Middle Ages History

Review of An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne

by Steven
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An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne Paperback: 648 pages Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (September 3, 2008) ISBN-10: 1419656694 An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne is an historical fiction novel set in Anglo-Saxon medieval England that follows the fictional character… Read More »Review of An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne

Battles in Medieval History: The Siege of Worcester, 1139

by Steven

On the winter morning of Tuesday, November 7, 1189, the rebel forces of Miles of Gloucester approached the town of Worcester. Miles of Gloucester was part of the rebel army who opposed King Stephen, and his army came to Worcester to lay waste to it and burn it to the… Read More »Battles in Medieval History: The Siege of Worcester, 1139

Man-At-Arms

by Steven

From Roger of Hovedon on the Battle of Gisors: After these events, Robert, earl of Leicester, came with forty knights and a few men-at-arms, before the castle of Pasci, which had belonged to him; on which the knights of the castle sallied forth with a great number of men-at-arms and… Read More »Man-At-Arms

Review of Medieval Siege Warfare by Christopher Gravett

by Steven
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Medieval Siege Warfare by Christopher Gravett Paperback: 64 pages Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 24, 1990) ISBN-10: 0850459478 Medieval Siege Warfare offers a brief but encompassing look at the tactics and strategy used by armies to attack and defend castles during the Middle Ages. While the book is short enough to… Read More »Review of Medieval Siege Warfare by Christopher Gravett

Medieval Castles: Dover Castle

by Steven
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Constructed around the same time as the Tower of London (late 11th century), Dover Castle stands as one of the earliest castles built by William the Conqueror after his conquest of Anglo-Saxon England. Duke William had the castle built near an old Roman lighthouse and burgh, which King Harold (the… Read More »Medieval Castles: Dover Castle

Amiens Cathedral

by Steven

Five archteypical Gothic medieval cathedrals still exist in France today, one of which is Amiens Cathedral, located in Amiens, the major city of Picardy, in the Somme River valley just north of Paris. The other four cathedrals include Bourges, Chatres, Rheims, and Soissons. Amiens contains a choir with ambulatory, seven… Read More »Amiens Cathedral

Law and Punishment in the Middle Ages

by Steven

The ancient world held to the oral tradition of law, with punishment generally based on legal precedent and handed down by tribal rulers. During the Middle Ages, efforts were sought to codify certain laws, and this period saw the emergence of parliaments or parliament-type organizations, as seen in Viking society… Read More »Law and Punishment in the Middle Ages

New Short Story Posted: Exeter Burning

by Steven
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I’ve finally finished writing and editing my latest short story: “Exeter Burning.” While the medieval backdrop/settting (i.e. – general details) behind the story are accurate for that period, the storyline and characters are entirely fictional — though it is based loosely on an actual event that took place at Exeter… Read More »New Short Story Posted: Exeter Burning

Review of Life in a Medieval City

by Steven

Life in a Medieval City by Joseph and Francis Gies Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Harper Perennial (September 30, 1981) ISBN-10: 0060908807 The year is 1250 A.D. People from all over Europe have gathered in the medieval city of Troyes — the capital city of the county of Champagne in France… Read More »Review of Life in a Medieval City