Jack Whyte – författare

The exciting first book in a brand new fictional trilogy about the most important events in the history of the Order of the Knights Templar.The Templars represent a widely popular period of history, but the roots of their fellowship have been shrouded in contemporary conspiracy theory and media glamour….this trilogy tells the true tales of the Knights Templar; beginning with why they formed after the First Crusade and why they continued to grow in power and influence.Immediately after the deliverance of Jerusalem, the Crusaders, considering their vow fulfilled, drifted back to their homes. But some considered that the defence of this precarious conquest, surrounded as it was by Mohammedan neighbours, still remained. In 1118, during the reign of Baldwin II, Hugues de Payens, a knight of Champagne, and eight of his companions bound themselves by a perpetual vow, taken in the presence of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to defend the Christian kingdom and all god fearing pilgrims who wished to visit the Holy Land. Baldwin accepted their services and assigned them a portion of his palace, adjoining the temple of the city; hence their title "pauvres chevaliers du temple" (Poor Knights of the Temple).

The story of the rise and fall of the powerful and mysterious Knights of the Temple: the Third Crusade under Richard the Lionheart.It is sixty years since the secret Brotherhood of Sion, founders of the Knights Templar, uncovered the treasure vouchsafed them beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Now the ambitious and ruthless Plantagenet King Richard the Lionheart leads the Third Crusade against Saladin, and both the honour of the Templars and the mission of the Brotherhood are at risk.Andrew Sinclair is one of the few survivors of the Battle of Hattin in 1187. As a member of the clandestine Brotherhood he was taught Arabic before being sent to the Holy Land on a mission that neither the Order of Templars nor the leaders of the Pope’s armies can know of. Sinclair’s captivity following the battle led to his friendship with the infidel and threatened to divide his loyalty. One of the great secrets of the Brotherhood is that they are not Christians, unlike the Templars.Sinclair’s cousin and fellow member of the Brotherhood, Sir Andre St Clair, arrives with Richard from Cyprus. The secret mission they must pursue will lead them into the desert and the lair of the fearsome Assassins. And meanwhile Saladin’s clever tactics in battle, including the butchery of the magnificent destriers, the massive horses that carry armoured Frankish knights, bring reversals to the Christian cause from start of the Crusade.But it is Richard the Lionheart’s treachery and deceit that convince both cousins that the Crusade is a sham, and that all men are venal and greedy, driven by the lust for power. Only their knowledge of the Order of Sion saves them from despair: their secret mission becomes more vital than ever before.This glorious epic tells the true and truly astonishing story of the Knights of the Black and White.

The third instalment of Jack Whyte’s templar trilogy.The Order – a secret society of men from ancient, noble families, drawn together to safeguard the Christian Church's most precious secrets – has been decimated by a King's petulant will. Its members are being persecuted and most have been forced to flee for their lives as their leaders are burnt at the stake.But the Order's secrets must continue to be protected and hidden; so as their world falls apart, the dangerous task of smuggling the sacred treasure out from under the nose of a vengeful king falls to just a few brave men.

A.D. 1305. An hour before dawn. London's Smithfield prison. In a dank cell, the outlaw William Wallace waits to be executed at first light. He is visited by a Scottish priest who has come to hear his last confession - the confession of a life even more exciting, violent and astonishing than the legend that survived. From internationally bestselling author Jack Whyte comes a story of brutal battles and high adventure, of heroism and redemption - the story of William Wallace as the world has never heard it before.

Born to a divided kingdom. Destined to unite it.AD 1286: The King of Scots is killed, leaving no heir. Twelve-year-old Robert Bruce, heir to the great House of Bruce, comes of age amid the bitter rivalry of Scotland's most powerful nobles to claim the vacant throne.The boy is schooled in the arts of warfare and the manipulation of ruthless and violent men, but when the Scottish Crown is bestowed upon Bruce's greatest enemies, Robert travels with his family to England, swearing feudal loyalty to King Edward Plantagenet - known as 'Longshanks'.But Longshanks's increasing treachery and his brutal attempts to annexe Scotland see Robert turning renegade and returning to his home country. The Battle of Bannockburn lies ahead and a legend is born.This is the story of one man's resistance, and the bravery of a country that would not yield.

A hero is bornA sword will choose himA sorcerer will save himThe Roman Empire is in ruins. On a tiny boat in the Irish Sea float one man and a child, helpless after war has nearly destroyed their home, the colony called Camelot.That man is Merlyn Britannicus, cousin to the slain king Uther Pendragon. He would shed oceans of blood and sacrifice his life to defend the baby and royal heir: Arthur.With Camelot ripped apart by warring lords and assailed by violent tribes, Merlyn must use everything in his power to protect Arthur and return him to the land in which he'll become a hero.Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

A throne will be claimedHeroes will fallA destiny will be fulfilledMerlyn Britannicus returns to his home of Camelot to keep a sacred promise: to lead Arthur Pendragon to the throne.But between Merlyn and victory lie opponents who would destroy those that he loves the most. As friends and family face violent judgement, Merlyn transforms himself into the feared sorcerer of legend.Time is running out for Merlyn to unite a Britain divided by war and lust for power, and for him to turn Arthur from young hero into the High King of Britain.Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

An heir hiddenA land dividedA king in waitingHaving fled their home of Camelot, Merlyn Britannicus and the Arthur Pendragon find sanctuary in an abandoned Roman fort as the protector continues the young heir's training.Sheltered from the forces that would destroy him, Arthur grows in strength and resolve, and the child becomes a warrior and a hero.But a storm is coming, and Merlyn must make preparations for the path ahead: a dangerous journey home and the battle that will see the boy become a king.Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

A mighty warriorA faithful friendAn immortal loveAs Arthur forges a union in Britain, across the sea a royal son is denied his birthright. The Romans are gone and war is coming to Gaul.In an age of cruelty and barbarism, Lancelot - known as Clothar - has been raised to champion justice and righteousness, but as his boyhood world in Gaul disintegrates, he seeks sanctuary in a new home: Britain.There he finds Arthur Pendragon, newly crowned High King, who, dreams, like Clothar himself, of living in a better world. The friendship of these men, and the love they share for a woman, will grow into Britain's most enduring legend.Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

Heroes united Camelot threatenedA fight to the endIn a wintry shelter, hidden from marauders, the warrior Lancelot and Arthur, High King of Britain, conceive of an order of knights to defend the newly united kingdom from all who would destroy it.Camelot, the High King's seat, is the wonder of the land, and the rule of Arthur and his beautiful queen Guinevere promises to bring about a new era of peace and prosperity.Yet love tests loyalty to the breaking point, while renewed threats of war in the north force Arthur to look to the defences of his kingdom and take steps to ensure that the dream which he has worked so hard to achieve will not be destroyed.Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

A brutal murderMurmurs of magicVengeance deniedIt is 409 AD in Britain and the Roman legions are gone. Britain is abandoned and the fledgling colony of Camelot needs a new leader. Two young men, related by blood, step forward prepared to share that responsibility: Caius Merlyn Britannicus, the grandson of Camelot's founder, and his first cousin, the Celtic prince Uther Pendragon.But an act of cold barbarism shatters the trust and comradeship these two have shared since childhood and causes Merlyn to doubt his cousin's morality.As war arrives from the south-west and Uther's motives are revealed, Merlyn finds salvation where he had least expected it, and a legend is born in this prequel to Jack Whyte's groundbreaking Excalibur.Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

A country in ruinsA struggle for survivalA dynasty begunThe Empire is collapsing and after 450 years of occupying Britain, the Roman legions are departing to defend the homeland. Soldier turned blacksmith Publius Varrus and his friend, the Legate Caius Britannicus, decide to stay behind and build a new life in the chaos that is left behind.They dream of rebuilding the Empire, this time free of the corruption that destroyed it, and firmly based on the island of Britain, despite its being bathed in blood and brutalised by tribal invasion.Their dream is a thousand years premature, but the first step towards it is the unification of the country under one man, a monarch whose fame will echo through the ages: Publius' great grandson: Arthur Pendragon, King of the Britons.Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

A sword forgedA home builtA new era bornThe Roman armies are now gone, and Publius Varrus, the legionnaire turned blacksmith, along with his former commanding general Caius Britannicus, begin to form alliances that will create a nation out of bloodshed and chaos.Using the mysterious metal smelted from a meteorite, Varrus forges an extraordinary sword that will one day be wielded by his great grandson. He names it Excalibur.And in the country's darkest hour, these two dreamers establish a colony that will uphold their values and bring civilisation to a broken land: a place called Camelot.Discover the most authentic telling of the Arthurian legend ever written

We know the legend: Arthur brought justice to the land that his forefathers carved out of the chaos of the fallen Roman Empire, a land that had known only cruelty and force. With the sword Excalibur, Arthur became England's greatest king. But legends do not tell the whole tale. Legends do not tell of the despairing Roman soldiers, abandoned by their empire, faced with the choice of fleeing back to Rome or struggling to create a last stronghold against the barbarian onslaughts from the north, and east. Legends do not tell of Arthur's great-grandfather, who marked the boundaries of an empire with his own blood. With THE CAMULOD CHRONICLES, Jack Whyte tells us what legend has forgotten: a history of blood, violence, passion and steel, out of which was forged a great sword, and a great nation. As the Dark Ages fall over Roman Britain, a lone man and woman fight to build a last stronghold of law - a crude fort, which, long after their deaths, will become a great city, a fort known as Camelot.

Most know the leader of the Colony as Merlyn; all call him Commander. Caius Merlyn Britannicus is responsible for their safety, and all look to him for guidance, leadership and justice. It is a harsh life, but a good community, and Merlyn is dedicated to spreading the influence of Roman culture beyond the Colony's borders. Uther Pendragon, the man who will father the legendary Arthur, is the cousin Merlyn has known and loved since their births, four hours a part on the same day. Uther is the timeless warrior, the red dragon to Merlyn's great silver bear, and between the two of them, the colony of Camulod knows few enemies. In a world torn apart by warfare and upheaval, each is the other's certainty and the guarantee of the survival of the Colony...until a vicious crime, one that strikes at the roots of Merlyn's life, drives a wedge between them and threatens the fate of a nation.

When Arthur is adopted by his cousin, Caius Merlyn Britannicus, an enormous responsibility is placed upon Merlyn. Now he must prepare the young Arthur to unify the clans of Britain and guard the mighty sword Excalibur.