The Countess of Shrewsbury — or Bess of Hardwick, as she’s more widely known — was one of the richest people in England by her death in 1610. Yet she hadn’t even got a dowry when her father died. How did she do it? Through many fortunate marriages (and a canny mind), Sharon Bennett Connolly, […]
How period guidebooks and maps help me write murder mysteries
Fiona Veitch Smith explains how period guidebooks and maps help her write 1920s & 30s murder mysteries. The next, The Pyramid Murders, comes out on 13 June. “The Pyramids – The indispensable excursion on the outskirts of Cairo is that to the Pyramids. There is an excellent tram service, and many people will find that […]
Researching pre-colonial Africa: why the Victorians ruffled my feathers
The bestselling author Florence Olajide writes about the difficulties of researching pre-colonial African history for her novel, The Stolen Daughter, including the language the Victorians used about her ancestors. Authors face many challenges when it comes to their writing, but my experience with African historical fiction involved some unique and personal difficulties. My first task […]
Arthur will come again… and again…
Giles Kristian, acclaimed bestselling author of Lancelot, tells us about the timeless appeal of King Arthur’s legend and the thinking behind his Arthurian trilogy. As foretold, Arthur will come again – with the third book in the series, Arthur, published on 6 June. The legend of Arthur has been told in countless ways over centuries, […]
Mary, Queen of Scots: royalty and reputation
The reputation of Mary, Queen of Scots, has swung wildly over the centuries, from adulteress and murderer to romantic tragic royalty, from manipulator to puppet. Little survives in the historical record of what she had to say for herself. Anna Legat, author of The Queen’s Avenger, argues that she was a ‘smart’ politician, diplomat and […]
Why do we remember D-Day?
Even after 80 years people remember D-Day. Adrian Goldsworthy, author of Hill 112, which is set during the Normandy landings, examines why we do — and dispels some myths surrounding this memorable turning point in the Second World War. D-Day. 6 June, 1944, Operation Overlord and the invasion of France by the Western Allies led […]
Historia review: Munich Wolf by Rory Clements
Alan Bardos reviews Munich Wolf, the first in a new series of Second World War spy novels by Rory Clements. He finds it “engaging and well researched“. Hot on the heels of Rory Clements’s fantastic Tom Wilde espionage novels, comes his new series featuring Detective Sebastian Wolff. Staying in the pre-war era of the first […]
Historia interview: Clare Mulley
Acclaimed biographer Clare Mulley’s latest book, Agent Zo: the Untold Story of Fearless WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka, is published on 16 May, 2024. Clare talks to novelist Carolyn Kirby about the long and remarkable life of Elżbieta Zawacka, or Agent Zo, Polish freedom fighter and one of most successful female spies of the Second […]