The past is never dead, it isn’t even past
Nicola Cornick effortlessly blends historical fiction with mystery-writing in her latest dual-time novel, The Last Daughter. An international bestselling author renowned for her time-slip mysteries, Cornick interweaves the 15th century with the present day to create a...
Humour and heart-racing tension are brought to the forefront as author Steven Veerapen concludes his Elizabethan spy thriller series with Assassination, a story packed with plot twists amid a compelling and fully realised historical backdrop. Following the journey of...
If you ask someone to describe Henry VIII’s appearance, they will likely be quick to supply an answer: the king was tall, fat, leonine, with a spade-shaped face, piggy eyes, hands insolently on his hips, and gargantuan legs spread wide. They might not, however, know...
Franny Moyle, welcome to Aspects of History. You’ve written a fantastic book, The King's Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein, but when did you first “discover” Holbein, and what encouraged you to write biography of him? I have been aware of Holbein for as long...
Exit Ghost, by Philip Gooden. It’s not the best part I’ve ever played or the biggest but it’s the one that had the greatest effect on my audience. In fact I’ve never seen an audience reaction like it. Very pleasing, in one way. Very unpleasing in another. Every time I...
Summer Reads from Aspects of HistoryPaul BernardiTaking a well-earned break from the adventures of Beobrand in his much-loved Bernicia Chronicles series, Matthew Harffy moves forward the best part of one hundred and fifty years in this, his most recent and...
A renaissance-hunting scene opens Trevor Nunn’s 1985 film, Lady Jane. Amongst the white clad riders is Frances, mother of the future Nine Day’s Queen. When the doe is brought to bay, Frances dismounts. Soon a river of blood will run on the snow. The scene captures her...
The Wolfson History Prize 2021 Rebecca Clifford Rebecca, congratulations on your nomination for the Wolfson History Prize of 2021 from Aspects of History. Why did you choose your particular subject? This is a two-pronged answer. Most important prong, I’ve worked with...
The Life and Times of Rodrigo Borgia: Pope Alexander VI, by Arnold H Mathew. An account of the Borgia who became Pope.
Raphael: A portrait of the Artist, by Henry Strachey. A classic study of Raphael, essential reading for those interested in Renaissance art.
