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 […]
Review: Defenders of the Norman Crown by Sharon Bennett Connolly
Who were the Warenne Earls of Surrey? As good as forgotten now, for 300 years they were at the heart of English history, as medieval historian and novelist John Paul Davis learned when reading Defenders of the Norman Crown, Sharon Bennett Connolly’s history of the once-prominent family. He reviews it for Historia. Defenders of the […]
Castles of England by John Paul Davis
In 1051, a monk of Canterbury Cathedral made a bizarre observation in what would eventually form part of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. In his chronicling of the year’s events, he described the establishment of a new fortification in Herefordshire by French members of the king’s party. More sophisticated than the typical Saxon burh, the word provided […]
Wolf at the Door by Sarah Hawkswood
The body of Durand Wuduweard, the unpopular keeper of the King’s Forest of Feckenham, is discovered beside his hearth, his corpse rendered barely identifiable by sharp teeth. Hushed whispers of a man-wolf spread swiftly and Sheriff William de Beauchamp’s men, Bradecote and Catchpoll, have to find out who killed Durand and why, amidst superstitious villagers, […]
Lions of the Grail by Tim Hodkinson
1315 AD. Ireland and England are ravaged by bitter war. Rotting in an English prison, condemned as a heretic, Irish Knight Templar Richard Savage is given one chance of reprieve. But there is a catch. He must return to Ireland as a traitor, working as a spy there for the King of England. Savage returns […]
The Waste Land by Tim Hodkinson
1316 AD. Ireland and England’s bitter war rages on. Richard Savage thought he had left the war in Ireland 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 return, Bruce […]
874 and All That: a short history of a small country
Michael Ridpath, the crime novelist, has a deep interest in the history of Iceland. As a change from his usual books, he turned for his newest publication to a combination of his craft and his enthusiasm: a crime writer’s guide to Iceland. He’s given Historia a brief guide to medieval Iceland, the period of sagas […]