[The Hoodsman 11] • Popes and Emperors

This is the eleventh in the Hoodsman series. You should read the first of the series before you read any of the rest.

By 1081 the Conqueror and most Normans are ignoring England and are keeping to the continent where the latest action is. Robert of Guiscard, the Norman duke of the southern half of Italy, is invading Byzantine Illyria (now Albania). Norman warriors are flocking to him eager for the rich spoils expected from sacking wealthy and civilized Byzantine cities.

The unexpected consequence of this invasion was the last great battle of Anglo-Danish warriors against the Normans. This battle was fought not in England, but in Dyrrhachium near what is now Durres, Albania. It was a huge battle and pivotal not just to the history of Britain, but to the history of Venice, Europe, and the Middle East.

By 1104, while King Henry is creating a stable and peaceful economy in England, Normandy is being shredded by the vicious Norman barons who have been exiled by Henry. Raynar converts a Norse style longship into a Venetian style galley to help Henry cross to Normandy.

About The Author

Skye Smith is my pen name. My ancestors were miners and shepherds near Castleton in the Peaks District of Derbyshire. I have been told by some readers that this series reminds them of Bernard Cornwell’s historical novels, and have always been delighted by the comparison.

This is the eleventh of my Hoodsman series of books, and you should read the first “Killing Kings” before you read this book. All of the books contain two timelines linked by characters and places. The “current” story is set in the era of King Henry I in the 1100’s, while the longer “flashback” story is set in the era of King William I after 1066.

I have self-published twelve "The Hoodsman ..." books and they are:

1. Killing Kings

2. Hunting Kings

3. Frisians of the Fens

4. Saving Princesses

5. Blackstone Edge

6. Ely Wakes

7. Courtesans and Exiles

8. The Revolt of the Earls

9. Forest Law

10. Queens and Widows

11. Popes and Emperors

12. The Second Invasion