Helene Harrison's Blog, page 8

Tudor Executions – Publication Day!

My second book ‘Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block’ has become available early! It has come into my publisher’s warehouse today, 9th July 2024. The official release is on 30th July 2024. If you have ordered direct from Pen and Sword, they are dispatching any pre-orders today so look out for these landing on … Continue reading Tudor Executions – Publication Day!

See what I had to say … Local History Blogger

Today I’m a guest on Laura Adkins’s wonderful blog, The Local History Blogger, talking about Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley. This is just one of the executions I discuss in my upcoming book ‘Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block’, which releases on 30th July 2024. You can click on the link below … Continue reading See what I had to say … Local History Blogger

Book Review – ‘1000 Tudor People’ by Melita Thomas

What a brilliant book! Despite being a Tudor historian there were quite a few people here I hadn’t heard of, and from all walks of life – kings, queens, nobles, playwrights, poets, pirates, merchants, thieves, and murderers. It made for a really fascinating read with the names I recognised and knew a bit about to … Continue reading Book Review – ‘1000 Tudor People’ by Melita Thomas

Guest Post – Amy McElroy on Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era

Today I welcome the lovely Amy McElroy to the blog! Amy and I connected when our first books shared a publication day back in January 2023, so I’m delighted to have Amy on the blog to celebrate the release of her second book ‘Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era’ which came out in February 2024. … Continue reading Guest Post – Amy McElroy on Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era

Book and Writing Update

Hello everyone! It’s been a really busy few weeks. Those who follow me on Instagram may have seen that I have just completed a full draft of my third book, which is about Anne Boleyn, though not a biography – you’ll have to wait to find out more! My second book, ‘Tudor Executions: From Nobility … Continue reading Book and Writing Update

Book Review – ‘Alchemy’ by S.J. Parris

I really enjoyed this latest instalment in the Giordano Bruno series. I had to listen towards the end on double speed to finish it before my loan time expired, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of it. It’s weird because I sometimes put off starting some of the historical fiction I have set in the … Continue reading Book Review – ‘Alchemy’ by S.J. Parris

Book Review – ‘Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly’ by Greg Jenner

This is a brilliant book! I just wish parts had more detail but as it’s a children’s book you can’t have all of the information in it. So, I went and watched a very interesting documentary called ‘Secrets of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings’ and I still want to find out more! Luckily not long … Continue reading Book Review – ‘Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly’ by Greg Jenner

Book Review – ‘The Marriage Portrait’ by Maggie O’Farrell

Frankly I couldn’t fault this book. It was engaging to read, and the characters came across as real people which is really important when writing historical fiction. Don’t confuse Lucrezia d’Medici with Lucrezia Borgia, though the two are related – Lucrezia d’Medici (the subject of this novel) was married to the grandson of Lucrezia Borgia … Continue reading Book Review – ‘The Marriage Portrait’ by Maggie O’Farrell

Book Review – ‘Tudor Feminists: Ten Renaissance Women Ahead of Their Time’ by Rebecca Wilson

I enjoyed this book – it was good to learn more about some of the people I knew less about like Arbella Stuart, Grainne O’Malley, and Aemilia Lanier. I had only heard of Lanier in passing, knew she was a poet, and O’Malley I largely knew about through Greg Jenner’s excellent episode on her on … Continue reading Book Review – ‘Tudor Feminists: Ten Renaissance Women Ahead of Their Time’ by Rebecca Wilson

Book Review – ‘Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court’ by Owen Emmerson & Kate McCaffrey

A brilliant study of Anne Boleyn’s early years at Blickling, Hever, Mechelen, and in France, up to her debut at the English court. Been a while since the exhibition which this book was designed to go alongside, but I’m really glad I’ve read it now. It’s a lot of information but still easy to read … Continue reading Book Review – ‘Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court’ by Owen Emmerson & Kate McCaffrey