Book: The Half-Hanged Man by David Pilling
categories: Book, Historical Fiction, Knights, Castles, War, Medieval
David Pilling
about this book: The Half-Hanged Man is the story of a famous mercenary and soldier of fortune, Thomas Page, and his adventures at the head of his band of soldiers, the Company of Wolves, in war-torn France and Spain during the late 14th century. I was inspired to write this book by my love of history and visceral historical fiction - Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow etc. The primary readers of my book will be those who also love historical fiction and love a story full of blood and guts, strong emotions and epic military conflict! It took me less than a year to write.
I came up with the title because Thomas Page was rescued from the gallows and sports a rope-scar on his neck, hence he is 'The Half-Hanged Man'. I chose the cover because I thought it was striking and related to the period. The hardest part about writing this book was writing Part Two, which is told from the perspective of a Spanish courtesan, and required me to research Spanish medieval history. My research involved online study using sources such as the DNB and JSTOR as well as visiting record offices to use original documentary sources. I learned a great deal from writing this book, including how to tell an exciting tale while retaining historical content. I want the book to appeal to readers as both a thrilling and informative read.
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