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Was King Alfred really the father of the English navy?

27 March 2022 By Chris Bishop

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

18 March 2021 By Chris Bishop

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?

15 September 2018 By Chris Bishop

Coin of King Alfred

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, […]

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Latest Releases

Spear by Nicola Griffith

24 May 2022

The Lying Dutchman by Graham Brack

20 May 2022

Dead in the Water by Mark Ellis

19 May 2022

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Editor’s Picks

Anglo-Saxon women with power and influence

30 May 2020

Dermot MacMurrough

The Other Conquest – 850th anniversary of the Norman invasion of Ireland

1 May 2019

Female Aviators of the Edwardian Era

5 May 2017

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The Historical Writers’ Association

Historia Magazine is published by the Historical Writers’ Association. We are authors, publishers and agents of historical writing, both fiction and non-fiction. For information about membership and profiles of our member authors, please visit our website.

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ISSN 2515-2254

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  • Spear by Nicola Griffith
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  • The Lying Dutchman by Graham Brack

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