| Bill's Belgian Medals Bill's Belgian Medals & Books |
| Last Updated 26 May 2012 |
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| Copyright Bill Simpson © 2008 |
| Sabre of Honour - William G Simpson Although visitors to this site will know that I am a keen collector of Belgian medals, some may recall that I am also a writer. A biography I penned in 2006 - The Prince: The Secret Story of the World's Most Intriguing Royal: Prince Bandar bin Sultan - was published by Regan Books, an imprint of HarperCollins and was acclaimed by the Washington Times as: 'highly recommended...the best street-smart assessment of the art of diplomacy… since Henry Kissinger's famous work on the same subject.’ Since 'The Prince', I have been writing novels, primarily historical fiction, and Sabre of Honour is the first of a series I plan to write set in the Napoleonic era and featuring the adventures of Peter Branicki and his colourful French sidekick, Raoul Aguirre. |
| Sabre of Honour - William G Simpson Sabre of Honour is a fast-moving, historical novel set in the Napoleonic era in which the principal characters are a young, half-Polish, half- English hussar, Count Peter Branicki, and his dissolute, larger-than-life, French side-kick, Sergeant Raoul Aguirre. Despite their markedly contrasting characters and ages, their journey through a remarkable period of history and their enduring friendship adds color, vibrancy and occasional humor to the creation of this gripping story. Moreover, by attempting to focus on lively dialogue, the novel’s pace is maintained. The development of Peter’s relationship with Napoleon Bonaparte is pivotal to this series of novels, charting his rise to power from the stance of a young officer who becomes his lucky charm and finally his confidante. The story opens when, after the death of his father while fighting to free Poland from Russian occupation, Peter’s life is changed forever. He discovers that his father was chancellor of secret Teutonic order—the Brothers of Dobrzyń—and he makes an oath to help them recover the missing Grunwald Sword, a vital symbol of Polish resistance. When the family flees Paris for England to escape Le Terreur, Peter joins a local cavalry regiment in Berkshire, but a duel sparked by a brief affair with the wife of a senior officer, forces his return to Paris. Persuaded by roguish Raoul Aguirre to join his chasseur regiment, the two comrades subsequently save Napoleon Bonaparte’s life during a Royalist uprising in Paris. For Peter, this marks the start of a remarkable military career stemming from his service during Bonaparte’s brilliant Italian campaign. Although targeted at lovers of military history, the novel’s unique selling point is its ability to relate the adventures of a young Polish/English officer from the viewpoint of a close confidante of Napoleon. This enables the portrayal of key characters in Napoleonic history from Bonaparte’s perspective, starting with those featured during his rise to prominence in Italy. But a new dimension is added to the main storyline – it is laced with an intriguing subplot about Polish independence; this will unfold within each novel as Peter rises in influence and, in time, gains Bonaparte’s complete trust. The first of a planned series of books, and its sequel, Code of Honour,will soon be complete. It will be followed by Loss of Honour which will be set during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign and Glory and Honour, featuring Bonaparte’s appointment as First Consul. Others will follow e.g. Legacy of Honour, Death and Honour etc. http://sabreofhonour.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/sabre-of-honour-a-taster/ |
| See my website at: http://www.williamgsimpson.com |