NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER âĸ NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE âĸ âA taut page-turner with all the hallmarks of a good historical thriller.ââOrlando Sentinel
Â
The gripping true story of the duel to end all duels in medieval France as a resolute knight defends his wifeâs honor against the man she accuses of a heinous crime
Â
In the midst of the devastating Hundred Yearsâ War between France and England, Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight fresh from combat in Scotland, returns home to yet another deadly threat. His wife, Marguerite, has accused squire Jacques Le Gris of rape. A deadlocked court decrees a trial by combat between the two men that will also leave Margueriteâs fate in the balance. For if her husband loses the duel, she will be put to death as a false accuser.
Â
While enemy troops pillage the land, and rebellion and plague threaten the lives of all, Carrouges and Le Gris meet in full armor on a walled field in Paris. What follows is the final duel ever authorized by the Parlement of Paris, a fierce fight with lance, sword, and dagger before a massive crowd that includes the teenage King Charles VI, during which both combatants are woundedâbut only one fatally.
Â
Based on extensive research in Normandy and Paris, The Last Duel brings to life a colorful, turbulent age and three unforgettable characters caught in a fatal triangle of crime, scandal, and revenge. The Last Duel is at once a moving human drama, a captivating true crime story, and an engrossing work of historical intrigue with themes that echo powerfully centuries later.