The Powder of Death
‘Such a fantastic tale! Such a well-crafted novel, cleverly marrying history and adventure to provide a thoroughly enjoyable journey into Jared’s world and the background to the invention of gunpowder. The historical accuracy makes it engaging and memorable, and yet the characters feel as real and accessible as if they were part of our modern world..’
— An early reviewer
The Powder of Death opens with a returned envoy to China meeting an English scholar in Oxford in the mid-13th century to share a deadly secret. They vow that the knowledge of gunpowder must die with them as the consequences otherwise are too terrible to contemplate. The novel tells the story of its re-discovery, one man’s obsession with the powder of death, and Edward III’s determination to use it to his advantage. He does so at the Battle of Crecy, the first full-scale battle at which guns are deployed in the field. The nature of warfare is changed forever, and the world hears the death-knell of Knightly chivalry.
[ Read an excerpt ]
Julian Stockwin 