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Swords from the North
by Henry Treece
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Harald Sigurdsson arrives in Constantinople with northern veterans and offers his sword to the Byzantine emperors. Service in the Varangian Guard carries him through court intrigue, campaigns and shifting imperial loyalties between 1034 and 1044. His size, confidence and appetite for danger make him valuable, but they also ensure that rulers and rivals view him as a possible threat.
Based on the saga tradition surrounding the future Harald Hardrada, the novel follows his transformation from an exile and mercenary into a commander who expects one day to rule. Byzantium is presented as both a glittering centre of wealth and a political trap where military success can lead as quickly to imprisonment as reward.
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