Swords from the West

Beset by enemies on every side and torn by internal divisions, the crusader kingdoms were a hotbed of intrigue, where your greatest ally might be your natural enemy. Because lives and kingdoms often rested on the edge of a sword blade, it was a time when a bold heart and a steady hand would see you far--so long as you watched your back. Here, for the first time, are all seventeen of Harold Lamb's uncollected crusader stories in one volume. Read now of the fall of kingdoms and the fate of doomed men, of desperate battles and brave comrades, of shrewd maids and scheming nobles. Join Nial O'Gordon, a young crusader riding deep into Asia to forget his past. Venture forth with Sir Robert of Antioch to cross blades with the Mongol hordes. Join King Richard the Lionhearted for his last battle. Stand firm beside Sir John and his Arab friend Khalil against a band of traitors. And sail out with Michael Bearn on a mission of vengeance, as he risks his life to bring down a sultan and his kingdom.

Harold Lamb (1892-1962), who wrote biographies and screenplays as well as historical fiction, is best remembered for his tales of Cossacks and Crusaders. Howard Andrew Jones is the managing editor of Black Gate magazine and the editor of the Bison Books editions of Harold Lamb's Wolf of the Steppes, Warriors of the Steppes, Riders of the Steppes, and Swords of the Steppes. Robert Weinberg is the author of sixteen novels including The Web of Arachnos and Spinning the Clay into Stars. The author of several nonfiction books and the editor of many anthologies, he has also been writing comic books for the past several years. More information about Harold Lamb and his works is available at www.haroldlamb.com.

"Lamb was an expert plotter. His stories...fly forward with the velocity of galloping horsemen. Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan, viewed them as models...Like a burial mound's hidden hoard of treasure, they lay undisturbed, awaiting their rediscovery by Mr. Jonesoand now a growing band of admirers." JOHN J. MILLER, The Wall Street Journal, 26th Aug 2009 "The pace is rapid from the outset, the tales driven forward by exciting chases, thrilling battles and characters you quickly recognise. Unlike many of the tales of today, they are tightly written (for who could afford diversions when you were paid mere cents per word) and fast-moving. Evidently an influence on Robert E Howard, I can see the similarities, as well as on other writers of that time. There's a breathlessness, a springing into action that is quite endearing." - Mark Yon, SSF World