Recently, I listened to a pod about a Byzantine princess (oops! Eastern roman princess) called Teophanu who was sent off to wed the future Holy Roman Emperor as a teenager. She would never see her home country again—a fate she had in common with many other women of royal birth, who often found themselves wed […]
Today, I’ve invited Helen Hollick to talk about ghosts. “Ghosts?” you say, wondering what the historical angle is. Well, there isn’t one – except that generally ghosts are assumed to be the spiritual imprint of people who lived and died long ago. I am not entirely sure I believe in ghosts (sorry, Helen) but I
Ghostly Encounters – chatting with Helen about her upcoming release Read More »
Some of the sadder stories in history are about children who are caught up in the wars of their elders. Take, for example, the sad story of Manfred of Hohenstaufen’s very young children, who were locked up (and purportedly blinded) by Charles of Anjou in 1266 after he killed Manfred and claimed Sicily as his
In 1311, a very young Castilian infanta (princess) was betrothed to Jaime, heir to the Aragonese throne. Jaume did not want a wife. His father, however, was adamant. Aragon would benefit from a Castilian marriage. I guess Jaume would have sneered at that, reminding his father of his Castilian bride, little Isabel, whom he returned
Today, the limelight is on one of those books that always makes me cry, which is why I leapt at the opportunity to join this Coffee Pot Book Club tour. Helen Hollick paints an unforgettable portrait of Harold Godwinesson, so if you’ve not read Harold the King (I Am the Chosen King in the US)
All hail Harold – shining the light on a great novel! Read More »
St Lucy’s Day – or St Lucia as we say here in Sweden—is a celebration of light when winter is at its darkest. Prior to adopting the Gregorian calendar back in the 18th century, the Swedish calendar had St Lucia falling on the darkest day of the year, the midwinter solstice, and…What? You’ve never heard
In the 1960s. Sweden was swept by the great modernisation fever. Out with the old, in with the new, and in town after town, city after city, old historical quarters were demolished to be replaced by high rises in glittering glass and steel. A lot of what was ripped out was squalid—housing with no indoor
Time stands still for no one – or out with the old, in with the new! Read More »
I have moments when I am jealous of today’s guest. Not because Elizabeth St. John has the most amazing set of interesting ancestors (mine were mostly backwater farmers and miners) but because her writing is so utterly delicious, her characters so vivid, her plots so elegantly constructed round the skeletons of historical facts. Her latest
A tour de force – a WOW new release by an amazing author! Read More »
Today, Linnea Tanner visits my blog, promoting her book, Amulet’s Rapture. She has also made it free for a couple of days on Amazon – see link below! Now Linnea is a writer who combines great insight into the actual history she sets her books in–including the complicated political landscape–with a delicious dollop or two
Amulet’s Rapture – dig into Celtic history with Linnea Tanner! Read More »
Deborah Swift is an author I greatly admire, delivering books set in various historical eras. Operation Tulip is a WWII novel, third in a series, and to celebrate this her latest release, Ms Swift has taken her book baby on tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Further down, you will find my review, but
Operation Tulip – a gripping new release from Deborah Swift Read More »