Medieval Archives - Aspects of History

Fiction Book of the Month: Theodore Brun on A Sacred Storm

The author of The Wanderer Chronicles delves into the history and legends that inspired his novels.

Theodore Brun, this is the second of your four books and we’re now in 8th century Sweden after Denmark in A Mighty Dawn. How does this story follow on from the first? Pretty directly. In its first draft, both novels formed part of the same enormous manuscript. (I...

The Francisca

Paul Bernardi, author of the Rebellion trilogy explores the history of the francisca throwing axe and its role in his ongoing series.

Paul Bernardi

Those of you who have read Blood Feud (book 1 of my Rebellion trilogy (though keep an eye out for book 2: Uprising which should be launched in early 2025)), will be aware of Agatho, Thegn Oslac’s Frankish champion-cum-bodyguard and most loyal and deadly of his...

Crécy: Men-At-Arms, by Richard Foreman

A cracking good read, without compromising on historical fact.

Gordon Corrigan

Most historians, including this reviewer, are wary of reading historical fiction. The danger is in overlap. Did one get one’s view of life in the Georgian navy from Admiralty records, or from the pages of Patrick O’Brien? Similarly has one’s opinion of Marshal Marmont...

Paul Bernardi on Uprising

Paul Bernardi returns with Uprising, book two in his Rebellion series, as Saxon resistance stirs under Norman rule.

Paul Bernardi

Paul, we’re in book 2 of your Rebellion series. Can you update readers on where we are at the beginning of Uprising? At the end of book 1 (Blood Feud), we left Oslac back home in his village at Acum, following the successful conclusion of two major plot lines....

The Great Siege of Malta

In 1565 the Ottomans attempted to besiege the island of Malta. A new history has been written, and its author describes the Christian victory over Suleiman the Magnificent.

Marcus Bull

I was first drawn to the Great Siege of Malta, as an academic exercise, by an interest in its many eyewitness sources. How do people caught up in historical events perceive, remember and record their experiences? On a more instinctive level, however, I was powerfully...

Herstory: An Aspects of History Anthology

This book is a necessary testament to the spirit, intelligence, and impact of women throughout history.

Zoe Brunskill

Herstory: An Aspects of History Anthology Women’s history is often being turned over, reevaluated, rediscovered, and retold as we understand further how stereotypes at the time heavily influenced how women were remembered. This is opening our eyes to forgotten figures...

Anne O’Brien on The Queen and the Countess

Bestselling author Anne O'Brien chats to us about her latest novel, and re-examines the history of the women at the heart of the Wars of the Roses.

Anne O'Brien

Anne, many congrats on the new novel. We’re in England in the early 1450s and just at the start of the Wars of the Roses. Queen Margaret and Anne, Countess of Warwick are the main two characters. What was the genesis of the story? The battles and political struggles...

Jim Loughran

Jim Loughran was born in Northern Ireland and studied French and Spanish at Queens University Belfast. Following graduation he spent a year in Paris before completing his Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Jim taught French in Belfast and then moved to Dublin where he worked for ten years as a Media Planner in one of Dublin’s leading advertising agencies. During this time he also got involved, on a voluntary basis, with Amnesty International and was Chairperson of Amnesty Ireland for five years. He then joined the organisation on a full-time basis as Development Manager before taking on the role of Head of Media. He initiated ground breaking research into Irish links to the arms trade and produced two major reports: “Ireland and the Arms Trade – Decoding the Deals” and “Claws of the Celtic Tiger.”His first novel, The Bratinsky Affair will be published in 2025 by Sharpe Books.

Jim Loughran

Books Click on any of the books covers below to either buy or get more information on Amazon Articles Click on the links below to read the full article [dpdfg_filtergrid custom_query="advanced" use_taxonomy_terms="on" multiple_taxonomies="name_of_author"...

A Serpent in the Garden, by Howard Linskey

This is definitely a book for Shakespearian Scholars.

Alan Bardos

‘A Serpent in the Garden’ is the first in Howard Linskey’s new 'William Shakespeare Mysteries' series. It is set in Shakespeare’s ‘lost years’ of 1585 to 1592. A seven-year-period when Will left Stratford with no prospects but managed to earn enough money to buy a...

Historical Heroes: Edward IV

In 1461, something very unusual happened: an English king was overthrown by force of arms and the man who achieved that remarkable feat was only nineteen years old.

Derek Birks

Gentle, peace-loving Henry VI had been the undisputed ruler for over thirty-five years and, since he had a legitimate male heir, the future of his dynasty was assured. Though Henry was not a king who was going to be awarded any ‘best king ever’ medals, the vast...