Bøker av Griff Hosker

An only child of Anglo-French descent, young James Bretherton has known a life of privilege; well-educated and mild mannered, his path is filled with promise. But when James suddenly finds himself orphaned and penniless, his future looks decidedly bleak. It is only when Fate intervenes in the guise of two English mercenaries, that James is given hope. Embarking on a new life as a soldier, he soon becomes embroiled in the religious war between Catholics and Protestants, The Empire and the German States; the war that was known as The Thirty Years war.

The Dragonheart has sailed many seas, fought many battles and killed countless enemies since he was taken as a Viking slave so long ago. He has built a clan and protected them in the Land of the Wolf and his name is known throughout the Viking world. Now, as he approaches his seventieth year the Norns spin their webs still. Enemies conspire and they gather to end not only his life but the very existence of the Clan of the Wolf. With enemies close to home the Dragonheart has to rely on Ylva and Sámr for they are of his blood. In a gripping finale to the Dragonheart series, the story moves quickly from the Land of Wolf to Wyddfa and Dyflin. In a cataclysmic end, Dragonheart and Haaken One Eye fight together for one last battle. This is the end of an epic. It is the end of a saga. It is the end of Dragonheart.

With the King of the Franks fighting a civil war and a Saxon king on the verge of death Hrolf the Horseman embarks on a series of raids and attacks to make his land more secure and to give his son an inheritance. When he raids the Seine, along with a fleet he discovers the treachery of erstwhile allies. His son, Ragnvald enjoys command for the first time. We see two leaders with the same blood as they take pieces of Frankia to make the land that will, one day, be Normandy!

When Jarl Dragonheart steals the crown of Queen Osburga of Wessex he sets in motion a train of events which have dire consequences not only for the Land of the Wolf and Wessex but the land of the Danes too. After his great grandson, Sámr, is almost lost at sea, the Dragonheart is given a task. He has to lead a Danish army and take Lundenwic and Wessex. With just a handful of men and Ragnar's son, Sámr, the Dragonheart battles Danes, Saxons and the Norns. A fast moving novel which takes the reader from north of Hadrian's Wall to the Holy Roman Empire the novel tells the story of the great Viking raid of 851!

Jarl Dragonheart is aging. His Ulfheonar are getting older too. Is it time for him to sheathe his sword and watch his grandchildren grow? When Klakke Blue Cheek, a Dane with grand ambitions, embroils Jarl Dragonheart in an attempt to take Wessex then all thoughts of peace are forgotten. In a fast-moving novel filled with battles and intrigue the Dragonheart finds parts of his past and those of his ancestors come to change his future.

Dragon Heart's daughter and daughter in law had been kidnapped. He has to to search for them in the lands and the seas of his enemies. He faces enemies with magical powers as well as enemies who have castles which cannot be taken. In a fast moving story filled with battles at sea and on land our Viking hero has more twists and turns to contend with than he has encountered before. The story moves from the north to Cornwall, Wales and back to the north as Dragon Heart and his men are stretched to the limit.

Major Matthews is called upon once more to be Sir Arthur Wellesley's aide in the forthcoming Iberian Campaign. Working with the spymaster, Colonel Selkirk, Matthews has to not only find the enemies who wear a different uniform but those who are closer to home and appear to be allies. Set against the backdrop of the battle which gained Sir Arthur the title of Duke of Wellington Talavera gives a no holds barred picture of a brutal war which gave Napoleon a major setback.

Being a soldier of the queen at the end of the nineteenth century meant spending much of your time abroad. Jack Roberts is a hero and a good soldier but he is torn between his career and his son who is looked after in England. When the Mahdists begin to enlarge their empire Jack is recalled to the desert regiment he helped to form. Fighting behind enemy lines where nature is as much an enemy as the fierce Dervishes, Jack begins the campaign that will, ultimately, lead to the Battle of Omdurman in 1898.

Sir John Hawkwood is not getting any younger but he is now the supreme condottiero, not only in Italy but the whole of Europe. When the two rival popes try to manipulate him he has to use new skills to outwit them. He finds himself facing almost insurmountable odds when he is attacked by the Milanese and Veronese. He faces defeat at Castagnaro but his mind is as sharp as ever. Sir John Hawkwood shows his rivals why he is the best.

The greatest invasion in the history of mankind is about to take place and the world is watching yet the fate of the civilised world rests in the hands of a very small number of men.. D-Day is approaching and the Commandos are needed not only to attack the Atlantic all but to discover what will be waiting for them when they do attack. Based on actual battlefield detail this is a fast-moving novel which culminates in the attack on Sword Beach in 1944.

In a land of legend, a new hero emerges as an unlikely warrior rises from the ashes of a village destroyed by invading Saxons. Set in the late Sixth Century Saxon Dawn shows the last flames of resistance to the Anglo-Saxon invaders. King Arthur and the last of the Romans have gone but King Urien fights on. When three orphans join his warriors then the tide begins to turn and, despite, overwhelming odds they begin to turn the tide. Based on the history of the period Saxon Dawn is a fast moving story with graphic battles scenes as well complex characters and devious plot twists.

With the whole of Europe under his heel, Emperor Napoleon seems invincible until two British generals and a handful of men dare to stand up to him. This is the story of Sir Arthur Wellesley's' first success in Iberia and the tragic retreat to Corunna by Sir John Moore. The story follows Robbie Macgregor as he continues to serve his adopted country. With secret missions behind enemy lines and battles against the French the novel is an accurate depiction of the Peninsular War in 1808.

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!

The novel is set in the heart of the Dark Ages and shows the struggle between the Saxons and the remnants of Romano-British tribes. Using actual events from the time the story is of the struggle of a legendary leader with a magical sword who unites the last of the free peoples against King Edwin and his Northumbrians. There is treachery and deceit as well as honour and courage. Filled with action and battles the novel continues the story of Lord Lann, the Wolf Warrior.

Robbie Macgregor is a Chasseur of France but Napoleon Bonaparte uses him as a spy. He is caught up in the Egyptian campaign facing enemies from within and without. The novel is full of battles and action and the war conducted by Bonaparte against the Ottoman Turks.

Jarl Dragon Heart and his special sword prove to be magnets for every young warrior who wishes to make a name for himself. After three assassination attempts the Viking goes to Wessex where he helps Egbert, the King of Wessex fight off an invasion from Mercia backed by Danes from Jorvik. A fast moving book which moves from the Jorvik to London and back concluding in a cataclysmic battle back in the Isles of Man.

The battle of Arras is about to begin and the new German fighters will rule the skies in what will become Bloody April when the Royal Flying Corps begin to lose pilots and crews in huge numbers. 41 Squadron become the one hope on the Arras front and Bill, Gordy and Ted have to fight for their lives against the new Albatros and Baron Manfred Von Richthofen. The novel moves between the war in France and the home front to give a graphic snapshot of the war in the Spring of 1917.

It is 1940 and Britain is fighting alone against the Germans. With the RAF fighting above the skies of England it is down to the Commandos to go back to France and cause as much trouble to the Germans as possible. When the Italians join in alongside the Germans it seems that Britain is about to sink beneath a sea of Fascists. A fast moving novel which follows one section of Commandos as they fight in France and North Africa.

It is late 1917 and the war still grinds on. The Sopwith Camels are holding their own against the German war machine and then they meet the Fokker Triplane and the pilots of the RFC began to fall. As the war drifts into 1918 the Germans have one last throw of the dice and come within a whisker of the sea. It is up to Bill, Gordy and Ted to lead their young pilots in a last desperate attempt to halt the grey wall of steel. With a dramatic climax during bloody September in 1918 the final book set in the Great War shows how the squadron emerges from four bloody years of war.

The world of Dragon Heart is thrown into confusion when they become the target of their Viking brothers. Raiders come every direction to take what Dragon Heart and his people have built. This is the time of Viking fighting Viking for control of the land that will become England. A fast moving novel the action moves from Byzantium to London and then Orkney.

When Prince Arthur is murdered and the French begin to take Normandy, Sir Thomas finds himself isolated and alone. The Norman barons conspire against King John and the English knight has a dilemma. Does he join the rebels or stay true to his beliefs? Undefeated he and one of his knights leave Anjou and sail to a new life in England but it is not a life without trouble and death. He finds himself, in the midst of conspiracies and plots, forced to defend his land against bandits, brigands and the Scots. A fast-moving novel based on actual events at the start of the thirteenth century.

It is the beginning of the Somme Offensive and thousands of British and French soldiers are about to assault the German lines. The RFC comes of age as they sweep the German Fokkers from the skies. Providing a protective umbrella over the Somme they ensure that the offensive does not fail. When the Germans retaliate with their new and deadly Albatros fighters the pendulum swings in favour of the Germans and Bill and 41 Squadron find themselves with their backs to the walls as they fight a superior aircraft in the skies of northern France.

James of Ecclestone thought that when Perkin Warbeck was executed his days as a spy were over. He was wrong. Kings do not forget men who are useful to them and James was a master of his craft. Wanting nothing more than a life of peace with a new family James is thrown into the maelstrom of politics, intrigue and knives in the night.

When men fight together, especially in a holy cause there is not only a bond but also an unspoken promise to come to the aid of their shield brother. When Birger Persson discovers that he is dying he asks his son to seek help from two old friends. One of them is Sir Thomas of Stockton. Events conspire to thwart Birger's son from reaching Sir Thomas and it is left to Sir William, Sir Thomas' son to effect a rescue of the Swedish knight. When Sir William and the King of Scotland are attacked by Scottish rebels then the spider's web of plots and treachery threaten to strangle both the border knight and his unlikely ally!

King Æthelredwas the worst King of England but, in his second son, Edmund Ironside, was a king in the mould of King Alfred. Prince Cnut has his own problems for his brother refuses to share the crown of Denmark with him. It is Sven Saxon Sword, wielding Oathsword who orchestrates the campaign that brings the Danish fleet to invade England. The oath he made on the sword is now a fetter, tethering him to the fate of Princde Cnut of Denmark.

Jarl Dragon Heart has taken to the seas. With his wolf warriors he raids further afield than ever before as he seeks his destiny. He has to fight new enemies as well as treacherous former allies. The Norns weave their webs and the Vikings discover the Middle Sea and Africa before they find themselves at the court of Nikephoros 1, the Emperor of Byzantium. A vast moving novel filled with battles both at sea and on land as the Viking Wolf unleashes his pack on the world.

With his son, Wolf Killer, now in Valhalla, Dragonheart looks to secure his land. He finds enemies all around him. Wrongly assuming that the land of the Wolf was now weak the King of Strathclyde and Hibernian mercenaries invade. When his borders are safe he leaves his home to sail far away where he wreaks revenge on the paymaster of his son's killers. When the Weird Sisters weave their webs he finds himself fighting an enemy who is more dangerous than any he has met before. With his people slaughtered and his land threatened he has to face a Viking enemy.

The last Viking left in the New World finds fresh challenges when his growing family is forced to leave their home on the Patawomke River to sail north and find a new home amongst tribes who may be hostile. As his clan grows Erik learns to adapt to this new world and all its wonders.

Sir Thomas, Hero of Arsuf, rides to war again! When a king asks a baron to go on crusade it is an order, not a request and, as such, is not to be ignored. The Earl of Cleveland has done his duty for his King and for the Pope many times over but he and his son, William, are chosen as a token gesture to placate an unhappy Pope. Leaving England with a handful of men and untried and young knights, the old campaigner travels across Europe to join a crusade which is going nowhere. In a land riven with conspiracies and plots on both sides, Sir Thomas is beset by enemies. When he is forced, by circumstances, to go to the aid of a beleaguered force of crusaders his past meets his present and threatens his future. This is the latest book, number 8, in the Border Knight series.

The story of the FE 2b; the Gunbus. First Lieutenant Bill Harsker and his squadron come up against the deadly Fokker monoplane. While many other squadrons are decimated the Gunbuses give the fledgling RFC hope. When a new commanding officer takes over the squadron and imposes impossible rules lives are lost and Bill has to face a court martial. All of the gains they have made are threatened by a martinet. The novel spans the end of 1915 and the start of 1916. It shows the harsh realities of life on the Western Front, in the air and the problems of the civilians back home.