|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dave has finished three novels, The Jacobites' Apprentice and The Assassin's Mark, published by Silverwood Books. His recent book 'The Kraals of Ulundi' a story of the Zulu Wars was published in May 2014.
The Jacobites Apprentice
1744, and the whole country is threatened once again by civil war as the exiled Stuarts attempt to recover their lost throne. Their Manchester supporters will use any means to raise support and finance for the Jacobite Cause. But those loyal to the current monarchy are equally determined to stop them. As the opposing forces gather, and the threat of civil war becomes a reality, the fates of both sides will lie in the hands of one man – Aran Owen – who must choose between loyalty to the family who have raised him and his burning ambition to become a renowned artist. The finale will be played out on the ramparts of Carlisle Castle in the winter of 1745. Hopes of a Stuart Restoration are dashed – and Aran finally discovers who are the Rogues and who the Righteous within the complex web of his relationships.
The Assassin's Mark
September 1938.
Spain's Civil War has been raging for two years, the outcome still in the balance. But rebel General Franco is so confident of winning that he has opened up battlefield tourism along the country's north coast. Jack Telford, a left-wing reporter, finds himself with an eccentric group of tourists on one of the War Route's yellow Chrysler buses. Driven by his passion for peace, Telford attempts to uncover the hidden truths beneath the conflict. But Jack must contend first with his own gullibility, the tragic death of a fellow passenger, capture by Republican guerrillas, a final showdown at Spain's most holy shrine and the possibility that he has been badly betrayed. Betrayed and in serious danger.
About the author:
Now a writer of historical fiction, David is a former trade union official who began writing seriously after he retired. Born in Liverpool, he now lives in Wrexham with his wife, Ann. His first novel, The Jacobites' Apprentice, is a picaresque tale of Manchester's part in the 1745 Rebellion, whilst his second - The Assassin's Mark - is set towards the end of the Spanish Civil War.
Available from 1st May 2014
The Kraals of Ulundi:
A Novel of the Zulu War
DAVID EBSWORTH
“Shaba had washed the blade of his stabbing spear, his prized iklwa, many times already. It would be rinsed again today, with the blessings of his ancestor’s spirits, to herd the red soldiers finally from the land of the AmaZulu.”
1879 – the British army has suffered one of the worst defeats in its history at the hands of the Zulu King Cetshwayo. Now the British seek revenge and a second invasion of Zululand is about to take place.
Within the Zulu regiments charged with repelling the assault is Shaba kaNdabuko − driven by ambition to share the glory of battle, to bring honour and cattle to his family.
Meanwhile, new British soldiers are shipped out to replace those lost in the military disasters, and among them is Lieutenant Jahleel Carey, likewise also hoping that adventure will bring him a change of fortune.
But there are also always those on the sidelines of conflict, profiteers like renegade trader William McTeague.
Three men, three women, will be brought together by one of the Zulu War’s strangest episodes, and their destinies will be changed forever.
Praise for The Kraals of Ulundi: “This is well-researched and solid historical fiction – a very worthwhile project.” Adrian Greaves, Anglo-Zulu War Historical Society and author of The Tribe That Washed Its Spears.
