vassals beholden to a greater power, but as rulers in their own right. Their chosen enemies are the mighty Saracen Emirs of Sicily, and conquest comes before all, even if the path is not easy. The Saracens are like a hydra-headed monster. There are enemies at Roger’s back as well as before him, battles to fight and defeats to be reversed, and treacheries both secret and transparent to circumvent in a long and bloody campaign.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Medieval, Historical, War

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2010

About the author

JACK LUDLOW is the pen name of writer David Donachie, who was born in Edinburgh in 1944. He has had a variety of jobs, including selling everything from business machines to soap. He has always had an abiding interest in the naval history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which he drew upon for the many novels he has set in that period. The author of a number of bestselling books, he now lives in Deal with his wife, fellow A&B author Sarah Grazebrook.

Reviews

[Velvetink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this hard to get into at first, had never read Jack Ludlow before it and it started pretty dry, however about 4 chapters in either I was used to his style or he suddenly got better. Maybe it was the fact that there was more dialogue after the tedious introduction chapters. This period of history I wasn't well acquainted with and even less so of the Normans or their forays into Italy and so was enlightening. The brothers Roger and Robert De Hauteville end well after what seems an outrageous number of battles. Also interesting was the way Ludlow described battle tactics (& they made sense to me), something you don't always get in historical novels.

1 of 20 for $10 20/1014

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Conquest, we follow the fortunes of Roger de Hauteville, the youngest of the brothers to leave home in Normandy to seek his fortune in the lands of Italy as his brothers so successfully had done before him. This book had all the fascination of the previous ones; the descriptions of Normal cavalry battles, sieges, the conquest and lost of cities and provinces was as breathtakingly fascinating as those in the first two books. This book details how Robert Guiscard de Hauteville became a Prince of Italy, how Sicily was finally conquered back from Byzantium. These were very exciting times, historically and as I don't know that much of Italy's history I was fascinated. That the Normans had had such a massive, massive impact on the country was news to me when I started reading the series, that the Normans themselves were pretty much Viking descendants, was not new. Nevertheless I loved, the feeling of history in all its aspects rolling out before my eyes as I read.

This was the final book in the Conquest trilogy (as the wrapping says) and while I went through the first two books it took me a while to come around to the third. Part of that was that I really loved the characters of William and Drogo from the first book, loved the way they were written, their thoughts and actions.... just loved reading about them.So, when they died I was very miffed indeed. This is something that happens with history, sure, the characters you like die because they did die, all those hundreds of years ago and the author was true to the facts, which I appreciate. Since I did not much care for their brothers however, it took me a while to get back to the series I am so glad I finally made it back.

Jack Ludlow's ability to make his battle scenes sing and his characters live and breath, bellow and laugh, in your imagination means I will definitely go out of my way to read more of his writing.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book, or rather the trilogy did a great job of educating me on the De Hauteville exploites...but again, the author ended the third book and the trilogy as a whole, in a history book fashion. I wish he had placed more emphasis on individual character maintenance. He could have really had the reader rapped in to each (real life) characters goals and aspirations.

[Alex Helling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conquest of Sicily by the Normans is very much the other Norman conquest. It was as significant as the conquest of England in 1066 but is far less well known - at least in English. Conquest by Jack Ludlow is the third in a trilogy following the Normans’ in their fighting in and ultimately conquest of the south of Italy. This is the culmination of the trilogy but this book focuses on Roger de Hauteville, a newcomer on the scene which means the book works fine as a stand alone novel too.

Roger makes for a charismatic central character. Effective in battle, yet he is also good at diplomacy and tolerant of others' ideas. The focus is very much on him and his interactions with some of his brothers, particularly Robert Guisgard (who I assume was the centre of the previous book). There is however a bit of a lack of good female characters - a bit disappointing as even for an action focused book more could have been made of the impressive (and huge) Sichelgaita, Robert's second wife, as she was known for accompanying her husband on campaign and even in battle.

Conquest feels fast, quick and easy to read. And in some cases this is at the cost of being a bit thin. We cover much of Roger’s life; more than thirty years from arrival to conquest. The book could therefore never do justice to the amount of campaigning, the twists and turns and changing fortune of the reality. It does however give a decent impression that the conquest was not all progress, there are times when there are defeats in the novel too.

Jack Ludlow is clearly an action writer; we end at the end of the conquest of Sicily but that is not the end of the story. In many ways the more interesting bit was yet to come; the integration of three communities, the flowering of culture and learning. Yet that is barely hinted at in this novel.

This is a decent historical novel. Apart from simplification I did not spot any historical mistakes. Though if you want to know more on this history then J.J. Norwich’s The Normans in The South is a very readable popular history of the same period.

[Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my assessments of this book Cconquest by Jack Ludlow according to 6 criteria:
1. Too long and Strenuous action - exciting - 4 stars
2. Boring - fun - 4 stars
3. not difficult to read (as for non English native speaker] - 3 stars
4. predictable (common) - good story (unusual) - 4 stars
5. Shalow story - has a deeper meaning - 4 stars
6. The story is mass and Unfinished - The story is clear, understandable and well rounded story - 4 stars

Total 3.83 stars.

[René · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-worth read of a little-known time of history. Unfortunately, one can sense and read how the Vikings’ descendants’ thirst for plunder and conquest led to the Crusades, for which we still pay a heavy price in intolerance, bigotry and mistrust.

[Jonathon · Rating 5 out of 5]

All in all a really good look into the Norman conquest of Italy and scicily and a good insight into the lives inside the de hauteville family circle .

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good ending to the trilogy. Robert and Roger (pronounce it with a french accent) complete the conquest of Sicily and sounthern Italy. This has been intersting to me since I knew nothing of the Normans and what kind of influence they had on the world in their time. I have stood on the wall of a Norman keep in England, and seen Monty Python's impersonation in The Holy Grail, but never realized what they did other places.

[Sonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did not disappoint me as the second one in the series did. It was well written with lots of battles and less emphasis on the political situation of the time period. Not as many characters introduced as in the second book made it easier to keep track of who was who and where they were campaigning.

I would highly recommend this series.

[Adam Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

All's well that ends well. The surviving brothers have made their stand, made their mark, and gained land, respect, honour and their all important titles.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook read by Jonathan Keeble
Have actually enjoyed the first books in the series more than the laterones. Find it does go on a bit, but every now and then it really is good!

[Teddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one the best of the three in the trilogy, but it wasn't my favorite series.