The kingdom of Northumbria originally consisted of the two independent kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira. Bede writes that Ida was the earliest king of Bernicia. In the early seventh century, Ethelfrith expelled the heir to Deira and ruled over both Bernicia and Deira for the first time, forming Northumbria. A… Read More »Kingdom of Northumbria
The huscarls were the household troops of the English king. The traditional meaning of the term in Old Norse meant simply a household servant. The term later evolved to reference the personal bodyguard of the king. It is believed the huscarls were firmly established in England under the reign of… Read More »The Huscarls
Once again Bernard Cornwell transports the reader to the Hundred Years War with Agincourt. As you can surmise from the title, the novel centers around the Battle of Agincourt, when on October 25 of 1415, a ragged, starved and outnumbered English army of 6,000 men faced off against 30,000 French… Read More »Review of Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell
Towering 150 feet above the northeast coastline of England, the castle of Bamburgh sits as a formidable defense, a testament to the once great glory of the Northumbrian kingdom. The first written reference to the castle is around 547 AD, when the Anglo-Saxon ruler Ida of Bernicia established the castle… Read More »Bamburgh Castle
I’m finally getting around to writing the dreaded novel synopsis. The synopsis is probably the most challenging item when putting together materials in order to be considered for publication. Not every agent I’ve found requests a synopsis. Everyone is different. Some want a query, synopsis, and the first few pages of… Read More »Writing a novel synopsis
Bloodstone (Brother Athelstan Mediaeval Mysteries) by Paul Doherty Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Creme de la Crime (March 1, 2012) ISBN-10: 1780290160 Book Description: An intriguing new Brother Athelstan historical mystery – December, 1380. When the corpse of Sir Robert Kilverby is discovered in a locked room, Brother Athelstan accompanies the King’s… Read More »Review of Bloodstone by Paul Doherty
The sack of Lindisfarne Abbey is considered by many historians to begin the period of the Viking invasions of England. It is mentioned briefly in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as such: This year came dreadful fore-warnings over the land of the Northumbrians, terrifying the people most woefully: these were immense sheets… Read More »The Viking Invasion of England: Lindisfarne Abbey
I haven’t discussed my novel in a while, so I thought I’d provide a quick update on where I am in the process. I’m currently sending out query letters to agents. I’ve sent a few queries, received mostly rejections, but one agent did ask to read the entire manuscript after… Read More »Novel Update – Query Letter
Harald Sigurdsson (1015 – September 25, 1066), later given the epithet Hardrada (Old Norse: roughly translated as “stern counsel” or “hard ruler”) was the king of Norway from 1047 until 1066. He also claimed to be the King of Denmark until 1064, often defeating King Sweyn’s army and forcing him… Read More »Harald Hardrada