A blockbusting new voice in historical adventure fiction, in the bestselling tradition of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell 1186 - Under the rule of Henry II England is in a traumatic and bloody time known as The Anarchy. Harold of Hereford, born of noble blood and one of the nine founders of the Knights Templar, is a heroic survivor of the fearsome battles of the Crusader States. During a period of ruthless brutality, greed and ambition, Harold is a loyal warrior in the cause of Empress Matilda, and on his broad shoulders carries the legacy of England's past and its hope for the future. This is Harold's story told by the greatest letter writer of the 12th Century, Gilbert Folio.