Michael Arnold Books In Order

Publication Order of Civil War Chronicles Books

Publication Order of Highwayman Books

Publication Order of Joshua Hawke Books

Michael Arnold is a British author who writes historical fiction. Arnold is known for the ‘Civil War Chronicles’ series and the ‘Highwayman’ books.

+Biography
Michael Arnold was born in 1979. He calls Petersfield, Hampshire home; that is where he was raised and educated, and that is where he eventually settled with his wife and three kids.

Like most authors, Michael Arnold’s journey to publishing success was not straightforward. He initially worked in the financial services industry, and there he stayed for over a decade before finally putting his mind to the task of writing.

Arnold is one of the very few authors who write fiction that uses the British Civil War as a backdrop.

+Literary Career
Michael Arnold was destined to pursue history. His love for the subject can be imputed primarily to his upbringing. Arnold grew up on the South Coast of England. The South Coast of England is steeped in historical sites.

During the holidays, Arnold would visit the castles and the battlefields, the experience piquing his interest in the Civil Wars of old and compelling his imagination to begin formulating stories.

If you forced Arnold to select and highlight the one moment of his childhood that officially put him on the path to publishing success, he would probably make mention of the day he stumbled across Bernard Cornwell.

Military and historical fiction authors always cite Cornwell as the one figure that influenced their work, and Michael Arnold is no different. As a 13-year-old, Arnold was as enthusiastic about reading fiction as he was about investigating history.

And it eventually occurred to him that it might be within his ability to combine his love for fiction with his interest in history. However, it wasn’t until he read ‘Sharpe’s Regiment’ that the pieces began to fall into place.

Arnold realized that history did not have to sound longwinded and stuffy and overblown but, rather, historical figures, settings, and situations had the capacity to engage and entertain, especially when they were explored within the confines of a historical fiction novel.

Arnold also speaks highly of James Nelson, Julian Stockwin, and even Sansom. But Bernard Cornwell will always hold a special place in his heart.

By the time the author finally sat down to pen his first novel, he was shocked to find that the Historical fiction landscape was sorely lacking in stories set within and around the English Civil Wars.

He couldn’t understand why such an important period in history had gone largely ignored. But he also recognized that he had an opportunity on his hands to set the trend and to open the doorway for other aspiring authors of historical fiction who would inevitably read his stories and follow him in his efforts to bring the English Civil Wars to the world.

It is worth noting that Michael Arnold does not see himself as some stuffy historical expert looking to educate his audience. His novels are designed to intrigue and entertain. It is for that reason that they are peppered with so much action and horseback chases, not to mention lively characters and nefarious villains.

That being said, Arnold always keeps his stories true to the tone and the themes of his setting. The period during which the English Civil War was perpetrated was a dark time.

The people living in those days had to deal with political intrigue and religious hatred. The country as a whole was groaning under pressures and stresses that threatened to tear it apart.

So while Arnold allows his stories to mimic light-hearted adventures, he isn’t afraid to dip into more serious territory when the scene calls for it.

The author admits that the British Civil Wars are very tricky waters to maneuver. Unlike the American Civil War, the purposes driving the civil wars in Britain were never clear-cut.

The conflict was driven by a divide between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians but there was no ostensible geographical or religious separation fueling the wars. The result was a tangled web whose consequences have been largely ignored and forgotten by the general public.

Michael Arnold considers it his duty to bring some of these events back into the public sphere. As you would expect with any historical fiction writer, Arnold does extensive research for his novels.

The Author’s reading habits primarily revolve around nonfiction but that is hardly shocking. Arnold tries to keep the historical details in his stories as accurate as he can possibly get and that requires him to be conversant with the minutiae of British history.

Of course, Arnold also likes reading nonfiction. The fact that the author spends most of his days writing fiction drives him to seek out nonfiction merely as a means of breaking the routine of his week.

+Traitor’s Blood
Captain Stryker is the sort of man you never forget, not once you see the hardened veteran in action on the battlefield. Stryker made quite the name for himself in the conflicts that consumed the Low Countries.

But now he has come to England to get revenge. A particular man left him for dead and Stryker’s sense of loyalty has driven him to seek recompense. To get the job done, Stryker has chosen to ignore aristocratic assistance in favor of recruiting a few simple men he can trust, this including an actor and a sergeant.

When the activities of a spy within the Royalist Establishment are discovered, Stryker is forced to change his plans. With only his small band of men to rely on, Stryker must locate his target before another party beats him to the punch.

+Devil’s Charge
Captain Stryker has fought in dozens of wars and he has the scars to prove it. Stryker has seen so much bloodshed that the just or unjust nature of a cause no longer means anything to him.

To Stryker, all that matters is the safety of his band of loyal men. Stryker is also loyal to Lisette Gaillard, the deadliest agent Queen Henrietta Maria has to offer.

When Lisette goes missing, Prince Rupert sends Stryker after her. The beautiful agent was protecting a man who held the key to Royalist Victory.