For the Dogs, the war has only just begun. Caught up in the siege of Calais, in the midst a brutal eleven-month blockade of a small port on the French coast, they are no longer blindly walking into the unknown. But the men still have more questions than answers about what faces them – and why. What are they really fighting for? And why does the king care so much about taking such a small French town? The Dogs aren’t paid to ask questions but in their work, they have the means to make people talk. Soon, their journey will reveal who really wants this war to last for a hundred years. And as the battle rages, they hear the first, faint, chesty rattle of a natural disaster that is sweeping towards the Dogs and their world . . . Spanning the siege city built outside Calais’ walls, to the pirate ships patrolling the harbour, and into the dark corners of oligarchs’ houses, where the deals that shape – and end – lives are made, this captivating and brutal story brings the 1300s effortlessly to life. About money, merchants and the medieval ‘deep state’, this is a must-read for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden. Praise for Essex Dogs: 'A new champion has entered the front line of historical fiction to stand shoulder to shoulder with Bernard Cornwell.' Jane Johnson 'Battle-bloody, brutal and perfectly pitched.' Daily Mail 'A busy, urgent little masterpiece.' Graham Hurley 'With a cast of unforgettable characters, written with irrepressible verve and historical accuracy, Dan Jones delivers a compelling novel that thrums with swordswinging energy.' Simon Sebag Montefiore