The White Hawk Books

"God for Lancaster! God for Saint George!” England, 1459. Following her final defeat in The Hundred Years War, England has plunged into the bloody chaos of civil war. King Henry VI, the feeble son of the victor of Agincourt, is unable to prevent the rival houses of Lancaster and York from tearing each other to pieces. Book One of The White Hawk follows the fortunes of a family of Lancastrian loyalists, the Boltons, as they attempt to survive and prosper in this world of brutal warfare and shifting alliances. From the pitiless massacre of Blore Heath to the blood-soaked hell of Towton, they must fight like wild beasts to protect their lands and their king. The White Hawk (I): Revenge was previously released in two parts, and has now been combined into a single volume.

“A Warwick! A Warwick!” England, 1470. The Earl of Warwick has fled England and the wrath of his former friend, King Edward of York. Barred from entering Calais, he turns to piracy and attacking merchant ships in the Channel. The surviving members of the Bolton family have also fled their homes in England. Landless and condemned as traitors, they follow Warwick to France and the court of Margaret of Anjou, who has lived in exile since the destruction of the Lancastrian army at Towton. Desperate to regain power, Warwick sends James Bolton with a message to Margaret, his old enemy, offering to forge an alliance with her and overthrow King Edward. Together they plan to restore the mad Henry VI, who has been a prisoner for ten years in the Tower of London. Warwick gathers a new army from the surviving Lancastrian nobles, and begins to assemble an invasion fleet. King Edward must keep one eye on this threat, while also coping with fresh rumours of conspiracy and rebellion in the north. The peace in England is once again shattered as the war-drums beat and the banners unfurl for the final death-struggle between the rival Houses of Lancaster and York. Part III of The White Hawk chronicles the further adventures of the Boltons, caught up in a conflict not of their own making, and forced to play their part by powers beyond their control. The White Hawk (II): Loyalty is a new edition, previously published as The White Hawk (III): Restoration.

The dynastic wars are over. The House of York reigns supreme after the shattering victories of Barnet and Tewkesbury, and King Edward IV can look forward to a long and happy reign. For Lancastrian loyalists such as the Boltons, there is no peace or happiness. James is a prisoner in the Tower, and has been for the past twelve years. His brother Martin is a mercenary fighting for the King of Hungary. Elizabeth, their niece, lives under a false name as a prostitute in the stews of Southwark. Everything changes when King Edward dies unexpectedly, leaving his crown to an underage boy. The young Edward V is controlled by the Woodvilles, his mother's relatives, who seek to use him as their puppet. Edward's uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is named as Lord Protector. Suspicious of the Woodvilles, Gloucester takes drastic action to protect himself and seize the person of his nephew. Across the Channel, the few surviving Lancastrians sniff an opportunity to restore their fortunes. Their last hope is Henry Tudor, the exiled Earl of Richmond, who possesses a faint claim to the throne. While the House of York threatens to tear itself apart, Richmond slowly gathers allies and plans to invade England. From the cold ashes of defeat, the Boltons are handed an opportunity to redeem their fortunes. Victory or death awaits as they fight like never before to claw back what was lost. The White Hawk (III) Survival is the third and last instalment of David Pilling's series set during The Wars of the Roses. It also includes THE DEVIL'S DUE, a new short story that introduces a later generation of Boltons in the English Civil War.

The dynastic wars are over. The House of York reigns supreme after the shattering victories of Barnet and Tewkesbury, and King Edward IV can look forward to a long and happy reign. For Lancastrian loyalists such as the Boltons, there is no peace or happiness. James is a prisoner in the Tower, and has been for the past twelve years. His brother Martin is a mercenary fighting for the King of Hungary. Elizabeth, their niece, lives under a false name as a prostitute in the stews of Southwark. Everything changes when King Edward dies unexpectedly, leaving his crown to an underage boy. The young Edward V is controlled by the Woodvilles, his mother’s relatives, who seek to use him as their puppet. Edward’s uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is named as Lord Protector. Suspicious of the Woodvilles, Gloucester takes drastic action to protect himself and seize the person of his nephew. Across the Channel, the few surviving Lancastrians sniff an opportunity to restore their fortunes. Their last hope is Henry Tudor, the exiled Earl of Richmond, who possesses a faint claim to the throne. While the House of York threatens to tear itself apart, Richmond slowly gathers allies and plans to invade England. From the cold ashes of defeat, the Boltons are handed an opportunity to redeem their fortunes. Victory or death awaits as they fight like never before to claw back what was lost. The White Hawk (III): Sacrifice is the third and last instalment of David Pilling’s series set during The Wars of the Roses. It also includes THE DEVIL’S DUE, a new short story that introduces a later generation of Boltons in the English Civil War.