The past is never dead, it isn’t even past
The Wars of the Roses: The Medieval Art of Graham Turner Graham Turner is a leading historical artist, well-known for his illustration of the medieval era and his work for Osprey Publishing. As the title suggests, this latest Osprey volume is a compendium of his...
This is an excellent sourcebook, packed full of everything one could possibly want to know about John de Vere, 13th earl of Oxford and his family. And, perhaps, everything one might not want to know. The book is split into two parts. The first is a study of Oxford's...
David Pilling, why does the story of the Princes in the Tower still fascinate and did you enjoy The Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence? I think it is the theme of the slaughter of innocents. Plenty of political figures in this era met with a nasty end, of course,...
We think we know about Robin Hood, but your story doesn’t follow the narrative in Robin Hood The First Arrow, does it? You know, the one about Robin Hood speaking with an American accent, or wearing tights. My version is based on the early medieval ballads of Robin...
In 1066 Harold Godwinsson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, was killed at the battle of Hastings. Yet England was not conquered in a single day. The victor, Duke William of Normandy, had to fight tooth and nail for several years to hold onto his conquest. To...
In less assured hands, this could have been a turgid and thoroughly bewildering read. Thankfully, Don Hollway knows his subject inside out and neatly picks his way through the convoluted history of the late Roman Empire. As the title suggests, the focus is on events...
David, congratulations on your latest book, Sword of Aragon: A Champion Tale. This is a prequel to your Champion series, which is set in France and Spain – what is it about this area of Medieval Europe that fascinates you? My interest stems from a childhood dragging...
The Oak Door of Aberffraw In spring 1283 the armies of Edward I stormed into Gwynedd. This was the final drama in a very long war: for 200 years, the princes of Gwynedd had attempted to forge a united Wales in the teeth of resistance from the English crown. They...
Edward I & Wales After two centuries of conflict between the Welsh princes and the English crown, Edward I finally conquered Wales in the latter half of the 13th century. Edward – better known to many by the epithet ‘Longshanks’ – had accomplished something which...
In July 1274 the Little Battle or Little War of Chalon took place on the Saone in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. This was a tournament that turned nasty when the host, the Count of Chalon, tried in vain to unhorse Edward I. The tourney at Chalon was a strange affair. Walter...
