Please keep in mind that I’m not a trained historian – I’m just an amateur, an enthusiastic history buff. However, as history figures prominently in my books. I have attempted to ensure the historical facts are as correct as possible, and where necessary I have written a historical note so as to answer the most obvious questions.
Spain in the late 13th century was a complicated place: to the north, the Crown of Aragon controlled most of the land marching south of the Pyrenees—except for Navarra, which was under French control. In the centre of the peninsula, the kingdom of Castile had been in expansion mode for over a century. To the …
In 1688, James II of England was forced to flee into exile, accompanied by his wife and precious baby son. Why did this happen? Well, to simplify things, James II was a Catholic, something that most Englishmen of the time had major problems with. And now that he had a son, the horrifying spectre of …
Historical Note, His Castilian Hawk Wales in the late 13th century was a complicated place, very much affected by the events in England. During Simon de Montford’s rebellion, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd sided with the rebels and this would come back to cost him—especially once Henry III was dead, replaced by the far more forceful …
Roger Mortimer died on the 29th of November, 1330, more or less as depicted in the final chapters of this book. Opinions about him remain divided: some have a tendency to paint Isabella as a victim and Roger as an ogre, others believe Roger and Isabella were in it together, all the way. I lean …
Historical Note, Days of Sun and Glory While Adam de Guirande and his wife Kit are fictional beings, the political events depicted in this novel are not.When Roger Mortimer escaped from the Tower in 1323, Edward II and Despenser went into a frenzy. It became paramount to cleanse the realm of England of any potential …
Historical Note, In the Shadow of the Storm While Adam de Guirande and his wife Kit are fictional beings, the political events depicted in this novel are not. Roger Mortimer did rise in rebellion late in 1321, he was forced to a humiliating submission in January of 1322, and yes, he did escape from the …
Historical note, A Newfound Land Just like Matthew Graham, many of the early settlers in the American Colonies emigrated due to religious issues. In the combined realms of England and Scotland, the Church of England – and the government – was distrustful of all religious faiths outside the Anglican Church. Catholics were hounded, would continue …
Historical Note, Whither Thou Goest The closing decades of the 17th century saw a return of unrest to England. After two decades of relative calm following upon the restoration of Charles II, the ugly head of religious discrimination reared its head again, starting with the obnoxious Titus Oates and his unfounded accusations against a number …
Being a staunch member of the Scottish Kirk was not easy in the decades following upon the restoration of Charles II. While Charles himself seems to have done his utmost to retain a neutral approach to religion – growing up in the shadow of the religious conflicts that fanned the fires of the Civil War …
Historical note, Like Chaff in the Wind When the first English colony was established in Virginia (and I don’t count the Roanoke debacle) in 1609, the eager participants came with dreams and hopes of easy riches, something akin to what the Spanish had discovered down in South America. Sadly, Virginia had no mountains of almost …
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