In April 1918, the former Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra and their children were moved by their Bolshevik captors to a house in Ekaterinburg, owned by a merchant called Ipatiev. Three weeks later, the rest of the family followed. They would never again set foot outside its confines. The building was surrounded by a […]
Sagas: they’re not all trouble at t’mill
Now I’ve loved history for as long as I can remember. In fact, I think I fell in love with the past and everyone living there when I was a child and saw Roger Moore gallop over the hill on that white charger in Ivanhoe on our 12-inch black and white TV screen. I love […]
HWA Non-fiction Crown shortlist giveaway!
Historia’s early October giveaway is the second of three Crowns shortlist specials. Win all six books shortlisted for the 2018 HWA Non-fiction Crown Award, showcasing the best in historical writing. Just follow the instructions below to enter. You’ve got four chances to win and can enter using any or all of the options: 1. Sign up to the Historia […]
Profile: Richard Foreman of Sharpe Books
Richard Foreman is the founder of Sharpe Books, sponsors of the 2018 Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown award, and is a best-selling historical novelist. He has also been a consultant and publicist to numerous HWA authors and was the co-founder of Endeavour Press and the London History Festival. Richard talks to Historia about historical fiction, […]
September giveaway!
Historia’s September 2018 giveaway is the first of three Crowns shortlist specials. Win all six books shortlisted for the 2018 HWA Debut Crown Award, showcasing the best new voices in historical fiction. Just follow the instructions below to enter. You’ve got four chances to win and can enter using any or all of the options: 1. Sign […]
Was America, not Wallis, the real reason Edward VIII abdicated?
What if Wallis Simpson wasn’t the real reason for Edward VIII’s abdication? Historian Ted Powell, Edward’s most recent biographer, writes about the playboy prince’s greatest love affair. Years before he met Wallis Simpson, King Edward VIII had fallen in love with America. As a young Prince of Wales he was captivated by the energy, confidence […]
Twisting the Tale
Author Chris Bishop discusses why writers of historical fiction don’t always adhere solely to the ‘facts’ – and why they sometimes shouldn’t. As a writer of historical fiction, I am frequently asked whether my work is based solely on fact. My stock answer is that I am a writer not a historian and, as such, […]
In Search of Mercia
Annie Whitehead on research roadblocks, and writing history when the evidence is elusive. I spend my life writing about the characters who inhabited ancient Mercia. The history of this Anglo-Saxon kingdom is full of colourful characters, some familiar – Lady Godiva and Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians – and some not so well-known, but no […]