Wolves of Winter

Dan Jones brings us his Essex Dogs in a new campaign – the siege of Calais in 1347 – where their grim courage and innate violence are thrown against the high walls and deep moats of Calais. A convincing picture of hard men in a hard time, Dan Jones’ fiction rings with the authority of his scholarly history. * Philippa Gregory * Absolutely fabulous. A raucous, swaggering charge through the medieval underworld. I had such a good time reading it that I never wanted it to stop. * Antonia Fraser * 'Superb historical fiction as fresh, vivid and vital as this morning's headlines... proves once again that nothing really changes, be it a soldier's life – or great storytelling.' * Lee Child * At its best, the book recalls Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall novels with its masterly control, period details, and understated humor… Jones’ entertaining second installment in a trilogy more than whets the appetite for the conclusion. * Kirkus Starred Review * Nobody but Dan Jones could write this story. I could not put it down. It captures the grime, blood, sweat and friendship of medieval war brilliantly. * Gareth Russell * An enthralling, captivating, and thrilling chronicle of 14th Century warfare by a gifted medieval historian who brilliantly transports the reader to the experience of those who had boots on the ground in the Hundred Years War. Truly wonderful and truly fascinating! -- General David Petraeus Dan Jones tackles The Hundred Years' War and puts faces and personalities, drug habits and fighting in an urgent light. I feel like I’m there . . . Simply stunning. -- DUFF McKAGAN, New York Times No1 bestselling author of It’s So Easy, and founder member of Guns N' Roses The siege of Calais and pirate ships spell new dangers for the Essex Dogs as the Hundred Years’ War rages on in the gripping trilogy from the popular historian and broadcaster * Waterstones, Best Books for October * Falstaff meets Saving Private Ryan in this rollicking story of men at war in Europe in the turbulent 1300s. The rich mix of accurate history, fascinating characters, and fine storytelling will captivate readers. Wonderful historical fiction at the level of Bernard Cornwell or Patrick O'Brian! * Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and bestselling author of 2054: A Novel * As brilliant, brutal and bloody as the first... a grim and grisly tale vividly told, as Jones deftly unravels the cynical reasons for the continuation of the endless conflict * Daily Mail * Lively, usually violent action and punchy dialogue are underpinned by the author’s knowledge of the period * The Sunday Times * Packed with absolute accuracy * Restless * Dan Jones makes historical fiction feel effortless, as if he didn’t need to research anything because he already knew it all by heart. Wolves of Winter is a horrible joy to read: horrible because of the vivid, random bloodshed, and a joy because of the easy authenticity of his prose. The characters! The battle scenes! The grit! If you’ve ever enjoyed a Ridley Scott film, go and buy this book! * Alice Winn * A rousing story of the Hundred Years War, the first in a projected trilogy . . . Vivid characterizations and a strain of black humor add to the pointed drama . . . Brutal, graphic, and gory, the battle scenes viscerally hurl the reader into the heat of 14th-century combat. It’s good to know these Dogs will howl again. * Publishers Weekly * Focuses on the brutality of long past times, and yet has a contemporary feel, with influences as diverse as Bernard Cornwell and Game of Thrones… Jones confidently evokes the whorehouses, the illnesses, the death and depravity, the horrible smells of the public jakes and of burning flesh * The Spectator *