Book Review
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Crusaders and Revolutionaries of the Thirteenth Century: De Montfort by Darren Baker

One of the families that dominated the thirteenth century were the de Montforts. They arose in France, in a hamlet close to Paris, and grew to prominence under the crusading fervour of that time, taking them from leadership in the Albigensian wars to lordships around the Mediterranean. They marry into the English aristocracy, join the… Continue reading
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Book Review: Edward II’s Nieces, The Clare Sisters by Kathryn Warner
The de Clare sisters Eleanor, Margaret and Elizabeth were born in the 1290s as the eldest granddaughters of King Edward I of England and his Spanish queen Eleanor of Castile, and were the daughters of the greatest nobleman in England, Gilbert the Red’ de Clare, earl of Gloucester. They grew to adulthood during the turbulent… Continue reading
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Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War by Matthew Lewis
The Anarchy was the first civil war in post-Conquest England, enduring throughout the reign of King Stephen between 1135 and 1154. It ultimately brought about the end of the Norman dynasty and the birth of the mighty Plantagenet kings. When Henry I died having lost his only legitimate son in a shipwreck, he had caused… Continue reading
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Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England by Annie Whitehead: Blog Tour Review

Many Anglo-Saxon kings are familiar. Æthelred the Unready is one, yet less is written of his wife, who was consort of two kings and championed one of her sons over the others, or his mother who was an anointed queen and powerful regent, but was also accused of witchcraft and regicide. A royal abbess educated… Continue reading
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Reviewed: Queens of the Conquest by Alison Weir
The story of England’s medieval queens is vivid and stirring, packed with tragedy, high drama and even comedy. It is a chronicle of love, murder, war and betrayal, filled with passion, intrigue and sorrow, peopled by a cast of heroines, villains, stateswomen and lovers. In the first volume of this epic new series, Alison Weir… Continue reading
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Reviewed: In the Company of Fools by Tania Bayard

Christine de Pizan Mysteries #3 A baby abandoned in the palace gardens leads scribe sleuth Christine de Pizan into a mystery involving murder, superstition and scandal in fourteenth-century France. Paris, 1396. Scribe Christine de Pizan is shocked when the Duke of Orleans’ fools find a baby, wrapped in rags and covered in sores, abandoned in… Continue reading
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Reviewed: The Deepest Grave by Jeri Westerson
London, 1392. Strange mischief is afoot at St Modwen’s Church. Are corpses stalking the graveyard at night, disturbing graves, and dragging coffins? When a fearful Father Bulthius begs Crispin Guest for his help, he agrees to investigate with his apprentice, Jack Tucker, intrigued by the horrific tales. Meanwhile, an urgent summons arrives from Crispin’s former… Continue reading
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Ladies of the Magna Carta by Sharon Bennett Connolly Blog Tour Post and Review

Magna Carta clause 39: No man shall be taken, imprisoned, outlawed, banished or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land. This clause in Magna Carta was in response to the appalling imprisonment and starvation of… Continue reading
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Reviewed: Fixer and Fighter: The Life of Hubert de Burgh Earl of Kent by Brian Harwood
Pen and Sword Books: September 2016 Hubert de Burgh rose from obscure beginnings to become one of the most powerful men in England. He loyally served first King John and then the young Henry III and played a crucial role in saving the Plantagenet dynasty when it was at its most vulnerable. During King John… Continue reading
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