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Robert Poley: ‘Genius of the Underworld’
The Elizabethan spy and double agent emerges from the shadows of history in the author's recent series that reimagine his involvement in the Babington Plot, Essex’s rebellion and the mysterious death of Christopher Marlowe.
The central character in Shadow of the Axeand the five Queen's Intelligencer novels that follow it* is Robert Poley. Like many of the other characters in the books, including especially Elizabeth’s darling, the Earl of Essex, Robert Poley does make an appearance in...
Historical Lincolnshire: Roman Soldiers, Pilgrims and Radical Religious Ideas
Inspired by a trip to the county, the author sketches out Lincolnshire’s rich Roman, medieval and religious history, tracing the county’s independent Puritan tradition from the Reformation to the Pilgrims who founded Boston, Massachusetts.
Since learning about Thanksgiving in the United States, I was intrigued to know why the Mayflower Pilgrims were revered on one side of the Atlantic but rarely mentioned on the other. Why did they flee Lincolnshire in 1608? What subsequently caused Puritans from...
The Fourth Queen, by Νicola Cornick
The Fourth Queen is a novel full of political intrigue, complex relationships, and a romance that spans the centuries. Effortlessly compelling and atmospheric.
The Fourth Queen is Nicola Cornick’s latest Tudor historical fiction, set in the aftermath of the 1539 dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII. Whilst Cornick is perhaps best known for her time-slip novels, The Fourth Queen takes a slightly different...
How Protestantism Became a Global Religion – An Interview with Alec Ryrie
Protestantism’s early movements across the globe reveal a tangled world of rivalry with Catholicism, complicity with empire and slavery, and failures that exposed the limits of Europe’s religious imagination – all discussed between the author and the Editor.
That word, mission, might make you think of Robert De Niro or Jeremy Irons, perhaps a young Liam Neeson, in Jesuit robes clambering up the Iguazu Falls in deepest South America, but, forgotten and less-documented as their efforts may be, there was a Protestant...
Fiction Book of the Month: Peter Tonkin on Shadow of the Axe
The author discusses his lifelong fascination with Elizabethan England, the real-life Robert Poley behind the Queen’s Intelligencer series, and the difficulties of transforming a morally ambiguous historical spy into a compelling fictional character
What attracted you to the time and place you write about? I wrote a minor thesis on the influence of traditional English drama on Shakespeare for my BA then expanded it for my MA. Shakespeare’s times have fascinated me ever since, in terms of the drama, the setting,...
Historical Heroes: Anne of Cleves
Too often dismissed as Henry VIII’s forgotten wife, this issue’s protagonist emerges instead as a shrewd survivor, her humiliating rejection transformed into a life of wealth and independence.
Anne Boleyn always steals the limelight. Katherine Howard’s story is both dramatic and pitiful. Jane Seymour dies after giving birth to an heir – the ultimate sacrifice. Katherine of Aragon is a fighter, and Katherine Parr is the Queen who outlived Henry VIII. Where...
Introducing the New Aspects of History Substack – We’re Revamping!
Pairing a free midweek editorial newsletter with exclusive subscriber-only magazine features, author interviews and other benefits on a Saturday, we are offering history lovers a richer and more rewarding reading experience while supporting independent historical writing.
Over the last six years, Aspects of History has brought you the best historical writing from established and new authors alike, whether non-fiction or fiction. So we are now excited to outline a new chapter for the Aspects of History Substack. Our website has grown...
Monarchs Anonymous at The Other Palace Theatre
A review of the historical comedy show which forces famous historical figures into a group therapy session.
Monarchs Anonymous is a fun, frenetic show that should appeal to a variety of ages. The premise is a therapy session involving multiple monarchs. The figures taking part are Marie Antionette, Mansa Musa, Charles II, Henry VIII and Princess Sophia Duleep Singh....
2026 Summer Reads from Aspects of History
Our authors and contributors recommend books to take on your summer holidays.
Summer Reads from Aspects of HistoryZeb Baker-Smith Editor at Aspects of HistoryPaul Knox’s Lost London offers a captivating itinerary of 25 buildings which are no longer, but whose lifespan shaped the capital’s architectural story, revealing how the perennial cycle...