Mention the ‘classic age’ of naval historical fiction and most people immediately think of the ‘age of Nelson’, Horatio Hornblower, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. The gallant British Navy, hearts of oak and the Battle of Trafalgar. But there are two sides to every story, as JD Davies writes, and his new series takes the […]
Bellatrix by Simon Turney
Egypt, 25 BC. Titus Cervianus is no ordinary soldier. And the Twenty-Second is no ordinary legion. Formed from the personal guard of a conquered king, the Twenty Second’s ways are strange to soldiers of the Empire — yet the legion has proved itself in the blistering heat of the desert. Cervianus and his comrades march […]
Resurrection by David Gilman
Dan Raglan, former Foreign Legion fighter, alias The Englishman, returns. Somewhere in the Sahara, on the desolate border between Sudan and Chad, a P51 Mustang with long-range drop tanks slowly emerges from the dunes. Inside, the skeletalised remains of a man missing for three decades. His flying jacket bears no insignia, a worn leather attaché […]
Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
London, 1799. Dora Blake lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents’ famed shop of antiquities. When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, Dora is intrigued by her uncle’s suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar. For Edward, the ancient vase is the key to unlocking […]
The Queen’s Lady by Joanna Hickson
Raven-haired and fiercely independent, Joan Guildford has always remained true to herself. As lady-in-waiting and confidante to Queen Elizabeth, wife of Henry VII, Joan understands royal patronage is vital if she and her husband, Sir Richard, are to thrive in the volatile atmosphere of court life. But Tudor England is in mourning following the death […]
Historical books to look out for in 2023
It’s back — Historia’s most popular regular feature, our round-up of books published by members of the Historical Writers’ Association (HWA) during the coming year. Here are more than 150 books covering history, biography, and historical fiction and spanning eras from Ancient Rome to the 1980s. They sweep around the world from Australia to India, […]
The Virgins of Venice by Gina Buonaguro
Venice in 1509 is on the brink of war. The displeasure of Pope Julius II is a continuing threat to the republic, as is the barely contained fighting in the countryside. Amid this turmoil, noblewoman Justina Soranzo, just 16, hopes to make a rare love marriage with her sweetheart, Luca Cicogna. Her hopes are dashed […]
Historia interviews: 2022 Debut Crown Award winner AJ West
AJ West’s The Spirit Engineer won the 2022 HWA Debut Crown award for the best first novel by a historical fiction writer. Praised by the judges as “haunting, deeply moving and witty”, it looks at the subject of spiritualism during the Edwardian age through the experiences of a deeply troubled man. We’re delighted to begin […]