Death’s Bright Angel (PB)

The next book in J. D. Davies Journals of Matthew Quinton, Death’s Bright Angel, is now available for pre-order in paperback. It will be released worldwide on 30 August 2016.

In September 1666, one word was on everyon’s lips. Fire. But not all attention was on the blaze that destroyed London. Just three weeks earlier, British ships had obliterated the Dutch town of Westerschelling and set 150 merchant vessels ablaze. In an atmosphere thick with rumour, many thought the Great Fire of London was caused by Britain’s enemies, perhaps in revenge for Westerschelling. Perhaps they were right.

In the weeks before London’s burning, Sir Matthew Quinton, master of H.M.S. Sceptre, is recalled to a city seething with foreign plots and paranoia, and given a dangerous mission by the King. A secret quartet of terrorists is planning to destroy the capital, stir rebellion, open the way for invasion. Only Quinton can stop them.

Weaving together historical fact and fast-paced thriller, Death’s Bright Angel concludes with the author’s own, incendiary revelations about the Great Fire and those who’d prefer the truth to lie forgotten among the ashes.

Source: Death’s Bright Angel (PB)

The Barbary Pirates 15th-17th Centuries (K/PB)

Angus Konstam’s new book, The Barbary Pirates 15th-17th Centuries, will be available worldwide in Paperback and for kindle download on 25 August 2016.

It is now available for pre-order.Uncovers the heyday of the legendary ‘Barbary corsairs’, pirates and slave-raiders from the North African coast who for centuries terrorized European shipping in the Mediterranean and western Atlantic, and even raided the English and Irish coasts.For the best part of three centuries the ‘corsairs’ or pirates from the ‘Barbary’ coasts of North Africa dominated the Western and Central Mediterranean and made forays far into the Atlantic, preying on the shipping and coastal settlements across Christian Europe, ranging from Greece to West Africa and the British Isles. In the absence of organized European navies they seldom faced serious opposition, and the scope of their raiding was remarkable. As well as piracy and slave-raiding they fought as privateers, sharing their spoils with the rulers of the port-cities that provided them with ships, men, and a ready market. This book examines their development and their style of fighting, chronicles their achievements and failures, and illustrates their appearance and that of their ships, explaining why they were so feared and effective.

Source: The Barbary Pirates 15th-17th Centuries (K/PB)

Sea Eagles of Empire (K/HC)

Simon Elliott’s new book, Sea Eagles of Empire: The Classis Britannica and the Battles for Britain, will be released in worldwide in Hardcover and for kindle download on 3 August 2016. It is now available for pre-order.

The Roman war machine comprised land and naval forces. Although the former has been studied extensively, less has been written and understood about the naval forces of the Roman Empire and, in particular, the regional navies which actively participated in most military operations and policed the seas and rivers of the Empire.Until the mid third century, in a British context, this navy was the Classis Britannica – a strong fighting force in its own right. The composition, ship types, roles, tactics and technology have never been studied at length. Here Elliot tells the story of this illustrious naval force in their metal-beaked galleys and their exploits defeating enemies of the Empire and keeping the peace around the British Isles.

Source: Sea Eagles of Empire (K/HC)