Best-selling fantasy author Terry Goodkind is switching publishers from Tor to Putnam for a new three book deal. Goodkind has been with Tor for a long time but decided to make the switch because he and his agent, Russell Galen, felt Putnam could get them into wider markets. The three books will be mainstream fiction, […]
Filed under: Authors, Fantasy, Literary News on June 30th, 2008 | No Comments »
George Raymond Richard Martin, well-known author of the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, on September 20, 1948. Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. His writing career began at a young age when he would write and sell stories about monsters for […]
Filed under: George R.R. Martin, Authors, Fantasy on June 29th, 2008 | 7 Comments »
For purposes of this post, I will focus on the medieval sword of Western Europe, namely England and France and Scandinavia, from the 10th to the 13th century.
The sword was an instrumental weapon for the knight during the Middle Ages. As most combat was conducted up close hand-to-hand, you did not go into battle without […]
Filed under: Arms and Armor, Middle Ages History, Medieval History on June 28th, 2008 | No Comments »
Virgate
[vur-git, -geyt]
Etymology: Medieval Latin virgata, from virga, a land measure, from Latin, rod
1) Standard tenant’s holding on many manors, but of a size that varied from manor to manor (usually from 20 to 30 acres) — Bennett, Judith M. Women in the Medieval English Countryside, 235
2) A quarter of a hide; often 20 or 30 […]
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval Glossary, Medieval History on June 27th, 2008 | No Comments »
I was in the bookstore the other night and was looking at a copy of Dreamsongs by George R.R. Martin. As a collection of his short stories, it seemed like an interesting read. I guess Dreamsongs: Volume 1 and Dreamsongs: Volume 2 have both been out since last year — I may be wrong about […]
Filed under: Fantasy on June 26th, 2008 | 2 Comments »
“The Shack,” by William P. Young and published by Windblown Media in partnership with Hachette Book Group USA, is one example of a novel that spread rapidly by word-of-mouth. This is a powerful example of how readers can influence the sale of a book. “The Shack,” a once small time Christian novel by an unknown […]
Filed under: Christian Fiction, Literary News on June 25th, 2008 | No Comments »
The Proud Villeins (Bridges Over Time, Book I) by Valerie Anand
Hardcover - 310 pages
Publisher - St Martins Pr; 1st U.S. ed edition (September 1992)
Editorial Review from Publishers Weekly:
A sweeping, often moving tale of English medieval life, this novel depicts historical events–ranging from 1040 to 1215, when the Magna Charta was signed–from the perspective of a […]
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval History, Historical Fiction on June 24th, 2008 | No Comments »
I’ve been trying to locate magazines dedicated to the period of the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, my local bookstores don’t stock anything of the sort. I ran across a few online but don’t know if they’re any good. Does anyone subscribe to any of these? Know of others that you would recommend?
Medieval History Magazine (I think […]
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Publishing, Medieval History on June 23rd, 2008 | 4 Comments »
The movie that sparked my interest in the medieval period was Robin Hood Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner. Ever since, I have been enamored with anything and everything dealing with the Middle Ages: movies, historical fiction novels, non-fiction books, television documentaries. The next in line: Nottingham, directed by Ridley Scott. I’m a big fan […]
Filed under: Books and Movies on June 21st, 2008 | 8 Comments »
Castle-Guard
Feudal obligation to serve in the garrison of a castle, either for a period each year or during war. (Gies, Joseph and Francis. Life in a Medieval Castle, 229)
*term definitions retrieved from Netserf’s Medieval Glossary (http://www.netserf.org/Glossary)
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval Glossary, Medieval History on June 20th, 2008 | No Comments »
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