Rules of War Iain Gale (HarperCollins, £12.99)

This may not be the Napoleonic Wars, but of equal importance to British interests in Europe were the brilliant campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough against the French, which prompted Queen Anne to reward her military leader with a large Oxfordshire estate. One of the pivots was the battle of Ramilles in 1706 - two years after the Battle of Blenheim - and Gale has chosen this for his setpiece novel involving gentleman soldier Jack Steel, who appears to have shards of Sharpe in his blood. This is a beautifully told adventure story, with trials and traitors challenging Steel in a mission equal to his first exploits in Man of Honour.

Empire of Sand Robert Ryan (Headline, £12.99)

Lawrence of Arabia inspired and executed the Arab revolt against the Ottoman empire. But what motivated this unlikely warrior, plucked from a dusty Cairo map room? Ryan's skilful writing conjures an immensely exciting story concerning Lawrence's travels to Persia to defeat a German spy and aid the war in the trenches. Ryan's appreciation of Lawrence and his understanding of Middle East politics during the First World War provides a deeply satisfying narrative in the realms of culture and espionage.

Crossed Bones Jane Johnson (Viking, £12.99)

Any book about the Barbary pirates and the fear they instilled in their raids on Cornish villages should send a shiver down our spines. In this incident, 60 men, women and children were abducted, bound for the slave markets of Morocco. Johnson's extremely clever linkage between the present search for truth and medieval heritage never wanes. Her historical research gives the novel a desperate edge, embroidered with classic needlework which is also at the heart of this story of entrapment and slavery.