Spring 1628, and England is at war with France as the rest of Europe consumes itself in increasingly bitter conflict. In Dunkirk, Philip Lord, disgraced adventurer, has a new ship and through it the chance to gain enough from his privateering to follow his guiding star. But when he must risk everything to rescue a […]
The Dunkirkers – the 17th century’s forgotten pirates
Eleanor Swift-Hook thinks it’s time we remembered the Dunkirkers, the most feared pirates of the early 17th century. Forgotten by most of us, these privateers operating in the English Channel were, in their time, the terrors of the seas. My mistress, his good mother, with a daughterAbout the age of six, crossing to Jersey,Was taken […]
Historical books for summer reading 2024
We asked eight well-loved authors of both historical fiction and non-fiction to each suggest a couple of books they recommend for history lovers to enjoy reading over the summer. They’ve come up with an inspiring mix of books they’ve loved and books they’re looking forward to reading themselves, some just published, and a few old […]
Seaborne by Nuala O’Connor
1703, Kinsale, County Cork. Anne Coleman is the illegitimate child of a local lawyer and his maid; disguised as ‘Anthony’ to protect reputations, the mask suits Anne just fine. But, fixated on boats and the sea, she struggles to fit in, and her devoted mother fears for her fiercely independent and impulsive daughter. When their […]
Bonny & Read by Julie Walker
The Caribbean, 1720. Two extraordinary women are on the run — from their pasts, from the British Navy and the threat of execution, and from the destiny that fate has written for them. Plantation owner’s daughter, runaway wife, pirate — Anne Bonny has forged her own story in a man’s world. But when she is […]
Bonny & Read by Julie Walker
The Caribbean, 1720. Two extraordinary women are on the run – from their pasts, from the British Navy and the threat of execution, and from the destiny that fate has written for them. Plantation owner’s daughter, runaway wife, pirate: Anne Bonny has forged her own story in a man’s world. But when she is involved […]