-
Kampaku: The Rise and Fall of Ishida Mitsunari
2023 HFC Five-star award for Historical Fiction.
In the heart of sixteenth-century Japan, where loyalties are tested and fragile alliances are pushed to the brink, Kampuku unfolds the riveting tale of Ishida Mitsunari, a young samurai rising through the ranks in service to the renowned warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A shrewd tactician and accomplished tea master, Mitsunari becomes the target of a shadowy network of spies, determined to end his life since childhood.
Upon Hideyoshi's shocking and sudden demise, Mitsunari finds himself entangled in a web of intrigue to determine the future heir.
Mitsunari faces the ambitions of Tokugawa Ieyasu, a formidable rival warlord who is scheming to seize control. Determined to safeguard Hideyori, whom Mitsunari believes to be the legitimate heir, he orchestrates a desperate bid to thwart Ieyasu’s ascent to power. The ensuing epic battle shapes the destiny of Japan.
Kampuku is a tale of honour, deception, and the relentless pursuit of destiny in a nation ravaged by war and secrets.
Acclaim for Kampaku
Another stunning immersive story of 16th century Japan, full of power struggles, life-changing secrets, and high-stakes gambles. HFC Awards/reviews
£12.99 -
Vlad Dracula : The Impaler
1456, the night of Vlad’s coronation: a dastardly plot, a joint venture between the Ottoman Empire and Catholic Hungary to kill the Impaler’s beloved, sets off some of the worst atrocities in history, enshrining the name Dracula as a synonym for terror.
He drank the blood of his victims, and filled the castles of the land with wretches destined for the stake: Scourge of the Saxons, champion of the peasants, national hero who saved his country from Islamic conquest, Vlad was all of these, and much, much more... His name has become a byword for cruelty, Vlad’s draconian policies the horror of Europe.
But who was the man behind the legend? Written off by historians, the Dacians were thought to have vanished immediately after the Roman conquest of Dacia, but Vlad, Son of the Devil, would revive the ancient Gaulish pride, bringing hope to the oppressed Wallach remnants of Transylvania through a dastardly series of impalements: he would become known in Romanian as Vlad Țepeș, the Impaler! A man more terrifying than any vampire.
£14.99 -
The Agony of Poland
In the latter part of 1939, German leader Adolf Hitler made a pact with the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to invade Poland. Confident that British and French leaders would opt for a weak peace settlement, Hitler’s army stormed in from the north, south and west on September 1st, while Stalin’s Red Army invaded from the east on September 17th.
This story, part fact and part fiction, is an account of the suffering endured by the Polish people at this time, many of whom were imprisoned in Siberia and forced to work under dreadful conditions. Yet when Hitler turned on Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Poland’s exiled found common cause with their Russian captors to take up arms against Nazi oppression.
Though the Allies emerged victorious in 1945, a heavy price was exacted from occupied Poland. Many survivors discovered they no longer had homeland to which they could return, their former communities now under firm Soviet control.
£6.99 -
Song of the Nightingale
England, in the 1820s: young widow Anella Hebb confronts many challenges to keep her Wiltshire farm afloat. At first, one of these challenges appears to be Major Eade Jameson, the imposing local landowner. However, after initial suspicion on both sides, a friendship begins to develop. Could it prove to be more than friendship? And what of the Major’s mysterious employee and friend, Mantel Buchanen, who comes to work at Anella’s farm?
Combining narrative drive with fine characterisation and impressive period detail, Sue McGregor’s Song of the Nightingale is a stirring tale of love, passion, tragedy and recovery.£10.99 -
Napoleon Conqueror: Tide of Eagles
France is embroiled in war with Austria as Napoleon races from victory at Castiglione into the ragged peaks of the Tyrol. His aim: defeat the cunning General Würmser and conquer the fortress stronghold of Mantua. But even while Napoleon pursues Würmser down the Brenta River Valley, Austrian forces are secretly gathering under General Alvinczy. They plan a daring offensive to drive the outnumbered French from Italy entirely.
So begins a thrilling campaign that will span continents, from the snow-capped Alps to the swirling sands of Egypt. Pursuing his grand vision of strangling English trade by conquering Alexandria and Cairo, Napoleon must defeat both Ottoman forces and the unforgiving desert itself. Even a prowling British Navy led by admiral Lord Nelson cannot deter the ambitious Corsican from this vital strategic prize.
This well-researched history analyses Napoleon’s audacious Italian and Egyptian operations. Can his Army of Italy withstand aggressive Austrian counterattacks in the mountainous Italian theatre? Will the harsh Egyptian frontier thwart Napoleon’s expanding ambitions and grand strategy? This scholarly appraisal provides authoritative perspectives on these pivotal early campaigns of Napoleon’s meteoric career.
£12.99 -
Napoleon General: Mountain Paths
In the aftermath of the Siege of Toulon, Napoleon emerges triumphant, driving the British from the Midi Region of Southern France. Yet, the shadow of war with Austria looms ominously. While battling external foes, Napoleon faces internal demons: the treacherous political landscape of Paris, the snare of Barras, and a corrupt Directory eager to undermine him.
Despite saving a government that once sought his demise, having him imprisoned during the chilling Jacobin purges post-Robespierre, Napoleon’s resilience shines. His decisive ‘Whiff of Grapeshot’ during the Vendemaire crisis not only earns him accolades and the command of the Army of Italy, holding back Austrians in the rugged terrains of Genoa and Piedmont but also the heart of Josephine de Beauharnais, his legendary love.
Napoleon General: Mountain Paths meticulously chronicles this turbulent era, offering readers an immersive journey into warfare's evolving artistry and Napoleon’s growing genius within it.
£14.99 -
Christina and the George Cross Island
In the years leading up to the Second World War, amidst an economic depression, a young cabaret dancer from Northern England accepts a job at a modest music hall in Malta, a Mediterranean island. Unbeknownst to her, the outbreak of war following Italy’s declaration against Britain and France in the summer of 1940 would leave her stranded in Malta for the entirety of the conflict. In these challenging times, she finds herself working for the Royal Air Force and embroiled in a passionate love affair with a distinguished RAF pilot.
The author, drawing on contemporary eyewitness accounts and historical resources, sets the scene against a backdrop of bravery, resilience, and sacrifice. This period marks the two and a half years when Malta’s population and its defenders valiantly withstood the relentless onslaught of the Italian and German air forces.
Christina and the George Cross Island weaves a narrative that blends fact with fiction, infusing both humour and heartbreak into this compelling tale of war, love, and endurance.
£12.99 -
Strings of Destiny
In an era where freedom remains elusive, a young man finds himself at the heart of a struggle for the most fundamental human right: the right to be free.
Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1950s Cyprus, this tale, inspired by true events and interwoven with a touch of magic, sees Herodotos championing the cause for independence on multiple fronts. His story marks a timeless testament to the resilience of the few who dare to defy the might of the many.
£8.99 -
Will from Melrose: A Romantic Trek Through a Web of Conspiracy
The year is 1317, and relations between Scotland and England are strained.Will is from Melrose, Scotland, where his father has been telling him heroic stories of fighting the English. Filled with enthusiasm, he runs away from home and joins a raid into England.After crossing the border, he is attacked and left for dead, but is found and brought back to health by a village girl, Rachel. But she is English…It isn’t long before Will is falling for Rachel, but at the same time, he senses a plot to assassinate King Robert of Scotland. What will he do now, torn between the girl he loves and the King he worships?
£13.99 -
We Were Not Heroes
History is told by the victors and dare to write about the losing side. Writer Mark Kurt dared to bring to the reader the book We Were Not Heroes, a fictional novel about the diabolical scenario of the Second World War where men and women were trying to survive the boundless cruelties.Never has so much detail been written about the strategy of a pack of German U-boats trying to intercept an Allied convoy, the cold-bloodedness during naval combat and the pursuit of their enemies with destroyers in an attempt to annihilate them.Mark Kurt in his narrative of suspense and intriguing describes the incursion of a German command in British territory led by Max as main character and in the pursuit of the Germans an intelligent and selfless British investigator in the attempt to stop them, but to each one of the characters is reserved a different destiny despite the same scenario of the Second World War.
£10.99 -
Trouble and Strife
Sometimes the smallest voices make the deepest impact.Josephine Hadley, a 1930s Canadian housewife, fills her days looking after her children, her indifferent husband and a stream of Depression-era visitors. Her contribution to her guests is a bowl of stew and an open heart. Her small world, however, is soon shattered by a tragic event which forces her to become the breadwinner. Can she run a business without sacrificing herself? And is it possible to act on a long-buried desire without remorse?Johanne Levesque’s first novel, Trouble and Strife, is a poignant and heartbreaking look at a woman’s life in a fast-changing time. With intimate details and a deft poetic touch, Levesque has captured the spirit of an age where war and economic hardship altered the workplace, home and women’s lives forever.
£8.99 -
Treachery at Bosworth Field 1485
Richard III by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland.England has gone through years of civil wars, strife and unrest during the period of the so-called 'Wars of the Roses'. House against house, family against family, cousin against cousin. The wheel of fortune turning this way and that.On the death of Richard's dear brother Edward IV, Richard becomes Lord Protector of England as Duke of Gloucester, but events overtake him. On finding that both Edward V and Richard of York are declared illegitimate, he has no option but to take the throne of England.Richard III proves to be a good and fair king and is much loved by any that come into contact with him. However, old wounds run deep and very soon, stories are put about attempting to discredit him. Rebellions happen and all the treachery takes place once more, culminating in the invasion of Henry Tudor and the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.Treachery at Bosworth Field 1485 belies a wealth of historical knowledge and enthusiasm for this turbulent period and frequently misunderstood king.
£7.99