Book Review Archives - Aspects of History

How England Began: From Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxons, by Nicholas Higham

How England Began work steers away from one-dimensional approaches, focussing on exploiting multiple sources of information, without necessarily giving one more priority or credence over another. What we are left with is a detailed, yet accessible analysis of the years from the late 4th century to the 6th century.

Paul Bernardi

Back in the (late) 1980s when I was at university, it was the period leading up to and following AD 410 that most filled me with trepidation. Almost nothing in the way of contemporary written sources, combined with archaeological findings that were only really just...

The Model Patient, by Lucy Ashe

Lucy Ashe’s third historical thriller novel, exploring female autonomy, obsession, and the potentially perilous intimacy of psychotherapy. The Model Patient is both a love letter to psychotherapy’s healing potential and a critique of its ethical fragility.

Ella Beales

The Model Patient is Lucy Ashe’s third historical thriller novel, exploring female autonomy, obsession, and the potentially perilous intimacy of psychotherapy. Set in 1960s London, this novel follows Evelyn Westbrook, a former model turned increasingly unfulfilled...

Woodspring, by Elizabeth Buchan

No doubt many have sat in their houses and wondered who lived there before them, what sort of lives they led. Woodspring, set in three parts, presents a chance to dig up those buried moments in time.

Carmina Gallus

Set in three parts, Elizabeth Buchan's latest novel Woodspring combines the stories of three separate people through its namesake – Woodspring House built in 1810. Though united in this way, each person and their part comes to Woodspring in their own way, and with...

Conquest: A History of Roman Britain, by Ferdinand Addis

A reappraisal of a much-researched topic reveals how diplomacy, trade and cultural exchange were and still are as fundamental to Rome’s conquest of these islands, our landscape and British identity today as military force.

Zeb Baker-Smith

There is a lot that has been said, written and mulled over when it comes to Roman Britain, and, consequently, a reader glimpsing Ferdinand Addis’ Conquest on the shelves might be forgiven for thinking it another interpretation of those well-trodden stories and a...

A Tibetan Girl Called Ata, by Xiao Hei

A powerful novel that melds an intimate cross-cultural love story with the political tensions of modern Tibet.

Margarita Salcevich

There are historical novels that inform you, and there are historical novels that unsettle you, and it's rare to find one that manages both. A Tibetan Girl Called Ata, the first English-language novel from Xiao Hei (the pen name of Zhang Pu, brother of Wild Swans...

Syracuse Will Burn, by Jim Loughran

A gripping and evocative historical novel that brings ancient Sicily to life and mingles period detail, compelling characters and political intrigue into a potent story.

Peter Tonkin

This wonderful novel made me ache to visit Syracuse just as Antony and Cleopatra took me to Egypt and Julius Caesar took me to Rome. Why? Because one of the most important characters in Syracuse Will Burn is Syracuse itself. In a highly effective narrative strand, the...

Sawadika American Girl, by Daria Sommers

A coming-of-age novel, set in the backdrop of the Vietnam War, that provides a poignant exploration of identity, memory and what it truly means to belong.

Ella Beales

Sawadika American Girl is a moving coming-of-age novel that explores identity, belonging, grief, and the complicated legacy of the Vietnam War. Drawing on her own experiences as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) – someone who spends a significant part of their developmental...

Women of SOE: A History of their Secret Missions in Wartime Europe, by Kate Vigurs

A long-overdue history that broadens the stories of female agents who served across the occupied continent during the Second World War, highlighting extraordinary courage and sacrifice.

Helen Fry

Women of SOE from the historical research and pen of Kate Vigurs’ is a meticulous history of the women who served with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) across occupied Europe during the Second World War. Building on the success of her earlier book, Mission...

The Fifth Crusade: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt, by Thomas Smith

A compelling reassessment of a neglected campaign reveals how coalition politics, environmental miscalculation and strategic overreach combined to turn early success in Egypt into a cautionary tale.

Trevor James

For those who say that lessons cannot be learned from historical experience, my advice would be to study in some considerable detail Thomas Smith’s The Fifth Crusade. For some of us who studied medieval Europe many decades ago, and are familiar with the activities of...

Empress Matilda: Queen of the Romans, Ruler of the English, by Elisabeth van Houts

A new biography that challenges narratives and restores one of medieval England’s most influential women to centre stage.

Adam Staten

Empress Matilda: Queen of the Romans, Ruler of the English is a new biography by the University of Cambridge historian Elisabeth van Houts. The subject of the book, Empress Matilda, is one of the most fascinating and, arguably, one of the most overlooked characters in...