Alpine Warrior Series

'How will history judge you, Leon Muller?' Fresh from their exploits in Switzerland, Leon and his comrades march south to Italy to fight for the Duchy of Milan against the Republic of Venice. Italy is the most cultured country in Europe, but its politicians, churchmen and generals are cunning and clever as well as learned. And they are expert puppet masters, as Leon and his comrades discover to their cost. Leon, now a captain, becomes central to the success of the Swiss army but he is also unwittingly manipulated by powerful figures as Swiss fortunes wax and wane. In battle the Swiss are like wolves, but a far more devious and powerful wolf is their enemy and in the battle for northern Italy, tactical victories seem to turn into strategic defeats. And soon the Swiss are despised for their ruthless approach to warfare and face having to flee back to their homeland. Will Leon and his comrades survive their Italian adventure? 'The Wolf of Rimini' is the second volume in the 'Alpine Warrior' series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts. Maps of 15th Century Italy and Lombardy are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.

Leon Muller, resident of the city of Bern, has it all – a wealthy family, an excellent education and a very bright future. But he throws it all away on a rash impulse and as a result is thrown into a world that is totally alien to him. Cast out of his home city, he is forced to join an army of impoverished, half-starved soldiers that is fighting for the freedom of the Swiss people. Derided as ‘alpine shepherds’ by their aristocratic enemies, Leon and his comrades are plunged into a life-and-death struggle as the nobles and armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Habsburgs circle the Swiss Confederation like ravenous wolves, united in their determination to wipe out the Swiss nation once and for all. It is a war of no quarter and great butchery. ‘Outcast’ is the first volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts. Maps of 15th Century Switzerland and the Rhine Valley are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.

Being stabbed in the back is more painful than in the front. Leon and the Swiss stand triumphant after their victory over the Venetians. Their employer, Francesco Sforza, is now the most powerful man in northern Italy. And yet, even in the moment of victory, individuals in the shadows are manoeuvring to rob the Sforza of his triumph and rid Italy of the Swiss. For Leon Muller, victory, glory and prestige all come to him as he rises in the ranks and his name becomes known not only in Italy, but also in his homeland. He and Sigmund Thyg now become warlords in northern Italy in their own right, and they and their soldiers are soon influencing events and alliances. They are lions on the battlefield, it is true, but making enemies of rich and powerful individuals is fraught with danger, and soon Leon and his comrades have nowhere to turn as their vengeful enemies close in. ‘Prodigal’ is the third volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts. Maps of 15th Century Italy and Lombardy are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.

A crumbling empire, a mighty city facing destruction, and a small army of mercenaries trying to keep the enemy hordes at bay. Leon Muller and his soldiers have been fighting for the Roman emperor for two years, battling the mighty Ottoman Empire to protect Constantinople. The ‘Queen of Cities’ has stood for a thousand years and its walls have never been breached. The emperor is confident he will be able to defeat the army of the Ottoman sultan in front of his city. But Leon, now an experienced military leader, battles in vain to inject reason into the fantasy land that is the imperial court as one hundred thousand Ottoman soldiers bear down on Constantinople. After nine years of unbroken success on the battlefield, Leon and his comrades are now trapped in a besieged city with no hope of relief and hundreds of miles from Swiss lands. Will he and they survive the titanic battle that will decide not only the fate of the ancient Roman Empire, but also the course of European history? ‘Count of Thrace’ is the fourth volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, religious, dynastic and imperial conflicts. Maps of the Ottoman Empire and the city of Constantinople are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.

‘You are Leon Muller, the man who has never lost a battle and the maker of miracles.’ Leon and his mercenaries have escaped Constantinople and are now wandering beggars. But veterans are never unemployed for long and soon Leon is offered a contract by Vlad Dracula, prince of Wallachia and enemy of the sultan. But the sultan is now more powerful than ever and Leon finds himself fighting not only the enemy in Wallachia but also lending aid to the beleaguered rulers of Hungary and Serbia as Ottoman forces close in for the kill. The forces arrayed against the sultan are fragmented, riven by jealousies and petty squabbles, unable to present a united front against a rising power that threatens to conquer the whole of Europe. Can Leon and his hardy Swiss soldiers create another miracle to save the day or will they be engulfed in a Balkan bloodbath? ‘Boyar’ is the fifth volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, religious, dynastic and imperial conflicts. Maps of the Ottoman Empire, Wallachia and the Balkans are available to view and download on the maps page of my website.