Overview

England stands divided: king against Parliament, town against country, brother against brother. For Captain Stryker, scarred hero of a dozen wars, the rights and wrongs of the cause mean little. His loyalties are to his own small band of comrades - and to Queen Henrietta Maria's beautiful and most deadly agent, Lisette Gaillard. So when Prince Rupert entrusts him with a secret mission to discover what has happened to Lisette and the man she was protecting - a man who could hold the key to Royalist victory - nothing, not false imprisonment for murder, ambush, a doomed siege or a lethal religious fanatic will stand in his way. From the bloody rout of Cirencester, to the siege of Lichfield and finally to the killing fields of Hopton Heath, Michael Arnold brings vividly to life all the drama and the passion that lay behind the English Civil War.

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9781848544086

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Reviews

'Michael Arnold's Devil's Charge featuring the battle-hardened English civil war veteran Captain Stryker, skilfully blends the author's own inventions with the real events of 1643' -- Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Books of the Year 'Pushed as the Sharpe of the civil war , Captain Stryker is a character well able to attract readers on his own merits ... The novel ends with the Battle of Hopton Heath in the spring of 1643. Many of the most famous engagements of the civil war are still to come, and the enigmatic Stryker's involvement in them promises much entertainment' -- Sunday Times 'A dark-hued romp, livid with the scents, sounds and colours of a country on the brink of implosion ... impressive' -- Daily Express 'If you love Sharpe, you'll be knocked out by the 17th-century civil war adventures of Captain Innocent Stryker ... at times this one-eyed veteran makes Sharpe look rather civilised' -- Peterborough Evening Telegraph 'Heart-thumping action ... Arnold brings the English Civil War to colourful life' -- Lancashire Evening Post 'Arnold is at his best describing real events ... if you like Cornwell you will like Arnold' -- Historical Novels Review 'A thumping good read. With considerable skill, Arnold has reached back in time to create a living, breathing depiction of 17th century England. From his vividly described battle scenes to the richly drawn descriptions of everyday life, from the earthy vernacular of its characters to the precise details of military equipment, every last part of this book oozes authenticity. Fans of Cornwell's Sharpe novels will love Captain Innocent Stryker - he's uglier, meaner and cleverer than Sharpe. Tremendous!' -- Ben Kane, bestselling author of The Forgotten Legion Chronicles 'Arnold has joined the ranks of Cornwell and Sansom...' -- Battlefield Review Praise for Traitor's Blood:'Captures the grittiness, as well as the doomed glamour, of the Royalist cause' -- Charles Spencer 'You can smell the gunpowder and hear the cannon fire ... Arnold's passion for the period suffuses every page' -- Robyn Young, author of the Brethren trilogy 'Powerfully visualised battle scenes which can certainly stand in comparison with the best of Cornwell' -- Yorkshire Post 'I loved Sharpe. I am going to be equally at home with Captain Stryker' -- Historical Novels Review 'An intensely interesting, plot-driven historical novel of superb quality ... I found it very difficult to put down until the final page' -- Euro Crime 'A fast-moving, exciting novel ... Forget Sharpe and enjoy the exploits of Captain Stryker in an earlier and dangerous period of history. Once hooked you will look forward to the next in this series' -- Ryedale Gazette and Herald 'Michael Arnold has caught all of the passion, urgency, fear and exhilaration of men in battle. Not only that, he's writing in a period that he obviously knows intimately and in to which he has breathed new life' -- Patrick Mercer, author of To Do & Die, Dust & Steel, Red Runs the Helmand 'Mike Arnold hooks the reader with the clash of steel and the roar of gunpowder. Rollicking action and proper history combine in this cracking series' -- Antony Riches 'A thundering, swashbuckling yarn that will get the blood of all Sharpe fans pumping. And this is a thundering, action-packed debut for Captain Stryker a veteran of the wars in the Low Countries and staunch supporter of the Royalist cause. It is to Stryker that Prince Rupert turns when he needs someone to root out a dangerous spy in the ranks. But, Stryker finds himself on a collision course with a sworn, ruthless enemy' -- Peterborough Evening Telegraph

"Michael Arnold's Devil's Charge featuring the battle-hardened English civil war veteran Captain Stryker, skilfully blends the author's own inventions with the real events of 1643 - Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Books of the Year Pushed as ""the Sharpe of the civil war"", Captain Stryker is a character well able to attract readers on his own merits . . . The novel ends with the Battle of Hopton Heath in the spring of 1643. Many of the most famous engagements of the civil war are still to come, and the enigmatic Stryker's involvement in them promises much entertainment - Sunday Times A dark-hued romp, livid with the scents, sounds and colours of a country on the brink of implosion . . . impressive - Daily Express If you love Sharpe, you'll be knocked out by the 17th-century civil war adventures of Captain Innocent Stryker . . . at times this one-eyed veteran makes Sharpe look rather civilised - Peterborough Evening Telegraph Heart-thumping action . . . Arnold brings the English Civil War to colourful life - Lancashire Evening Post Arnold is at his best describing real events . . . if you like Cornwell you will like Arnold - Historical Novels Review A thumping good read. With considerable skill, Arnold has reached back in time to create a living, breathing depiction of 17th century England. From his vividly described battle scenes to the richly drawn descriptions of everyday life, from the earthy vernacular of its characters to the precise details of military equipment, every last part of this book oozes authenticity. Fans of Cornwell's Sharpe novels will love Captain Innocent Stryker - he's uglier, meaner and cleverer than Sharpe. Tremendous! - Ben Kane, bestselling author of The Forgotten Legion Chronicles Arnold has joined the ranks of Cornwell and Sansom... - Battlefield Review"

'Michael Arnold's Devil's Charge featuring the battle-hardened English civil war veteran Captain Stryker, skilfully blends the author's own inventions with the real events of 1643' Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Books of the Year 'Pushed as the Sharpe of the civil war , Captain Stryker is a character well able to attract readers on his own merits ... The novel ends with the Battle of Hopton Heath in the spring of 1643. Many of the most famous engagements of the civil war are still to come, and the enigmatic Stryker's involvement in them promises much entertainment' Sunday Times 'A dark-hued romp, livid with the scents, sounds and colours of a country on the brink of implosion ... impressive' Daily Express 'If you love Sharpe, you'll be knocked out by the 17th-century civil war adventures of Captain Innocent Stryker ... at times this one-eyed veteran makes Sharpe look rather civilised' Peterborough Evening Telegraph 'Heart-thumping action ... Arnold brings the English Civil War to colourful life' Lancashire Evening Post 'Arnold is at his best describing real events ... if you like Cornwell you will like Arnold' Historical Novels Review 'A thumping good read. With considerable skill, Arnold has reached back in time to create a living, breathing depiction of 17th century England. From his vividly described battle scenes to the richly drawn descriptions of everyday life, from the earthy vernacular of its characters to the precise details of military equipment, every last part of this book oozes authenticity. Fans of Cornwell's Sharpe novels will love Captain Innocent Stryker - he's uglier, meaner and cleverer than Sharpe. Tremendous!' Ben Kane, bestselling author of The Forgotten Legion Chronicles 'Arnold has joined the ranks of Cornwell and Sansom...' Battlefield Review Praise for Traitor's Blood: 'Captures the grittiness, as well as the doomed glamour, of the Royalist cause' Charles Spencer 'You can smell the gunpowder and hear the cannon fire ... Arnold's passion for the period suffuses every page' Robyn Young, author of the Brethren trilogy 'Powerfully visualised battle scenes which can certainly stand in comparison with the best of Cornwell' Yorkshire Post 'I loved Sharpe. I am going to be equally at home with Captain Stryker' Historical Novels Review 'An intensely interesting, plot-driven historical novel of superb quality ... I found it very difficult to put down until the final page' Euro Crime 'A fast-moving, exciting novel ... Forget Sharpe and enjoy the exploits of Captain Stryker in an earlier and dangerous period of history. Once hooked you will look forward to the next in this series' Ryedale Gazette and Herald 'Michael Arnold has caught all of the passion, urgency, fear and exhilaration of men in battle. Not only that, he's writing in a period that he obviously knows intimately and in to which he has breathed new life' Patrick Mercer, author of To Do & Die, Dust & Steel, Red Runs the Helmand 'Mike Arnold hooks the reader with the clash of steel and the roar of gunpowder. Rollicking action and proper history combine in this cracking series' Antony Riches 'A thundering, swashbuckling yarn that will get the blood of all Sharpe fans pumping. And this is a thundering, action-packed debut for Captain Stryker a veteran of the wars in the Low Countries and staunch supporter of the Royalist cause. It is to Stryker that Prince Rupert turns when he needs someone to root out a dangerous spy in the ranks. But, Stryker finds himself on a collision course with a sworn, ruthless enemy' Peterborough Evening Telegraph 'An action-packed, dramatic novel set in an England divided at its very core. This is gripping stuff that will keep you up at night' Good Book Guide

Author Information

Michael Arnold lives in Hampshire with his wife and young son. His childhood holidays were spent visiting castles and battlefields, but his fascination with the civil wars was piqued partly by the fact that his hometown and region of Hampshire are steeped in civil war history.

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