SHIELD OF HONOR

The story of Simon de Montfort and his struggle to establish the rights of the people of England against the tyranny of kings is one that never stales in the telling. But rarely have period and issues been brought so vividly to life as in this meticulously caparisoned novel of 13th century England. The story follows Andrew, one of Simon's knights, from boyhood, through brilliant successes and tragic defeats to ultimate downfall. It is also a romance of ill-fated love, as Sybil and Andrew are held apart by the jealousies and aspirations that divided England into two warring camps. A rich canvas which gives evidence of deep scholarship, this is a rewarding book which does for 13th century England what Zoe Oldenbourg's The World Is Not Enough did for medieval France.