From New York Times bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, now available in paperback-- a thrilling tale of danger and conquest at the Battle of Poitiers, 1356 is "a book in which Cornwell's gifts as scholar and storyteller come together spectacularly." ( Washington Post ) Bernard Cornwell, the "master of martial fiction" (Booklist), brings Thomas of Hookton from the popular Grail Quest series into a new adventure in 1356 , a thrilling stand-alone novel. On September 19, 1356, a heavily outnumbered English army faced off against the French in the historic Battle of Poitiers. In 1356 , Cornwell resurrects this dramatic and bloody struggle--one that would turn out to be the most decisive and improbable victory of the Hundred Years' War, a clash where the underdog English not only the captured the strategic site of Poitiers, but the French King John II as well. In the vein of Cornwell's bestselling Agincourt , 1356 is an action-packed story of danger and conquest, rich with military strategy and remarkable characters--both villainous and heroic--transporting readers to the front lines of war while painting a vivid picture of courage, treachery, and combat.