David Gilman’s new novel, Rage of Swords, is the latest in his Master of War series and sees Thomas Blackstone in action in Italy. David tells Historia about the ideas and research behind his book, as well as offering advice for authors — and choosing a delightfully unexpected item he’d like to have beside his writing desk.
Rage of Swords is set in 1368 during the Hundred Years’ War. What drew you to this particular moment in history for the latest instalment?
DG: The ninth novel in the series follows on from the previous book, To Kill A King. Having fought at Najera and then in a duel with a master swordsman, the future looked to be more conflict in Spain for Blackstone. But the Italian priest, Torrelini, who has shadowed Blackstone’s life since the Battle of Crécy, is the go-between for the Bardi Bank and Edward III. And the bank finances the English King’s war.
A note arrives from England as Thomas Blackstone lies close to death from his wounds. Edward needs gold, and it can only be found in Italy. It’s the dowry offered by Galeazzo Visconti when his daughter marries Edward’s son, Lionel, Duke of Clarence.
And so it was a factual moment in history that sent Blackstone and his men across the Alps to face old and new enemies.
How do you balance historical accuracy with the demands of fast-paced adventure storytelling?
DG: Each book in the Master of War series is triggered by a historical event, and if there’s a battle, then that’s where Blackstone would be, but historical fact is a backdrop. My novels focus on the characters, and it’s these individuals, whether it be Blackstone or any of his men, that readers relate to.
If an author doesn’t create complex characters, be they good or evil, that a reader can relate to, then a story dies on the page, no matter how much action or pacing there is. For readers to absorb moments in history that are reflected in the story is a plus. Tax records, guild documents, and merchant logs — they tell you what people actually ate, wore, and complained about.
The most powerful adventures are not about swordplay alone, but about the moral choices and emotional and physical challenges these characters face.
The novel spans locations from Paris to Milan — how did you research these settings to bring them vividly to life?
DG: I visit locations where the story takes place. Some of the places I have been to in the past, others I start afresh. But if it’s not always possible to get to some sites, then I revert to research through the books I have on my shelf. Historical records usually have descriptions of landscapes that are usable. And you accept that some spots are nothing like they were in the past.
Milan, for example, doesn’t have much in the way of 14th-century remains. Most of its medieval walls were dismantled, but remnants and references survive in place names (like Porta Romana, Porta Ticinese) and occasional archaeological finds. So I relied on books that reflected life in the city as it was during my time period, as well as information from city archives.
Rage of Swords travels beyond Milan to Verona. Here, the Castelvecchio, a key element in the book, was created by the Scaligeri family and constructed between 1354 and 1357. And the Ponte Scaliger was designed to provide an escape route northward in case of rebellion.
I spent time in Verona and Castelvecchio, as this is where an important conflict takes place with Blackstone, his son and Cansignorio della Scala, the Lord of Verona. Even here, I had to accept that perhaps the ancient map I have of Castelvecchio and the fortress as it stands today might not be exactly the same as it was in the 14th century.
Castelvecchio was bombed during WWII and parts of the main building were badly damaged. The Italian government, keen to preserve the city’s architectural heritage, rebuilt the damaged area. If there’s any discrepancy between what we see now and what was observed then, it’s minor.
It’s always easy to get caught out. For instance, when I describe Castelvecchio in the book, I do not mention the tallest of the towers that dominates the skyline. It wasn’t built in 1368, and yet it matches all the other towers. That’s why research is so important. But of course, we’re all fallible.
What do you hope readers will take away from Rage of Swords?
DG: The 14th century was an age of terror and transformation: plague, war, faith, betrayal. Yet amid it all, there was beauty — a fierce hunger for art, love, and redemption. My characters are born of that tension: warriors who are poets without words, women who navigate a man’s world with a sharp intellect, characters who wrestle with conscience as fiercely as with sin.
Our ancestors were as complex, clever, and emotionally rich as we are – just operating in different circumstances. The year 1368 wasn’t a ‘simpler time’. People navigated political upheaval, pandemic aftermath, and economic transformation.
I want readers to feel a human connection across centuries while gaining genuine knowledge about how people actually lived. More than anything else, I hope they feel that they’ve been immersed in a great story.
Sir Thomas Blackstone faces enemies both political and personal. How has his character evolved since the beginning of the Master of War series?
DG: Going back to the first novel – Master of War – I sent Thomas Blackstone, a 16-year-old boy, guardian to his brother, who would have been described in those days as a deaf-mute. My intention then was to take the reader into the harsh conditions of war through the eyes of the young and innocent Blackstone.
He has suffered great personal loss, rescued from the abyss of grief by the men who fight at his side. Matured as a father to a wayward son, but who makes as many mistakes with the teenage boy as a contemporary parent might make. Twenty-odd years later, he is physically and emotionally scarred but is a beacon of strength to those who follow him.
What advice would you have for authors planning to write a series rather than a standalone book?
DG: I can’t offer much advice to those wanting to create a series, as I have never planned a long-running series. It’s always been an organic extension to carry on. I wrote the first novel – Master of War – as a standalone novel. And was then asked to keep the character going. So if I had an endpoint in mind – where would it be?
If you’re a writer who is super organized and can see the whole story unfolding for their characters, then end it where you wish. Book five? Six? Ten? It’s going to be a movable feast because if you plan to end it at a certain point, but the series is so successful, you have to continue, then you project the ending further still.
But what’s important is not to hold back. Make that first novel in your series rich and powerful – as if it’s just going to be a one-off novel. Who knows how a publisher will react when that manuscript arrives on their desk? It might well be that all they’ll take is a one-off book.
But let’s look at a writer who has a clear vision of everything they want to write. Understand your protagonist’s arc across the full series before you finish book one, even if the details change. Keep a series bible from day one. Every character who gets a name, every place mentioned, every historical event referenced — document it all.
Include more than what appears in the text: that minor merchant’s family connections, the layout of buildings you might revisit, the feast days that might matter later. This prevents contradictions and provides rich material for later books. That throwaway line about Milanese armour being superior? It might become crucial when your protagonist needs exactly that advantage in book four.
And beyond all of this? Get ready for a long haul. Stamina is your best writing companion.
And, last question: what one object from the Hundred Years’ War era would you like to have beside your writing desk?
DG: Other than an English longbow so I can skewer any critics on the horizon, I’d probably go for a misericord from an ancient church – one of those ingeniously carved wooden ledges that flip down from choir stalls.
Monks and canons had to stand for hours during services, and these ‘mercy seats’ let them perch slightly while appearing to stand. But here’s what makes them perfect for a writer’s desk: the hidden carvings underneath.
While the visible parts of churches showed saints and scripture, misericords revealed medieval humour and irreverence. Beneath these seats, craftsmen carved fantastic scenes — devils playing bagpipes, wives beating husbands with cooking spoons, merchants cheating customers, foxes preaching to geese. They’re subversive, funny, sometimes crude, always human.
Having a misericord beside my desk would be the perfect daily reminder that our historical ancestors weren’t just pious sufferers. They laughed at authority, made fart jokes, and carved political satire into their churches. If I’m tempted to write overly serious, grim medieval scenes, I’d look at that misericord and remember that even in plague years, even during endless war, people found ways to laugh, to poke fun, to be irreverent, wonderfully human.
That’s the spirit that makes historical fiction live.
Rage of Swords by David Gilman is published on 6 November, 2025.
David Gilman has enjoyed many careers, including paratrooper, firefighter, and photographer. An award-winning author and screenwriter, he is the author of the critically acclaimed Master of War series of historical novels, and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize for The Last Horseman. He was longlisted for the same prize for The Englishman, the first book featuring ex-French Foreign Legionnaire Dan Raglan. David lives in Devon.
Follow David on Twitter/X and Facebook, or visit his website.
You may also enjoy David’s Historia feature, The Hundred Years’ War – a novel approach, looking at the historical background to his books.
Images:
- The Battle of Najera, with John of Gaunt, the Black Prince, and Pedro the Cruel against Henry II of Castile and the French, from Jean Froissart’s Chroniques, 15th century: Bibliothèque nationale de France via Wikimedia (public domain)
- Violante and Gian Galeazzo Visconti, before 1380: Wikimedia (public domain)
- Castelvecchio, Verona: Zairon for Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- The Virgin Being Worshipped by Members of the Cavalli Family by Altichiero, c1370, Sant’Anastasia, Verona: Wikimedia (public domain)
- Edward III besieging Reims, from Jean Froissart’s Chroniques, 15th century: Bibliothèque nationale de France via Wikimedia (public domain)
- Italian armour, c1500–1510 and later; helmet, c1480: Met Museum (public domain)
- Misericord showing a fox preaching to geese, Walcourt, Belgium: Jean-Pol Grandmont for Wikimedia (CC BY 3.0)
