Conquest

In twenty years the de Hautevilles have gone from penniless obscurity to become the most potent warrior family in all of Christendom: depended on by the Pope, feared by Byzantium and respected by the Holy Roman Emperor. One by one they have proved themselves to be great warriors. Yet the greatest of the family has yet to make his presence felt. Roger, the youngest son of Tancred de Hauteville has finally come to Italy, not only a great warrior but an even more canny politician. The path is not easy amid the bubbling stew of Italian politics. There are enemies at Roger's back as well as before him, battles to fight and defeats to be reversed, treacheries both secret and transparent to circumvent in a bloody campaign. Although the loyalty of blood only goes so far, it is that, above everything, which will in the end be the catalyst that propels the name de Hauteville to the pinnacle of power. This is the final installment in Ludlow's latest series of historical adventure and intrigue.

Genre: Historical