Into the crisis-ridden Eastern Roman Empire of the 6th century two monks arrived with an audacious plan: to steal the secret of silk production from China. Why was this idea so important to Emperor Justinian? Jemahl Evans, author of The Charioteer, unravels what may have been the first recorded case of international industrial espionage in […]
Christmas reading 2021 – the best historical books
We asked eight authors to each recommend a historical book they’d love to receive for Christmas 2021, and one they would give as a Christmas gift. They include many of the best books published this year. We hope these suggestions inspire you, whether you’re looking for ideas for presents or planning to curl up in […]
The Waste Land by Tim Hodkinson
AD1316. Ireland has been drawn into the bitter war between Scotland and England. Richard Savage thought he had left the war behind, but arch-enemy Edward Bruce won’t let him just walk away. Savage stole something from him, and there are no depths to which he will not descend to get it back. To force Savage’s […]
Destiny’s Tide by JD Davies
Jack Stannard has spent his whole life at sea, enduring savage beatings from his father and the furious aggression of whip-cracking storms. But a more cruel and dangerous foe is on the horizon. When Henry VIII dissolves the monasteries and wages war against France and Scotland simultaneously, Jack must take up his family destiny at […]
Re-examining the history of Empire in fact and fiction
Tom Williams considers whether historical fiction could be the most effective way to engage people in re-examining the history of the British Empire. September brought the re-publication of my novel Cawnpore, set during the events of 1857 known variously as the Indian Mutiny, the First Indian War of Independence, and the Indian Rebellion. (That’s far […]
The winners! The HWA Crown Awards 2021
We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the 2021 HWA Crown Awards, celebrating the best historical writing of the year, fiction and non-fiction! Like all books submitted for this year’s prizes, they were published in the year between April 2020 and March 2021, the height of lockdown, so we’d like to express our admiration for […]
Historia giveaway! HWA Debut Crown Award 2021 shortlist
Historia’s running three HWA Crowns giveaways to celebrate the books shortlisted for the 2021 Crown Awards. The first is for all six books on the Debut Crown shortlist. (The Crown Awards winners will be announced on 24 November at 11am on our YouTube channel. You’ll also be able to find out who’s won just after […]
The Crystal Crypt by Fiona Veitch Smith
“But accidents can still happen… Perhaps there was something out of her control, something she couldn’t have foreseen…” “Like someone plotting to kill her?” Reporter sleuth Poppy Denby is asked to investigate the mysterious death of an up-and-coming female scientist in an Oxford laboratory known as the Crystal Crypt. The official verdict is that Dr […]