Richard Foreman

Biography

Richard Foreman is a publisher and bestselling historical novelist. After working in a bookshop, Richard became a publicist to numerous bestselling historians. He founded The London History Festival and has acted as a judge for the HWA Crown Awards. He has written various bestselling series, set in both the Roman and Medieval periods, including Spies of Rome, Sword of Empire, Band of Brothers and Crusaders.

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His books have been widely praised:

Spies of Rome.

“A masterful and evocative depiction of a fledgling imperial Rome fraught with intrigue and at war with itself. The story and characters are as striking as the graffiti that adorns the violent city’s walls during Augustus’ rise.” Steven Veerapen, author of The Abbey Close.

Augustus: Son of Rome

‘Augustus: Son of Rome forges action and adventure with politics and philosophy. This superb story is drenched in both blood and wisdom – and puts Foreman on the map as the coming man of historical fiction’. Saul David, Author of the Zulu Hart series.

Raffles: The Complete Innings.

‘Classy, humorous and surprisingly touching tales of cricket, friendship and crime.’ David Blackburn, The Spectator.

Band of Brothers: The Complete Campaigns.

‘Escapism at its best… A great read that tells much about the style of war and how the individuals fought.’ Michael Jecks.

‘A rattling good yarn, requiring only the minimum of suspension of belief, and leaves one eagerly anticipating the next instalment of the adventures of the team as they accompany the King to Harfleur.’ Major Gordon Corrigan, author of A Great and Glorious Adventure: A Military History of the Hundred Years War.

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Books

Click on any of the books covers below to either buy or get more information on Amazon

A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea
A Burning Sea

Articles

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Harold Pinter Double Bill: Twice the Comedy, Twice the Menace

Harold Pinter Double Bill: Twice the Comedy, Twice the Menace

The Harold Pinter double bill of plays by the acclaimed playwright, praised for his social commentary and satire, opens with A Slight Ache. First performed in the nineteen fifties, the drama opens with a ubiquitous pause before an innocuous scene is played out between a fastidious husband, ...
Turpin’s Rival, by Richard Foreman

Turpin’s Rival, by Richard Foreman

Dick Turpin is back. The notorious highwayman’s is brought to life again in Richard Foreman’s new novel, Turpin’s Rival.We follow Turpin on his mission to avenge his friend Tobias Vardy, who is killed by the ruthless outlaw, James Skinner.The pace and precision of the writing are ...
The Georgians, by Penelope Corfield

The Georgians, by Penelope Corfield

Penelope Corfield clearly has a knowledge of - and love for - her subject. The Georgians: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th Century Britain provides a comprehensive overview of the period, whilst garnishing the account with plenty of insight and detail.What is particularly refreshing about ...
The War on the West, by Douglas Murray

The War on the West, by Douglas Murray

The War on the West by Douglas Murray is not necessarily a history book, but it is one of the most important books that any historian should read this year. Historians (and students of history) are well placed to show that the story of the West is not just a litany of shame. There is plenty in ...
The Die Is Cast, by Richard Foreman

The Die Is Cast, by Richard Foreman

Richard Foreman presents five short stories in a collection entitled The Die Is Cast - a reference to his lengthiest tale of the five. Sword of Rome: Rubicon is set in Ancient Rome and, already by the title, fans of Roman history will, perhaps, appropriately guess that this specific tale has ...
Turpin’s Prize, by Richard Foreman

Turpin’s Prize, by Richard Foreman

From the beginning of Turpin’s Prize, Foreman’s aim is clear. The very first scene shows his skill at creating a twist, which can be seen throughout the book, when it becomes clear that Dick Turpin is not the highwayman chasing the coach. Instead, Turpin is a passenger poised to be the saviour.
The Moors – Reviewed

The Moors – Reviewed

The Hope Theatre has staged a coup in hosting the first UK production of Jen Silverman's The Moors. The play may be bizarre in places, but it is never dull. Phil Bartlett directs the show with ingenuity and precision. The play toys with certain tropes of 19th century literature (a figure in the
The Canterville Ghost – Reviewed

The Canterville Ghost – Reviewed

A play within a play. A nod towards music hall theatre. A Wilde evening, with a subtle and suitable amount of smut. The Canterville Ghost is the perfect tonic for cheering up an audience which may be as gloomy as the weather at the moment (especially those who have tracker mortgages).Four ...
Bonnie & Clyde Review: Criminally Good

Bonnie & Clyde Review: Criminally Good

The story of Bonnie and Clyde has been told in plenty of books (some more salacious than accurate it seems). Interest in the colourful criminals was revived through the superb 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway (there is also an underrated film called Highwaymen, starring Kevin ...
A Novel Experience: The Great Gatsby Immersive Show

A Novel Experience: The Great Gatsby Immersive Show

The Great Gatsby Immersive ShowBe transported back to the roaring twenties. Some people in the audience wore masks, perhaps worried about the tail end of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1919. Many of the costumes on display were as colourful as the lighting. The wit was often as dry as the gin.
Aspects of History Book of the Year: Conflict

Aspects of History Book of the Year: Conflict

As readers and fans of the site will know, Aspects of History runs a Books of the Year feature each December. There is often a history book which stands out for our board and contributors, such as The World by Simon Sebag-Montefiore and The White Ship by Charles Spencer, which turns it in into ...
Review: Oh What a Lovely War

Review: Oh What a Lovely War

Music, history and clowning around. What more could your ask for on a winter's night? Southwark Playhouse is currently hosting a production of Joan Littlewood's Oh What A Lovely War. The play is a romp through the First World War, full of satire and old songs - told at a breakneck speed. The ...

Book Reviews

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Our Island Story. A Tale for Leavers and Remainers Alike.

Our Island Story. A Tale for Leavers and Remainers Alike.

Pop quiz. Who proclaimed, "all Europe is my home"? Andrew Adonis? Nick Clegg? Terry Christian? It was Oswald Mosley. The British electorate rejected Mosley, as it did the European Union. And, unlike parts of our political establishment, civil service, and media, the majority of voters believed ...
Trio, by William Boyd

Trio, by William Boyd

Intelligent, accessible, and entertaining – William Boyd’s Trio was always going to be one of the novels of the year. Boyd is often rightly lauded for his craftsmanship, in relation to the structure and style of his works, but not enough credit is given to him for his broad sense of ...
Powers and Thrones, by Dan Jones

Powers and Thrones, by Dan Jones

Dan Jones argues, if not proves, in his revelatory new book, Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middles Ages, that the period made us. Good history doesn't necessarily need to be relevant, but more than most non-fiction titles this year Powers and Thrones will resonate for a number of ...
Turpin’s Assassin, by Richard Foreman

Turpin’s Assassin, by Richard Foreman

The bestselling novelist Richard Foreman, who usually writes about ancient Rome and the medieval period, brings the man and legend of Dick Turpin to life in the first book of a new, notable series, Turpin's Assassin.The book opens with an exciting highway robbery. The reader is immediately ...
George III, by Andrew Roberts

George III, by Andrew Roberts

If not for such fierce competition (in the form of such works as Salisbury: Victorian Titan, Churchill: Walking with Destiny and Masters & Commanders) one might be able to unequivocally say that George III is the author's masterpiece. This biography teems with detail, ideas and elegance. ...
Sharpe’s Assassin, by Bernard Cornwell

Sharpe’s Assassin, by Bernard Cornwell

Sharpe's cavalry sword is still being sheathed into the guts of his enemies. Harper's volley gun is still reverberating like thunder. Wellington is still grumpy. The British army can still fire three shots a minute. And the word "bastard" still litters the air like confetti. In short, all is ...
Turpin’s Rival, by Richard Foreman

Turpin’s Rival, by Richard Foreman

Dick Turpin is back. The notorious highwayman’s is brought to life again in Richard Foreman’s new novel, Turpin’s Rival.We follow Turpin on his mission to avenge his friend Tobias Vardy, who is killed by the ruthless outlaw, James Skinner.The pace and precision of the writing are ...
The Georgians, by Penelope Corfield

The Georgians, by Penelope Corfield

Penelope Corfield clearly has a knowledge of - and love for - her subject. The Georgians: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th Century Britain provides a comprehensive overview of the period, whilst garnishing the account with plenty of insight and detail.What is particularly refreshing about ...
The War on the West, by Douglas Murray

The War on the West, by Douglas Murray

The War on the West by Douglas Murray is not necessarily a history book, but it is one of the most important books that any historian should read this year. Historians (and students of history) are well placed to show that the story of the West is not just a litany of shame. There is plenty in ...
The Die Is Cast, by Richard Foreman

The Die Is Cast, by Richard Foreman

Richard Foreman presents five short stories in a collection entitled The Die Is Cast - a reference to his lengthiest tale of the five. Sword of Rome: Rubicon is set in Ancient Rome and, already by the title, fans of Roman history will, perhaps, appropriately guess that this specific tale has ...
Turpin’s Prize, by Richard Foreman

Turpin’s Prize, by Richard Foreman

From the beginning of Turpin’s Prize, Foreman’s aim is clear. The very first scene shows his skill at creating a twist, which can be seen throughout the book, when it becomes clear that Dick Turpin is not the highwayman chasing the coach. Instead, Turpin is a passenger poised to be the saviour.

Short Stories

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It’s Everybody’s Fight

It’s Everybody’s Fight

   Pat Hobby shook his head in sadness at the news on the radio. The world was at war. His next whisky would be a double. France had fallen. Great Britain was standing alone. Hitler and his Nazi thugs controlled Europe. Pat spared a thought for Jakob Lowenstein, a scriptwriter friend who had ...

Author Interview

Richard Foreman
What is your approach to researching your novels? Has the process changed over the years? I used to commit to a lot more preliminary reading before putting pen to paper, but there is a danger of over researching sometimes. There are a few periods I am now familiar with, so I tend to research while
Turpin’s Assassin: Richard Foreman Interview
You have written many bestselling novels set in both Ancient Rome and the medieval period. Dick Turpin, and Turpin's Assassin veers away from your usual spheres and paints a picture of 18th century England. How did you find writing about a different historical era, and do you see yourself ...
Turpin’s Rival: Richard Foreman Interview
Can you tell us a bit about the plot of Turpin's Rival? Even more than Turpin's Assassin, the novel reads like a revenge thriller.Having established Turpin in the first book, I wanted to up the pace and violence for the sequel. Turpin is as much an anti-hero as hero. It's a story of revenge and rivalry. The villain of the piece,
Richard Foreman on Dick Turpin

Richard, congratulations with Turpin's Prize. Why did you choose Dick Turpin as your protagonist? What was your inspiration?

I enjoy creating anti-heroes, as well as heroes. Turpin fits that bill. I did flirt at one point with writing a series ...

Fiction Book of the Month: Richard Foreman on Augustus: Son of Rome
Augustus: Son of Rome, about the young Octavius Caesar journeying to Rome after hearing of his great uncle’s assassination, was your breakthrough book. It was a huge hit on kindle, leading a wave of other novelists to score hits in the genre and period. Can you tell us more about when the book became a hit. ...
Ivan Menchell on Bonnie & Clyde
Ivan Menchell, can I first just congratulate you on the critical and commercial success of the show. It takes a village of course, but you and the village must be justly proud. What initially attracted you to the story of Bonnie & Clyde - and then how did you approach the task of turning true crime into a musical of all things?Thank you. It does take a ...
Masters of Espionage: Alan Judd interviewed by Richard Foreman
Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about your latest spy novel, Queen & Country, and its protagonist, Charles Thoroughgood? This is now the seventh novel to feature the character. Your relationship with Charles has now lasted longer than most marriages, especially most marriages in the intelligence community, one may imagine. What ...
Richard Foreman on Blood and Poison
Richard, firstly can you tell us a little about your latest book, Spies of Rome: Blood and Poison?I wanted to write a short, entertaining novella which introduced readers to the character of Rufus Varro (his humour and the age he lives in). At the same time, Blood & Poison ...
Richard Foreman on Turpin’s Tales
Richard, can you first tell us about the genesis of Turpin's Tales and why you decided to revisit the character?I wanted Dick Turpin to ride again. Turpin's Prize finished the series off nicely, but I had written a couple of Turpin short stories for other collections, so I decided to add a couple more and ...