From Vlad the Impaler and Tomas de Torquemada to Eustace the Monk and Reynald of Châtillon, some figures of the Middle Ages stand out and their stories simply beg to be told.

The mini-biographies of these, and many more, rogues, rebels and mavericks of the Middle Ages illuminate this fascinating period of history. By no means were they all unsympathetic characters, though many ended either murdered or executed, but not a single one could be described as less than remarkable.

This book is for anyone who enjoys medieval history in all its forms. Spanning the Norman Conquest, the Hundred Years War, the Wars of the Roses and the beginnings of European discovery of the wider world, much of what we see as ‘medieval’ is depicted through the focus of such players. Their colourful stories bring to life different aspects of society, such as chivalry, peasant revolts, crusading, heresy, sorcery and philosophy.