The Chieftain's Head has as a backdrop the futile attempt of the army of Elizabeth I to conquer and colonise Ireland. Against this is set a story of young men coming of age and the romance of one of them, Philip, with the daughter of a noble family. The work was inspired by an obscure, true-life incident in which an army captain was charged with delivering the severed head of an Irish rebel to the Queen in London.

Philip is a student at Oxford University, but his life changes dramatically when he is press-ganged into the English army. He finds honour – and love of sorts – in Ireland, but while away sinister developments have occurred at his family home.

The Chieftain's Head is a gripping tale and a fascinating portrayal of the colourful, sometimes brutal, world of Tudor England, an age still torn by religious strife.