We asked nine well-loved authors to each recommend two historical books for Christmas 2022 to give, receive, or treat yourself with. These include many of the most absorbing books, fiction and non-fiction, published recently. We hope these suggestions inspire you. DV Bishop The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola. A winter’s tale full of mystery and […]
Forest of Foes by Matthew Harffy
AD 652. Beobrand has been ordered to lead a group of pilgrims to the holy city of Rome. Chief among them is Wilfrid, a novice of the church with some surprisingly important connections. Taking only Cynan and some of his best men, Beobrand hopes to make the journey through Frankia quickly and return to Northumbria […]
The French House by Jacquie Bloese
In Nazi-occupied Guernsey, the wrong decision can destroy a life. Left profoundly deaf after an accident, Émile is no stranger to isolation – or heartbreak. Now, as Nazi planes loom over Guernsey, he senses life is about to change forever. Trapped in a tense, fearful marriage, Isabelle doesn’t know what has become of Émile and […]
From slave to queen: an extraordinary medieval woman
Among the powerful medieval women whose stories have — against all odds — survived the years, Balthild, the seventh-century Neustrian queen, is one of the most extraordinary. A slave who became a queen and, later, a saint, she was an unexpected source of inspiration for Matthew Harffy’s latest Bernician Chronicles story, Forest of Foes. The […]
The Fortune Keeper by Deborah Swift
Venice in the winter of 1643. Mia Caiozzi is determined to discover her destiny by studying the science of astronomy. But her stepmother Giulia forbids her to engage in this dangerous occupation, fearing it will lead her into trouble. The ideas of Galileo are banned by the Inquisition, so Mia must study in secret. Giulia […]
The winners! The HWA Crown Awards 2022
We’re delighted to announce the winners of the 2022 HWA Crown Awards, celebrating the best historical writing of the year, fiction and non-fiction! The winners of the Gold Crown for fiction, the Non-fiction Crown and the Debut Crown were revealed on Wednesday, 23 November at a packed party in a historic former church in London, […]
Review: The Lost Man of Bombay by Vaseem Khan
In the latest in the Malabar House series, Vaseem Khan gives us a brilliant insight into Europeans’ involvement in post-partition India, as well as a cracking good mystery, Alis Hawkins writes. On one level, The Lost Man of Bombay can be seen as a straightforward serial killer story; on another it’s a glimpse into a […]
Iron and Gold by SJA Turney
AD 1043. Having escaped Constantinople with their lives – barely – but not their ship, Halfdan and the wolves of Odin are now mercenaries in the Byzantine army, sailing to Apulia in Italy to help retake territory from the Normans. But cracks are beginning to show among the tight-knit wolves. Gunnhild, having forsaken the fate […]