The past is never dead, it isn’t even past
Books of 2023 from Aspects of HistoryAlan Bardos Author of The Dardanelles ConspiracyMy book of the year is SAS Forged in Hell. The next instalment of Damien Lewis’ WW II odyssey with the men of 1 SAS, as they become the ‘tip of the spear’ in the invasion of Sicily...
M.J. Porter, congratulations on the Brunanburh Series. Why does Æthelstan appeal to you as a historical figure, and why does his story demand retelling in contemporary society? Æthelstan is an intriguing character to explore. We actually know very little about him,...
Summer Reads from Aspects of HistoryAlan Bardos Author of The Dardanelles ConspiracyQueen High by CJ Carey is the sequel to Widow Land and a counter factual/dystopian novel; in a similar vein to 1984, Fatherland and Brave New World. It is set in a 1950s Britain that...
Paul Bernardi, this was your first novel - had you always planned for a trilogy or did the Thurkill's Revenge lead to the following two books? I think it was an idea that evolved over time. I studied this period at university and had always wanted to write about it....
Resistance to the Normans. You might be forgiven for thinking that the events of 1066 led to a simple shift in power from the old Anglo-Saxon era to that of the new Norman period. And, though it is true to say that a great number of the Anglo-Saxon nobility, warrior...
Warrior of Mercia is the third book in The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. How has your main character, Icel, changed throughout the series so far? Icel began life as a young lad whose only thought was to become a healer. Circumstances are making him a warrior, although...
Books of 2021 from Aspects of HistoryTimothy Ashby Author of Elizabethan Secret AgentAt the top of my favourites list of recent historical books is Leanda de Lisle´s Henrietta Maria. Although non-fiction, the book reads like a historical novel, with fascinating...
Summer Reads from Aspects of HistoryTimothy Ashby Author of Elizabethan Secret Agent: The Untold Story of William Ashby (1536-1593)At the top of my favourites list of recent historical books is Leanda de Lisle´s The White King. Although non-fiction, the book reads...
‘No ship that ever sailed brought England such disaster.’ So said William of Malmesbury writing in the 12th century about the events of a freezing cold November night in 1120 which ultimately led to the destruction of Henry I’s carefully engineered legacy. It was true...
Iron & Gold is a distinctive collection of six short stories which span the Middle Ages. There is an overwhelming narrative of honour, integrity, love and timelessness which unite these tales. Additionally, there are interviews with each of the authors after each...
