Book Reviews
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As the author of this Guardian review points out, when we think of Chaucer, we visualise a rather chubby, light-hearted, witty, somewhat cheeky middle-aged man as portrayed in the few portaits we have of him, such as the one above. Well, it would seem that as a younger man he was indeed cheeky! And…
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Yes, it’s those poor lost boys again, and maybe someone did do away with them as they slept. But who? According to Merriam-Webster, the verb Collude means “to connive with another : conspire, plot”. Right, that’s clear enough, so what is one to make of the following heading? A ROYAL DOCTOR COLLUDES AT MURDER – like…
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The Central Line Consort?
“Eleanor”, “ghost children”, Central Line, Crecy, david II, Edward II, Edward III, Eleanor of Castile, Elephant and Castle, Elizabeth I, France, Henry IV, Hundred Years War, John Ashdown-Hill, Kathryn Warner, London underground, marriage plans, Mary de Bohun, Neville’s Cross, Newbury Park, Northern Line, parallels, Paul Johnson, Phillippa of Hainault, pregnancies, Richard II, Richard III, royal marriages, Scotland, Wars of the Roses, WeirKathryn Warner has been Edward II’s main chronicler for a few years now, writing about the King himself, his times, his great-grandson Richard II, several other relatives the roots of the “Wars of the Roses”. This book is about Edward’s daughter-in-law, although he tried a little to prevent his eldest son’s marriage during his own…
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Dismal Sewage
“Lambert Simnel”, “The Last White Rose”, alleged homosexuality, Charles II, Croyland, de la Pole family, Defoe, Desmond Seward, Eleanor of Aquitaine, howlers, Jacobites, Lord Derwentwater, misogyny, Moll Flanders, More, Nell Gwynne, religious persecution, Richard I, Richard III, spell check, von PoppelauThey say every writer should find a niche. Unfortunately, certain ‘popular historians’ seem to have leapt onto ‘gimmicks’ than a niche and write all or most of their books in similar vein, often to the detriment of their work and a growing lack of credibility with each further tome. A trend amongst several notable authors…
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Author and historian Matthew Lewis has continued his excellent series of short videos reviewing various Wars of the Roses books and talking about all things Yorkist (and more besides.) One of his latest YouTube videos reviews the recent book release LOVELL OUR DOGGE by Michele Schindler, a non-fiction offering that helps to fill the rather…
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Ian Churchward of The Legendary Ten Seconds has kindly made a fantastic video promoting my book, Distant Echoes and using his song, Sheriff Hutton, which was the inspiration for the book! Here is the link if you would like to see it – and please give it a ‘like’! Oh and if the video has…
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Shadow King: the Life and Death of Henry VI
Armagnacs, Beaufort family., biographies, Burgundians, Calder Bridge, Catherine de Roet, Edmund of Langley, Edmund of Rutland, Edward III, Edward IV, France, George Goodwin, Henry V, Henry VI, House of York, John of Gaunt, Lancastrians, Lauren Johnson, Lionel of Antwerp, Margaret of Anjou, Outwood, Pontefract Castle, Readeption, Richard Duke of York, Richard of Salisbury, Sandal Castle, Tim Sutherland, Tower of London, Towton, Wakefield, Wars of the Roses, Winchester PalaceHelen Rae Rants! Shadow King: The Life and Death of Henry VI by Lauren Johnson Head of Zeus Publications, 2020, paperback, 700 pages, £12.00 ISBN 978-1784-979645 <img class=”i-amphtml-intrinsic-sizer” style=”max-width: 100%; display: block !important;” role=”presentation” src=”data:;base64,” alt=”” aria-hidden=”true” /> Henry VI has gone down in history as one of England’s worst kings. Not for being cruel…
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