Outcast
I have always been fascinated by the Swiss people’s fight for freedom in the Medieval period, and how Swiss soldiers went on to become some of the fiercest and most respected soldiers in western Europe in the 15th and 16th Centuries. The battles won by the Swiss in their fight for independence were invariably against numerically superior, well-equipped armies led by nobles who were well versed in the art of war. The Swiss, in comparison, were often poorly armed and equipped but were infused with an unshakeable belief in their legitimacy of their cause and an élan that was second to none. Swiss soldiers were also totally ruthless on the battlefield and never stood on the defensive.
‘Outcast’ is my interpretation of how the Swiss fought and triumphed in the 15th Century against a host of enemies.
Leon Muller, resident of the city of Bern, has it all – a wealthy family, an excellent education and a very bright future. But he throws it all away on a rash impulse and as a result is thrown into a world that is totally alien to him. Cast out of his home city, he is forced to join an army of impoverished, half-starved soldiers that is fighting for the freedom of the Swiss people.
Derided as ‘alpine shepherds’ by their aristocratic enemies, Leon and his comrades are plunged into a life-and-death struggle as the nobles and armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Habsburgs circle the Swiss Confederation like ravenous wolves, united in their determination to wipe out the Swiss nation once and for all. It is a war of no quarter and great butchery.
‘Outcast’ is the first volume in the ‘Alpine Warrior’ series – the story of Swiss soldier Leon Muller in the wars of the 15th Century when Europe was torn apart by civil, dynastic and imperial conflicts.
Maps of 15th Century Italy and Lombardy are available to view and download on the maps page of this website.
