The Stronghold (novel)
| Author | Albrecht Behmel |
|---|---|
| Genre | history drama |
| Publisher | Urbane Publications, London |
Publication date | March 2015 |
| Media type | E-Book, Paperback |
| Pages | 480 paper back |
| ISBN | 978-1-909273-70-2 |
The Stronghold is a novel by German author Albrecht Behmel, published in 2015. Design and Type set by Julie Martin. It is set during the Middle Ages in Switzerland shortly before the battle of Morgarten. The story revolves around the mythical character William Tell of Uri and his family in the first years of the Swiss confederation.
Plot
Arminius Guessler is the newly appointed governor of Switzerland and lord of a newly built castle in Altdorf. His ambition is to become Duke of Switzerland. When the Holy Roman Emperor on a campaign against Robert of Naples in Italy falls ill and dies the realm's noble houses begin their fight for the throne. With the Pope in Avignon, the French king near and House Luxemburg nearly bankrupt civil war becomes are real threat. Guessler becomes the victim of an intrigue by House Habsburg to trigger rebellion in Switzerland. The rebels however follow their own agenda and win against Habsburg led by Willam of Ure, a legendary huntsman who refuses to bend his knee in front of Guessler. In defending his family against tyranny Thell becomes stuff of legend when he refuses the Swiss crown. The novel depicts the union of the Swiss free valleys into which was to become the Swiss Federation in later years.
Style
Most of the well-known names, like William Tell, appear in a slightly altered form to express their fictional character. The narration is fast-paced in the style of modern action-thrillers. It does not historicise even though feudal expressions appears in the well-researched dialogue. The novel is influenced by Friedrich Schiller's play but follows an altogether different dramatic approach. The main antagonist, Guessler, is depicted as a tragic figure caught between blackmail, ambition and the intricacies of an evolving civil war.
Characters in the novel
- Willam Thell of Ure
- Hadawig, his wife
- Walther, their son
- Wala, their daughter
- Whiggo, his father
- Arminius Guessler, Lord of Altdorf
- Lady Milda, his lover and half-sister
- Old Lord Adighaus, a lawyer
- Young Lord Adighaus
- Wernher, a rebel
- Arnholdt, a rebel
- Guido, an Italian mercenary
Locations
- Altdorf
- Uri
- Morgarten Pass
- Einsiedeln Abbey
- Brunnen
- Lake Luzern
Major themes
- Ordeal
- Apple shot
- false document
- crossbow
- Battle of Morgarten
- Paganism versus Christianity
- assassination
- medieval warfare
Further reading
- DeVries, Kelly (1996). Infantry Warfare in the Early Fourteenth Century: Discipline, Tactics, and Technology. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. pp. 188–89.
- McCrackan, William Denison (1901). The rise of the Swiss republic: a history. H. Holt. pp. 123–28.
- Magill, Frank N. Great Events from History: Ancient and The medieval Series, Volume 3:951-1500 (1972), pp 1603-1607, historiography