London, October, 1956. A glittering Royal Film Premiere. The whole world is watching. Tonight, Elizabeth II will formally greet an array of stars. Though she was not born to be Queen, this young mother and wife has embraced her patriotic duty and its unforgiving demands. A limousine pulls up. Out steps a vision in dazzling […]
Historian or novelist? Writing fiction based on facts
Is the historical fiction author a historian or novelist? Julie Owen Moylan considers her own experience of writing a novel based on the known facts about two iconic women in the 1950s. Writing about real people is a challenging enterprise for both novelist and historian. How can we best sum up a life of many […]
Historia Interviews: Alex von Tunzelmann
Alex von Tunzelmann’s new book Blood and Sand is a gripping account of the sixteen days in 1956 which saw both the Suez crisis and the bloody suppression of the Hungarian revolution by the Soviets. Following the action hour by hour, the book allows the reader to follow events as they unfolded and see the […]