What were battles like in the time of King Alfred? Organised shield walls or brutal melees? Did they use cavalry? And what about fights at sea? Chris Bishop examines the ways of war in the 9th century. As King Alfred spent so much of his reign at war with the Vikings (or with the Danes […]
Was King Alfred really the father of the English navy?
King Alfred of Wessex has been credited with forming the first English navy in the 9th century. But, as Chris Bishop, author of the Shadow of the Raven series, writes, this isn’t the case. While Alfred is often regarded as being the ‘father’ of the English navy, he was not its ‘founder’. The English Navy […]
Horses in battle at the time of Alfred the Great
Bloodlines, Chris Bishop’s latest book set in the ninth century, features a stable boy who must try to train an almost-unrideable stallion. Would such an animal be used only for transport, or could it have been a warhorse? For Historia, Chris considers the role of horses in battle at the time of Alfred the Great. […]
Twisting the Tale: should historical fiction stick to the facts?
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, […]