Date Posted	March 10, 2006
News Title	Stay up all “knight” with Macleod’s latest book
Posted By	Bobby Bernshausen
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The future of the English throne hangs in the balance in a new novel about the wars people will wage in the names of honor, glory and property. In A King In Spite of Himself by Alan Macleod, the story of battle, sudden death, siege, plot and counterplot is set in 1202 during the turbulent reign of King John of England. The tale starts with the rescue of John's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and sweeps through Normandy, England and Wales. The action is seen through the eyes of a young knight, Roger de Clare, an aide to William Marshal, Earle of Pembroke and a pivotal figure of this era. John has to contend with Philip, king of France, who wants his country back, and with a restless set of Barons who could start a civil war if they don't get what they want. Marshal sees himself as a balance between all the opposing forces and uses Roger ruthlessly as his agent to achieve his ends in the secret winter war against Philip. Young Arthur, Count of Brittany and John's nephew, disappears and Roger becomes his keeper, smuggling him out of France to Wales to hold him safe against John's enemies who are searching for the boy to use against John. Macleod was born and brought up in Scotland. As a young man, he traveled extensively and worked in several European Countries before making his home in the US. He has been writing for a dozen years, dividing his efforts between two genres: historical novels and post war thrillers. Macleod and his wife live in Evanston, Illinois. This is his second book with Virtualbookworm.com, his first being To Capture a King. A King In Spite of Himself is available in softcover (ISBN 1-58939-802-5) from Virtualbookworm.com, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. The book can also be ordered from most bookstores around the United States and the United Kingdom. -30-
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