Set during a scorching Italian summer in which a series of ritual killings are shocking the city, Ritual of Fire is a historical crime novel set in 1530s Renaissance Florence and is the sequel to City of Vengeance and The Darkest Sin by D. V. Bishop.
An atmospheric locked-room historical thriller set against the backdrop of the Medici dynasty in 1530s Renaissance Florence and the sequel to City of Vengeance.
The Roman shield, the scutum, was central to the Romans' conquest of the known world, and has become an emblem of the legions at the forefront of that effort. This new study draws on the latest research to reveal the history of this iconic equipment.
Fully illustrated, this book investigates the articulated plate armour worn by Roman legionaries.First named by Renaissance historians studying the reliefs on Trajan's Column, lorica segmentata evaded successful attempts to reconstruct it until a series of important archaeological finds in the 20th century revealed how it worked and the truth of its extended chronology. The earliest finds date from the late 1st century BC, and its discovery at Kalkriese in Germany shows how rapidly it was adopted. At the same time, discoveries in Spain and Britain showed that, despite its apparent fragility, it continued in use into the 4th century AD.The spectacular find of six halves of cuirasses in a chest at Corbridge in 1964 has now been matched by the rare discovery of a complete set of this armour at Kalkriese. The Corbridge find provided the context to interpret and reconstruct earlier finds. There is now years of experience gleaned from reenactors over the practical strengths and weaknesses of this form of armour. At the same time, scientific analysis has provided insights into the technology behind this revolutionary form of armour so characteristic of the Roman Army. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon the latest findings, this study lifts the veil on the formidable plate armour used by the legionaries of Imperial Rome.
Ceremonial murder has returned to Florence. Only two men can end the destruction. Featuring Officer Cesare Aldo, Ritual of Fire is an atmospheric historical thriller by D. V. Bishop, set in Renaissance Italy.'Fast becoming a serious rival to C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris' - Historical Novel SocietyFlorence. Summer, 1538.A night patrol finds a wealthy merchant hanged and set ablaze in the city's main square. More than mere murder, this killing is intended to put the fear of God into Florence. Forty years earlier, puritanical monk Girolamo Savonarola was executed the same way. Does this new killing mean his fanatical disciples are reviving the monk's regime of holy terror?Cesare Aldo is busy hunting thieves in the Tuscan countryside, leaving Constable Carlo Strocchi to investigate the killing. When another merchant is burned alive in public, the rich start fleeing to their country estates. But the Tuscan hills can also be dangerous.Growing religious fervour and a scorching heatwave drives the city ever closer to madness. Meanwhile, someone is stalking those powerful men who forged lifelong bonds in the dark days of Savonarola.Unless Aldo and Strocchi work together, all of Florence will be consumed by an inferno of death and destruction . . .'Religion and lust? Money and politics? It's all here, combined into a murderous brew' - Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Royal SecretRitual of Fire is the third Cesare Aldo mystery, preceded by City of Vengeance and The Darkest Sin. The series continues with A Divine Fury.The Crime Writers' Association Historical Dagger Winning Author
Shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize and longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger 2021.' An impressive and immersive debut set in a beautifully realized sixteenth-century Florence' Antonia Hodgson' A first-class historical thriller . . . Bishop’s spirited and richly detailed story is a tour-de-force' David Baldacci' Richly atmospheric . . . transports you to another time and place' Ambrose Parry , author of The Way of All FleshCity of Vengeance is an explosive debut novel in an historical thriller series by D. V. Bishop, set in Renaissance Florence, which continues with The Darkest Sin .Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth.Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court, is given four days to solve the catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany – or suffer the consequences.During his investigations Aldo uncovers a plot to overthrow the volatile ruler of Florence, Alessandro de’ Medici. If the Duke falls, it will endanger the whole city. But a rival officer of the court is determined to expose details about Aldo’s private life that could lead to his ruin. Can Aldo stop the conspiracy before anyone else dies, or will his own secrets destroy him first?
Develop Your Assertiveness offers simple techniques to enable you to become more assertive. Packed with examples and exercises, it is a self-help guide covering topics such as: the importance of choice behavior; tension control, self-awareness and self-esteem; relationships; making and refusing requests; dealing with problem people.
This little know gem by the doyenne of women travellers in the East describes a journey on horseback through the Himalayas and into Tibet, where she spent four months. Enchanted by the Tibetans who she found the 'pleastest of people', Bird's is a delightful account of a land of beauty and mystery, encircled by high mountains of vermillion and purple. Among the most striking passages are those that describe the religion of Tibet, which permeated the very atomosphere with a singular sense of strange of otherworldly. Bird visited the palaces, temples and monasteries and her description of the ceremonies, decorations, costumes and music capture a world that is now lost for all time. First published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.