Duel : A True Story of Death & Honour

In 1826 a merchant called David Landale shot dead his bank manager in what was one of Britain's last recorded fatal duels. Two centuries later, newly discovered legal archives have made it possible for one of his descendents, James Landale, to reconstruct this duel and the circumstances surrounding it.

With painstaking detail, Duel gives fresh insight into why two rational, educated human beings in the 1820s might choose to resolve a dispute by shooting at one another.

Landale also tells the story of duelling itself, explaining where it came from, and why it suddenly lost its social legitimacy in the middle of the 19th century. Above all, Duel grippingly explains why this curious thing called honour drove so many young men to death.

Praise for Duel:

'A fascinating history of duelling from its medieval origins until the 19th century…Landale not only has a clear and obvious passion for his subject but also tells a terrific yarn.'

Age

'A gripping yarn dished out in suspense-filled measures…with the history of duelling itself.'

Metro

'An intelligent, gripping read.'

Time Out

'For a debut book of only 300 pages, this is a remarkable achievement.'

Sunday Telegraph Review