Bøger af Peter Darman

'You are Leon Muller, the man who has never lost a battle and the maker of miracles.'Leon and his mercenaries have escaped Constantinople and are now wandering beggars. But veterans are never unemployed for long and soon Leon is offered a contract by Vlad Dracula, prince of Wallachia and enemy of the sultan.But the sultan is now more powerful than ever and Leon finds himself fighting not only the enemy in Wallachia but also lending aid to the beleaguered rulers of Hungary and Serbia as Ottoman forces close in for the kill. The forces arrayed against the sultan are fragmented, riven by jealousies and petty squabbles, unable to present a united front against a rising power that threatens to conquer the whole of Europe. Can Leon and his hardy Swiss soldiers create another miracle to save the day or will they be engulfed in a Balkan bloodbath?'Boyar' is the fifth volume in the 'Alpine Warrior' series - the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, religious, dynastic and imperial conflicts. Maps of the Ottoman Empire, Wallachia and the Balkans are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.

'Parthian Dawn' is the second volume of the adventures of Pacorus the Parthian and his companions - the fierce and proud Gallia, the ex-Roman centurion Domitus, the scout Byrd and the sorceress Dobbai - as they battle for their lives against the backdrop of the clash between the ancient world's two greatest empires. After three years fighting by the side of Spartacus, Pacorus and his followers have escaped from Italy in the aftermath of the defeat of the slave rebellion. Made a king by the ruler of the Parthian Empire on his return, he has married his beloved Gallia and made the city of Dura Europos on the banks of the Euphrates his home. But his new kingdom is seething with discontent and surrounded by hostile desert nomads who are the sworn enemies of the Parthians. The aged King of Kings, the man who has united the Parthians for decades, then dies to cast a shadow of uncertainty over the empire, which erupts into full-scale civil war as one of the empire's most powerful men, Narses, attempts to seize the high crown by force. Pacorus is forced to fight both Narses and his scheming ally, Prince Mithridates, to preserve the realm and his own crown. And then the Romans, taking advantage of Parthia's internal troubles, launch their own invasion of the empire. Will Pacorus and indeed the Parthian Empire survive the conflict that engulfs them on all sides?

Being stabbed in the back is more painful than in the front. Leon and the Swiss stand triumphant after their victory over the Venetians. Their employer, Francesco Sforza, is now the most powerful man in northern Italy. And yet, even in the moment of victory, individuals in the shadows are manoeuvring to rob the Sforza of his triumph and rid Italy of the Swiss.For Leon Muller, victory, glory and prestige all come to him as he rises in the ranks and his name becomes known not only in Italy, but also in his homeland. He and Sigmund Thyg now become warlords in northern Italy in their own right, and they and their soldiers are soon influencing events and alliances. They are lions on the battlefield, it is true, but making enemies of rich and powerful individuals is fraught with danger, and soon Leon and his comrades have nowhere to turn as their vengeful enemies close in.'Prodigal' is the third volume in the 'Alpine Warrior' series - the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.Maps of 15th Century Italy and Lombardy are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.

The Romans took my freedom, albeit briefly. But Parthia took my youth, my best years, my friends and my family. And now it wants me to surrender the things that made all the sacrifices if not worthwhile, then at least bearable.It is thirty years since the Battle of Carrhae and the wheel of fate has come full circle. Pacorus heads the Parthian delegation that will oversee the exchange of the eagles captured from Crassus for the young son of the empire's king of kings. Much more is at stake than the life of a young boy, however. It is a decisive moment in history for Parthia and Rome are on the verge of agreeing a permanent peace.But the gods are not passive observers to the will of men and they send gifts to the King of Dura to tease him and sow doubt in his mind. And a rising Roman star by the name of Tiberius is determined to make a name for himself at the expense of Pacorus. The scene is set for a showdown between the pair and a decisive clash between two of the greatest empires of the ancient world.'Sarmatian' is the fourteenth volume in the Parthian Chronicles series and follows on from 'Sarmatian'. A map of the Parthian Empire in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com.

The dogs of war have been muzzled, and now they will be destroyed.Luca Baldi has some very prestigious enemies - the emperor's wife, the Queen of Thessaly, Dario Spinola (the richest man in the eastern Mediterranean), the Duke of Athens, and the entire French aristocracy. This is a remarkable achievement for a landless, penniless peasant. Unfortunately, they all want him dead, along with the rest of the Catalan Company.Luca and his mercenary companions have no allies, no money and no land, and as their many enemies close in on them, it appears their days are numbered. The scene is set for a final apocalyptic battle that will decide the fate of Luca Baldi, the Catalan Company, the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Thessaly and the Latin lords of southern Greece.'The Silver Stallion' is the final volume in the Catalan Chronicles series - the adventures of Luca Baldi and a band of Catalan mercenaries in the Byzantine Empire at the beginning of the fourteenth century. Maps of the Byzantine Empire (called the Roman Empire by contemporaries) can be found on the maps page of my website.

No man can escape his destiny, not even the famed Conrad Wolff whose named is revered and feared in equal measure throughout the Baltic following nearly thirty years of bloodshed. Conrad and the Sword Brothers are now masters of all they survey. The crusader state they have created by the sword is strong and prospering but peace is only temporary, a cruel illusion. The riches of Novgorod, now threatened and weakened by the Mongols, is an irresistible target for Bishop Hermann and the Papacy, leading to a new and bloody crusade against the Russians. For Conrad the appearance of an enemy from his past will reawaken old wounds and a thirst for revenge. But his actions will have a catastrophic effect on the Sword Brothers and will set in train a sequence of events that will lead to a final confrontation between East and West on the frozen surface of Lake Peipus. This battle will be a defining moment not only for Conrad Wolff and the Sword Brothers but also for European history. This, the final volume in the Crusader Chronicles series, sees Conrad and the Army of the Wolf embark upon their final, fateful campaign.

Estonia may be at peace but Conrad Wolff, now a master of the Sword Brothers, seethes with anger against a wrong committed against him and his friends. The aftermath will lead to Livonia and Estonia being dragged into international politics as the Papacy intervenes in the affairs of the Sword Brothers and Livonia. Meanwhile a frustrating war continues against the pagan Lithuanians in the south, a conflict that puts a severe strain on the resources of the Sword Brothers. But it is in the north where a crisis suddenly develops, resulting in Conrad and his order facing annihilation in the freezing wastes. Against this dire backdrop Conrad is forced to make a decision that will have major ramifications for both him and the Sword Brothers. And in the aftermath of that decision a giant of the crusader kingdom in the Baltic leaves the stage. 'Master of Mayhem' is the fourth volume of the Crusader Chronicles and continues the story of Conrad Wolff and the Baltic Crusade in the first half of the thirteenth century. Maps of Livonia in the thirteenth century, the Lithuanian kingdoms and the tribal lands of Estonia can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com

Set against the backdrop of World War I and the Russian Revolution, 'The Ice March' is the story of Mikhail Petrov, an impoverished peasant who is drafted into the Russian Imperial Army in 1914. He is soon caught up in tumultuous events as the Imperial Army suffers defeats, retreats and huge losses on the Eastern Front. But Mikhail's star rises as Russia's falls and soon his fate is entwined with that of a young, beautiful princess. In the drama of the Russian Revolution both flee Moscow to seek sanctuary in the Cossack lands to the south. There Mikhail joins the Whites and their tiny Volunteer Army. But the Bolsheviks are determined to wipe out the 'counter-revolutionaries' and thousands of Red Guards are soon marching against them. The scene is set for a campaign that will determine whether Mikhail and the Whites will survive or perish on the icy steppe of the Kuban.

They called themselves Companions - those who escaped from Italy with Pacorus in the aftermath of Spartacus' uprising, travelling across the Mediterranean to make their home in Parthia. They subsequently assisted Pacorus in turning the Kingdom of Dura into one of the strongest realms in the Parthian Empire. But one Companion was unwittingly left behind and condemned to the living hell of Roman slavery. When Pacorus discovers this he and a band of comrades embark on a perilous quest to find and free him. Thus begins a journey that will see the King of Dura follow in the footsteps of Spartacus himself as he heads for gladiatorial games being held in the Roman-controlled city of Ephesus. This, the fifth volume in the 'Parthian Chronicles' series, is set in the time between 'Parthian Dawn' and 'Parthian Vengeance'. A map of the eastern Mediterranean in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com

Doting father? Man of peace? These things are not you, Pacorus. Have you not heard of the hydra? Cut off one of its heads and two more will replace it. You defeat one enemy and another springs forth to torment you, just as the gods torment you with endless strife. After the defeat of Mark Antony Pacorus has returned to the city of Dura to prepare for a happier campaign: the wedding of his daughter to a prince of a kingdom on the eastern frontier of the Parthian Empire. Pacorus and his family and friends travel to the east to attend the wedding of Princess Isabella, but old scores need to be settled and a new power is rising beyond the Indus that will threaten the empire itself. Can Pacorus and the surviving Companions can save the empire and the reign of the young, duplicitous king of kings from the barbarian hordes in the east? 'Usurper' followers on from 'Sons of the Citadel'.

Congratulations on reaching a landmark birthday, Pacorus. And to celebrate the gods have sent you a present. As your friends gather at Dura to commemorate the man who is a Parthian legend, the immortals send a storm from the east to plunge the empire into fresh conflict. Do not be angry. They honour you and wish to see you doing what you do best, warlord, no matter how much blood is shed. As friends are lost and the peace he has fought so hard for crumbles before his eyes, a weary Pacorus is forced to lead his army once more into battle. But the new campaign is different from previous ones, as old enemies become new allies and the world and certainties he has known are turned upside down. Can he restore the man he has pledged his allegiance to, or will the powerful rebel alliance prove irresistible and create a dark chasm into which Parthia will be sucked? 'Amazon' is the ninth volume in the Parthian Chronicles and follows on from 'The Cursed Kingdom'.

Cry 'havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war.After its great victories in Anatolia, the mercenary Catalan Company has been grossly betrayed by its paymasters. Now cornered on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the Byzantine emperor is determined to wipe it out for good.But the Catalan dogs of war have other ideas, none more so than Luca Baldi, now a hero among his comrades and a young man who thirsts for battle and glory.The Byzantines have a assembled a great army to crush the Catalan mercenaries and afterwards wage a crusade against the Muslim Turks in Anatolia. The stage is set for a battle that will decide the fate of Luca Baldi, the Catalan Company and the Byzantine Empire, which will echo down the ages.'The White Dragon' is the second volume in the Catalan Chronicles, a Medieval saga set in the early 14th century. Maps of the Byzantine Empire and western Anatolia at this time can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com

You want peace and a happy retirement, Pacorus? The only way to ensure both is to eradicate your enemies before they have a chance to mobilise. So, are you a warlord or farmer? Pacorus and Gallia have survived their time of trial in Media and have returned to Dura, intent on no longer fighting Parthia's wars. And it just so happens that the empire is at peace. In the east, Satrap Kewab, a son of Dura, has fought the Kushans to a standstill, and in the west relations between King of Kings Phraates and the Roman leader Octavian are never better. A relieved Pacorus turns his attention to irrigation and farming, happy to leave the matter of the return to Rome of the eagles he captured at Carrhae to Phraates, the scheming, untrustworthy high king. But there are other seeds that have been planted aside from the ones placed in Dura's now fertile soil, and soon rumblings of conflict are heard in the north. While Pacorus thinks of peaceful prosperity, others brood and want vengeance, and have no qualms about dragging Parthia's most famous warlord into fresh bloodshed. Soon, Pacorus is leading Dura's army once more to war, in a conflict that will see him win his greatest victory, while suffering painful personal loss. 'Lord of War' is the eleventh volume in the Parthian Chronicles series and follows on from 'The Slave King'.

Constantinople 1302. Luca Baldi, a young shepherd, is catapulted into the violent world of mercenary warfare when he is forced to flee his native Sicily. He falls in with the Almogavars - ruthless mercenaries from the Catalonia region of Spain who have just finished butchering the French during a 20-year war on the island. He and they take ship to Constantinople when they are hired by the Byzantine emperor, whose empire is disintegrating in the face of remorseless Muslim advances.Alone and marooned amid danger and violence and surrounded by enemy forces, Luca must master the Almogavar way of war to survive. Plunged into the brutal world of Medieval warfare when the mercenaries take the fight to the emperor's many enemies, can Luca live through fighting impossible odds as he battles to preserve a crumbling empire that has stood for a thousand years?'The Black Sheep' is the first volume in the Catalan Chronicles, a Medieval saga set in the early 14th century. Maps of the Byzantine Empire and western Anatolia at this time can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com

'How will history judge you, Leon Muller?'Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost.Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure?'The Wolf of Rimini' is the second volume in the 'Alpine Warrior' series - the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.Maps of 15th Century Italy and Lombardy are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.

On 22 June 1941, Adolf Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Over 3,000,000 men, more than 3,000 tanks, and over 2,000 aircraft advanced east to begin the Nazi Party's crusade to destroy Bolshevism and carve out "living space" for the Thousand Year Reich. During the first few weeks of the invasion, the Germans achieved staggering results, as whole Soviet armies were annihilated, thousands of aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and hundreds of thousands of enemy soldiers were captured. Yet as the Wehrmacht advanced deeper into Mother Russia, the tables began to turn. Barbarossa describes the experience of war on the Eastern Front: the choking dust and endless steppes of the Ukraine, the mud that made movement by wheeled and tracked vehicles all but impossible, and the numbing Russian winter, which killed thousands of ill-equipped German soldiers.

Throughout the summer of 1944 the US Third Army, under the brilliant leadership of its charismatic commanding officer General George S Patton, achieved some remarkable military successes. Within the space of two months, US tanks had reached the German border, having crushed all before them, and would have undoubtedly driven further had not fuel shortages and bickering in the Allied High Command held them back. Patton Unleashed is an account of the armoured battles of the US Third Army from August to September 1944, charting its successes in forcing the German invaders from French soil, and laying the foundations for ultimate victory in 1945.

You know three things, Pacorus: Your 'army' totals only one hundred men and one hundred women. No help is coming. The gods are unreliable allies. Peace has been restored to the Parthian Empire. The king of kings graces Dura with a visit, the son of Spartacus sits on Media's throne, a great army has been assembled to deal with the eastern threat, and Rome is no longer an implacable enemy of Parthia. Pacorus looks forward to enjoying a permanent cessation of hostilities. But the gods abhor peace and so to amuse themselves they lure the King and Queen of Dura to Media to face daunting odds against a mighty foe. Can Pacorus save the new King of Media, prevent Spartacus from unleashing death and destruction on Armenia, and preserve the peace between Parthia and Rome? 'The Slave King' is the tenth volume in the Parthian Chronicles and follows on from 'Amazon'.

A crumbling empire, a mighty city facing destruction, and a small army of mercenaries trying to keep the enemy hordes at bay. Leon Muller and his soldiers have been fighting for the Roman emperor for two years, battling the mighty Ottoman Empire to protect Constantinople. The 'Queen of Cities' has stood for a thousand years and its walls have never been breached. The emperor is confident he will be able to defeat the army of the Ottoman sultan in front of his city. But Leon, now an experienced military leader, battles in vain to inject reason into the fantasy land that is the imperial court as one hundred thousand Ottoman soldiers bear down on Constantinople. After nine years of unbroken success on the battlefield, Leon and his comrades are now trapped in a besieged city with no hope of relief and hundreds of miles from Swiss lands. Will he and they survive the titanic battle that will decide not only the fate of the ancient Roman Empire, but also the course of European history? 'Count of Thrace' is the fourth volume in the 'Alpine Warrior' series - the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, religious, dynastic and imperial conflicts. Maps of the Ottoman Empire and the city of Constantinople are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.

Mark Antony has returned to Parthia to wage war against the king of kings. But Parthia has a new hero, a man born of slaves who carries an infamous name and who burns with rage against the world. The king of the wild Kingdom of Gordyene desires to arm his best soldiers with swords made from the magical metal from the east. To purchase such precious requires gold and so Spartacus steals it from an Armenian temple, along with a beautiful young novice who is the daughter of Armenia's greatest warlord. Thus is set in motion a series of events that will see King Spartacus lead his army to victory after victory as the 'lion of the north roars' to crush Armenian, Parthian and Roman foes. The army of Gordyene rises to rival the other great armies in the empire - the Hatrans of King Gafarn and the Durans of King Pacorus. You wish to be a greater warlord than your uncle but King Pacorus respects the immortals. But the gods are real Spartacus and they have not forgotten the restraints they placed on the rulers of Gordyene. With every victory and conquest they will take something from you until there is nothing left, and your rage and army will avail you nothing against them. As Mark Antony forges an unholy alliance with the Parthian King of Media, will you save the empire and lose your family? Or will you heed the advice of one who is a member of an ancient sisterhood and obey the rules of the gods? 'The Cursed Kingdom' is the eighth volume in the Parthian Chronicles and follows on from 'Usurper'.

When Rome transgresses upon his father's domain that lays between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Pacorus, a prince of the Parthian Empire, is sent to exact revenge. After a string of victories Pacorus and his men are captured in Cappadocia, clapped in chains and sent to Italy to live out the rest of their days as slaves. But fate intervenes and Pacorus and his companions are saved from a living hell by a renegade gladiator named Spartacus. In gratitude, Pacorus agrees to help Spartacus build his army as Rome musters its legions to crush the slave uprising. And so begins an epic adventure of glory and savagery played out across the length and breadth of Italy, as Spartacus defeats the armies of Rome and Pacorus leads his horsemen to victory after victory. But will Pacorous and the slave army escape from Italy, and will he win the love of the fierce and proud Gallia before the most powerful man in Rome, Marcus Licinius Crassus, takes the field against Spartacus?

As the thirteenth century progressed the military orders were often embroiled in the struggle between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Emperors. The Popes, the spiritual leaders of Christendom, demanded obedience from the rulers of Europe, which was seldom granted. Indeed emperors such as Frederick II, a man of great learning and ambition, was frequently at odds with the Papacy and was not above making war against Pope Gregory IX when pressed. For his sedition he was excommunicated four times. It was inevitable that the Sword Brothers, who had created their own kingdom in the Baltic and were far from Rome, should be drawn into this rivalry because the Pope was eager to ensure that his military orders gave him unquestioning loyalty. For the castellans of the Sword Brothers, men who were not courtiers but warlords, this often proved difficult, especially when the Pope sent ambassadors to interfere in their affairs. A new Papal Legate has come to Livonia but he is no friend of Conrad Wolff or the Sword Brothers. Grave charges are levelled against the commander of the Army of the Wolf, leading to a series of events that threatens to rip apart the crusader state in the Baltic. For Conrad these are strange times as former enemies become allies and erstwhile allies seek to take advantage of Livonia's weaknesses to further their own ends. This, the penultimate volume in the Crusader Chronicles series, sees Conrad fighting for his life and the Sword Brothers battling for their very existence against a backdrop of intrigue, international politics and betrayal.

The greatest tank battle in history began during the early hours of 5 July 1943, and its outcome was to determine the course of the war on the Eastern Front. Kursk is a detailed account of this pivotal battle, when the Germans threw 900,000 men and 2500 tanks against 1,300,000 soldiers and 3000 tanks of the Red Army in a savage battle of attrition. Unlike many accounts of the war on the Eastern Front, Kursk draws upon both German and Russian archive material. With an authoritative text and detailed maps, this book is an enthralling account of one of the most decisive battles in history.

During the closing years of World War II, the panzer divisions of the Waffen-SS fought a magnificent series of battles on the Eastern Front. Waffen-SS Panzers is an account of these battles and covers the period from the recapture of Kharkov in early 1943, when I SS Panzer Corps prevented the collapse of Army Group South, to the last desperate attempts to hold the Red Army before Berlin in 1945.

Outraged by the behaviour of the Sword Brothers, King Valdemar has placed a blockade on the whole of Livonia. With the Danes having a stranglehold over Livonia the crusader state is slowly dying, made worse by an outbreak of pestilence at Riga. But when the Danish king invades the island of Oesel the wheel of fate turns and Valdemar finds himself at the mercy of the Sword Brothers and Conrad Wolff, the man he wanted to have executed. The Sword Brothers and Conrad's Army of the Wolf save King Valdemar who lifts the blockade, thus saving Livonia. But Conrad has many enemies and an act of wickedness causes conflict to flare up on Livonia's eastern borders that will threaten not only the crusader state but also the life of Conrad himself. And south of the River Dvina, among the Lithuanian kingdoms, a great power arises that will have grave consequences for not only Conrad but also for the whole order of Sword Brothers. This, the third volume of the Crusader Chronicles, continues the story of Conrad Wolff and the Baltic Crusade in the first quarter of the thirteenth century. Maps of Livonia in the thirteenth century, the Lithuanian kingdoms and the tribal lands of Estonia can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com

War is a jealous lover who is reluctant to release me from her embrace.Pacorus, now retired from the politics of Parthia, embarks on a journey to request the high king find a place in the empire for his Egyptian protégé, who has been offered the governorship of Roman-controlled Egypt, as well as to discover the whereabouts of his former squire.But Queen Gallia's assassins have unwittingly set in motion a sequence of events that will plunge the empire into peril, as well as endangering the King of Dura himself. When an invading horde of barbarians sweeps into Parthia from the north and crushes everything in its path, Pacorus is once again forced to unsheathe his sword.But old allies cannot be relied upon and Pacorus is not the great warlord of old. With an untrustworthy high king and a cunning adversary to face, he is soon faced with his greatest challenge: saving the Parthian Empire itself.'Sarmatian' is the thirteenth volume in the Parthian Chronicles series and follows on from 'Lord of War'. A map of the Parthian Empire in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com.

"Battlefields Past and Present explores the history of armed conflict using archival photos presented side by side with modern images."--

Nothing is forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten. No matter where you are, I will find you.King Pacorus and Queen Gallia have returned to Dura after their narrow escape in the north. The king is glad to be alive but Gallia seethes with resentment and thirsts for vengeance against those who deceived her husband, killed her friends, imperilled the empire and threatened Dura's rulers. And thanks to her own foresight and the assistance of the Scythian Sisters, Gallia has the means to strike back at her enemies, and wastes no time in doing so. But she sets in motion a sequence of events that will have unforeseen consequences, both for Dura and for the Parthian Empire. And for one lowly farmer, his life will change forever.'Wraiths' is the twelfth volume in the Parthian Chronicles series and follows on from 'Lord of War'. A map of the Parthian Empire in the 1st century BC can be found on the maps page of my website: www.peterdarman.com.