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      First published in Great Britain by Collins 1981

      Previously published in paperback by Fontana 1981

      Reprinted twelve times

      Copyright © Rifleman Productions Ltd 1981

      Map © John Gilkes 2011

      Cover design by Holly Macdonald © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

      Cover image © DeAgostini Picture Library/Scala, Florence

      Bernard Cornwell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

      This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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      Ebook Edition © July 2009 ISBN: 9780007338641

      Version: 2019-12-13