Lendle

This is the story of a marriage. Yet is also the story of England's civil war, as seen through the eyes of Sir Thomas Fairfax and his indomitable wife Anne, who trailed in the wake of her husband's army for three exhausting years, so that she could be with him when he needed her.Sir Thomas Fairfax, who was to become commander-in-chief of Cromwell's Army, is the stirring hero of this dramatic historical novel. A frail man with a lion's heart and a puritan's conscience, his exploits on the battlefield became as legendary as the name by which he was known to the weavers and farmers who made up his army. 'Black Tom', riding his famous stallion White Surrey, became a symbol of hope for the northern towns of England. With him in their midst men discovered courage which led them to accomplish such things as the raising of the siege of Leeds and the capture of Wakefield, described by historians of the time as 'more a miracle than a victory'. And always behind him 'like any draggle-tailed camp follower' came his dauntless wife Anne, leaving the softness of her life as a gentle-woman to brave the bitter comforts of any army on the march because she believed her husband needed her.Rosemary Sutcliff has recaptured the very essence of this bloodthirsty period of England's history. The acrid smell of gunshot, the snorting of terrified horses, and the cries of wounded men are as vivid as the scent of Provence roses in the garden at Nun Appleton, or the smell of Anne's cherry conserve corning from the still room on a peaceful summer's day."A fascinating character study told with skill and erudition" DAILY TELEGRAPH "A gripping story of battle, intrigue and ruin" EVENING NEWS Rosemary Sutcliff CBE (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was a British novelist best known for children's books, especially historical fiction and retellings of myths and legends. For her contribution as a children's writer Sutcliff was a runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1974. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novels were specifically written for adults. Her other adult works include ‘Blood & Sand’ and ‘The Flowers of Adonis’. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.