In April, 1219, Edwin Weaver finds himself at Tickhill Castle under false pretences. Earl Warenne wants Tickhill for himself and is convinced that a royal order for the castle to be handed over has been hidden, so he’s sent Edwin to find it and told him not to come back until he does. Frantic with […]
Two Houses, Two Kingdoms by Catherine Hanley
The 12th and 13th centuries were a time of personal monarchy, when the close friendship or petty feuding between kings and queens could determine the course of history. The Capetians of France and the Angevins of England waged war, made peace, and intermarried. The lands under the control of the English king once reached to […]
Battle Song by Ian Ross
1264, and storm clouds are gathering as Simon de Montfort and the barons of the realm challenge the power of Henry III. The barons demand reform; the crown demands obedience. England is on the brink of civil war. Adam de Norton, a young squire devoted to the virtues of chivalry, longs only to be knighted, […]
Review: Battle Song by Ian Ross
Carol McGrath finds Ian Ross’s latest book, Battle Song, “a thrilling ride plunging headlong into a fabulous recreated historical world of chivalry and adventure.” Read her review to see what impressed her so greatly. Battle Song by Ian Ross is set during the mid-13th century. Henry III has been king for many years but has […]
The Families of Eleanor of Aquitaine by JF Andrews
The lives of the sons of Eleanor of Aquitaine are the stuff of legend. Her daughters, however, are less well known, and the fascinating personalities of her daughters-in-law have been almost entirely overlooked, as have those of the daughters she bore Louis VII of France. The Families of Eleanor of Aquitaine showcases the lives, travels […]
The personal and the political in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, when both England and France were ruled by personal monarchy, the king’s (and they were all kings) personality, preferences and relationships had a significant influence on political decisions, as the historian Catherine Hanley shows in her new book, Two Houses, Two Kingdoms. In January of the year 1200, a woman in […]
Two Houses, Two Kingdoms by Catherine Hanley
The 12th and 31th centuries were a time of personal monarchy, when the close friendship or petty feuding between kings and queens could determine the course of history. The Capetians of France and the Angevins of England waged war, made peace, and intermarried. The lands under the control of the English king once reached to […]
A Marriage of Lions by Elizabeth Chadwick
England in 1238. Raised at the court of King Henry III as a chamber lady to the queen, young Joanna of Swanscombe’s life changes forever when she comes into an inheritance far above all expectations, including her own. Now that she’s a wealthy heiress, Joanna’s arranged marriage to the King’s charming, tournament-loving half-brother William de […]