In July, 1241, Western Europe cowers in terror before the threat of a Mongol invasion. The swift cavalry columns of Genghis Khan have smashed the steel-clad warriors of Russia, Poland and Hungary – and now Austria lies directly in their path. At a skirmish outside the walls of Vienna, German knights capture a squad of […]
The Englishman who fought for Genghis Khan
When Angus Donald learned about a Templar who had joined the Mongol invaders of Europe in the 13th century, he knew it was the perfect story for a historical novel. He tells Historia about Robert, the Englishman who fought for Genghis Khan, and how he found out about this extraordinary piece of history. In the […]
Historical books for summer reading, 2025
We asked five well-loved authors to each suggest a couple of books they recommend for history lovers to enjoy reading over the summer. Their choices include novels about the eve of the Roman Conquest and the eve of the Norman one; non-fiction about the long history of Black people in Britain and the island’s first […]
Blood of the Bear by Angus Donald
In AD781, pagan Saxony groans under the Christian yoke. The invincible armies of Karolus, King of the Franks, occupy all this freedom-loving land and every Saxon must submit to baptism and pay tithes to the Church, or face death by beheading. Duke Widukind, leader of the Saxon rebels, is sheltering in the North, beyond Karolus’s […]
Christian versus pagan: was Charlemagne’s conquest of Saxony the first crusade?
Angus Donald, author of Blood of the Bear, examines Charlemagne’s conquest of Saxony in the late 8th century. It was a campaign not just about territory but about religion: Christian versus pagan. Could it be considered the first ‘crusade’? The First Crusade, historians claim, was launched by Pope Urban II in 1096, after the Pontiff […]
Brávellir: the greatest battle… that never was
Angus Donald, author of King of the North, writes about the Battle of Brávellir, a famous Viking conflict… which probably never happened. But, he says, we can still enjoy the epic story, a 12th-century piece of historical fiction which inspired his own novel. “Then the trumpets sounded, and both sides engaged in battle with all […]
King of the North by Angus Donald
An ambitious king… Spring, AD777, and Sigurd Hring, new King of the Svear, is summoning all the greatest warriors of the North to his banner, promising them riches and glory. He invites Bjarki Bloodhand, the famous berserkr who can summon the fury of a wild bear in battle, to swear an oath of fealty to […]
The Loki Sword by Angus Donald
Bjarki Bloodhand has finally managed to subdue his gandr, the spirit that gives him the ferocity of a bear in battle. Yet losing his berserker prowess may leave him at the mercy of his foes. Meanwhile, his half-sister, the shield maiden Tor Hildarsdottir, has slain two warriors from the personal retinue of the new Jarl […]