Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures

This is a great compendium of Howard’s fiction and poetry. These adventures, set in medieval-era Europe and the Near East, are among the most gripping Howard ever wrote, full of pageantry, romance, and battle scenes worthy of Tolstoy himself. Most of all, they feature some of Howard’s most unusual and memorable characters, including Cormac Fitzgeoffrey, a half-Irish, half-Norman man of war who follows Richard the Lion-hearted to twelfth-century Palestine—or, as it was known to the Crusaders, Outremer; Diego de Guzman, a Spaniard who visits Cairo in the guise of a Muslim on a mission of revenge; and the legendary sword woman Dark Agnès, who, faced with an arranged marriage to a brutal husband in sixteenth-century France, cuts the ceremony short with a dagger thrust and flees to forge a new identity on the battlefield.

Lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist John Watkiss and featuring miscellanea, informative essays, and a fascinating introduction by acclaimed historical author Scott Oden, Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures is a must-have for every fan of Robert E. Howard, who, in a career spanning just twelve years, won a place in the pantheon of great American writers.

Contents

  • Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures • (2011) • interior artwork by John Watkiss
  • xv • Artist’s Foreword (Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures) • (2011) • essay by John Watkiss
  • xvii • Introduction (Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures) • (2011) • essay by Scott Oden
  • 1 • Spears of Clontarf • non-genre • [Turlogh O’Brien] • (1978) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 33 • Hawks Over Egypt • (1979) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 69 • The Outgoing of Sigurd the Jerusalem-Farer • (1975) • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 71 • The Road of Azrael • (1976) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 107 • The Lion of Tiberias • non-genre • (1933) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 135 • Gates of Empire • (1939) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 169 • Hawks of Outremer • non-genre • [Cormac FitzGeoffrey] • (1931) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 197 • The Blood of Belshazzar • non-genre • [Cormac FitzGeoffrey] • (1931) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 225 • Red Blades of Black Cathay • non-genre • (1931) • novelette by Robert E. Howard and Tevis Clyde Smith
  • 253 • The Sowers of the Thunder • non-genre • (1932) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 291 • The Skull in the Clouds • (1962) • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 293 • A Thousand Years Ago • (1976) • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 295 • Lord of Samarcand • non-genre • (1932) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 329 • Timur-Lang • (1964) • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 331 • Sword Woman • [Agnes de Chastillon] • (1975) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 365 • Blades for France • non-genre • [Agnes de Chastillon] • (1975) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 387 • The Shadow of the Vulture • non-genre • (1934) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 423 • The Road of the Eagles • (2005) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
  • 459 • The Track of Bohemund (unfinished draft) • (2005) • short fiction by Robert E. Howard
  • 475 • The Slave-Princess (synopsis) • non-genre • [Cormac FitzGeoffrey] • (2005) • short fiction by Robert E. Howard
  • 477 • The Slave-Princess • non-genre • [Cormac FitzGeoffrey] • (2005) • short fiction by Robert E. Howard
  • 495 • Untitled Fragment (“He knew de Bracy …”) • (2005) • short fiction by Robert E. Howard
  • 497 • Untitled fragment (“The wind from the Mediterranean …”) • (1959) • short fiction by Robert E. Howard
  • 499 • Recap of Harold Lamb’s “The Wolf Chaser” • (2005) • short fiction by Robert E. Howard
  • 501 • Untitled Draft (“The Persians had all fled …”) • (2005) • short fiction by Robert E. Howard
  • 503 • The Sign of the Sickle • (2002) • poem by Robert E. Howard
  • 505 • Mistress of Death • (2011) • short fiction by Robert E. Howard
  • 515 • Howard’s Journey • (2011) • essay by Howard Andrew Jones
  • 537 • Notes on the Original Howard Texts (Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures) • (2011) • essay by uncredited
Sword Woman - published by Del Rey.
Publisher :Ballantine Books – Del Rey
Year :January 2011
Book no.:ISBN-13: 978-0-345-50545-0
Format :Trade paperback
Pages :xxii plus 547
Cover :John Watkiss
Illustrations :John Watkiss
ISFDB Howard Works

Notes

Edited by Rusty Burke
Art Directors: Jim & Ruth Keegan
Typographer: Stuart Williams
The texts for this edition were based on Howard’s original typescripts or the first published appearance if a typescript was unavailable.
“Mistress of Death”
There are two drafts of this story. The final paragraphs of the first draft appear to be a synopsis of the stories conclusion. The second draft stops abruptly as John and Agnes are about to run off to the house of Francoise de Bretagny. In SWORD WOMAN, the final paragraphs from the first draft were used to provide some closure.

Full number line on the copyright page indicates first printing.
“A Del Rey Trade Paperback Original” on copyright page.
Cover artist credited on back cover; interior art credited on front cover and title page.

Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures

This is a great compendium of Howard’s fiction and poetry. These adventures, set in medieval-era Europe and the Near East, are among the most gripping Howard ever wrote, full of pageantry, romance, and battle scenes worthy of Tolstoy himself. Most of all, they feature some of Howard’s most unusual and memorable characters, including Cormac Fitzgeoffrey, a half-Irish, half-Norman man of war who follows Richard the Lion-hearted to twelfth-century Palestine—or, as it was known to the Crusaders, Outremer; Diego de Guzman, a Spaniard who visits Cairo in the guise of a Muslim on a mission of revenge; and the legendary sword woman Dark Agnès, who, faced with an arranged marriage to a brutal husband in sixteenth-century France, cuts the ceremony short with a dagger thrust and flees to forge a new identity on the battlefield.

Tags: Jim & Ruth Keegan / John Watkiss / Robert E. Howard / Rusty Burke / Scott Oden / Tevis Clyde Smith