Ben Kane‘s Crusader, the second book in his Lionheart series, takes the newly-crowned Richard I and his companion Ferdia through intrigue, siege, and conquest to the Holy Land – where Saladin is waiting. Our exclusive extract for Historia comes from the beginning of the book. Ferdia, nicknamed Rufus, is racked with guilt after killing Henry, […]
Templar’s Acre by Michael Jecks
The Holy Land, 1291. War has raged here for decades. The Crusader forces have been pushed back again and again until just one city remains in their control. One city that stands between the past and the future. One city that must be defended at all costs: Acre. Into this battle comes a young boy. […]
Historia giveaway! Ben Kane’s two latest books
Historia’s giveaway for March 2021 is for two books: one luxury gold-foiled proof of Lionheart by Ben Kane, his new retelling of the story of Richard I, as well as one copy of the red-foiled sequel, Crusader, which will be published on 29 April, 2021. Entries open at 12pm on 8 March, 2021, and close […]
Lionheart by Ben Kane
1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme. But there is unrest in Henry’s house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion. Ferdia, an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland, saves the life of Richard, the king’s […]
The Templars and the reconquest of Spain
SJA Turney’s Knights Templar books follow the adventures of Arnau de Vallbona as he travels across Europe to fulfil his duties as a new knight of the Temple. Simon tells Historia about the background to his latest book, The Crescent and the Cross. This is the fifth and penultimate book in a series in which […]
International trade in the early Middle Ages
After the fall of the Roman Empire, trade in Europe declined, roads fell into disrepair and commerce was centred on small towns and local markets; but by the 11th century new routes were opening up, Ironhand author Hilary Green tells Historia.
Ironhand by Hilary Green
1095. Pope Urban calls on the princes of Christendom to free Jerusalem from the infidel. Bohemond of Taranto arrives in Sicily seeking recruits for his force of Crusaders. Ranulph of Erbistock, known as Ironhand, joins him. Bohemond’s army is beset by enemies without and dissension and treachery within, but Ranulph becomes one of his trusted […]
The Women of the Knights Templar
Simon Turney explores the surprising history of the female Knights Templar. The Knights Templar are without a doubt one of the most well-known groups of the medieval world – studied endlessly, depicted in numerous novels and movies as both good guys and bad, their bravery and piety vaunted, their secretive nature explored, their morals questioned, their […]