How best to write a novel about events in recent — and still sensitive and painful — history? That was the question Bryan J Mason faced when he began his trilogy set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. His solution may be surprising, but it reflects the reality of life there. Although a recognisable period […]
Sharp Scratch by Martine Bailey
Salford, 1983. Lorraine Quick is a single mother, a member of a band going nowhere fast, and personnel officer at the grim Memorial Hospital. A new general manager position is being introduced, and Lorraine’s recent training in the cutting-edge science of psychometric testing will be pivotal. As the profiles start to emerge, a chilling light […]
Historical books for summer reading 2024
We asked eight well-loved authors of both historical fiction and non-fiction to each suggest a couple of books they recommend for history lovers to enjoy reading over the summer. They’ve come up with an inspiring mix of books they’ve loved and books they’re looking forward to reading themselves, some just published, and a few old […]
The last battle on British soil?
Jonathan Trigell, author of Under Country, recalls the ‘Battle of Orgreave’ in Yorkshire during the miners’ strike of 1984. Though it’s described as a riot, he argues, was it, in fact, the last battle fought on British soil to this day? 18 June, 1984, might already appear to be quite recent as a suitable subject […]
Under Country by Jonathan Trigell
This is the story of the miners’ strike: the sudden shock of poverty; the camaraderie; the brutality. It is the story of one man’s fight for redemption, as the wounds of an embattled generation hardened to scars. There was blood on coal, it didn’t come for free. But it drove the factories and the steel […]