Sharon Kay Penman's Blog, page 62
June 18, 2015
Bernard Cornwell
Ramadan good wishes to all of my Muslim Facebook friends and readers. What horrific news of that mass shooting in a South Carolina church, heartbreaking and sickening. I will never understand how people can be capable of such hate and violence. And great sympathy to all who are struggling to deal with the violent storms and subsequent flooding that are wreaking such havoc in so many places this summer.
Today, June 18th, is the anniversary of one of history’s most significant battles. Not medieval, but important, nonetheless. On this date in 1815, Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo by an English-Prussian coalition led by the Duke of Wellington. And to show that bad feelings linger two hundred years later, the French were not happy with Belgium for recently issuing a commemorative coin to celebrate this victory. My fellow Bernard Cornwell fans will be delighted to hear that he has written a non-fictional account of this battle, titled simply Waterloo. I have added it to my TBR list, which is rapidly assuming the appearance of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. http://www.amazon.com/Waterloo-Histor...
Today, June 18th, is the anniversary of one of history’s most significant battles. Not medieval, but important, nonetheless. On this date in 1815, Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo by an English-Prussian coalition led by the Duke of Wellington. And to show that bad feelings linger two hundred years later, the French were not happy with Belgium for recently issuing a commemorative coin to celebrate this victory. My fellow Bernard Cornwell fans will be delighted to hear that he has written a non-fictional account of this battle, titled simply Waterloo. I have added it to my TBR list, which is rapidly assuming the appearance of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. http://www.amazon.com/Waterloo-Histor...
Bernard Cornwell
Ramadan good wishes to all of my Muslim Facebook friends and readers. What horrific news of that mass shooting in a South Carolina church, heartbreaking and sickening. I will never understand how people can be capable of such hate and violence. And great sympathy to all who are struggling to deal with the violent storms and subsequent flooding that are wreaking such havoc in so many places this summer.
Today, June 18th, is the anniversary of one of history’s most significant battles. Not medieval, but important, nonetheless. On this date in 1815, Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo by an English-Prussian coalition led by the Duke of Wellington. And to show that bad feelings linger two hundred years later, the French were not happy with Belgium for recently issuing a commemorative coin to celebrate this victory. My fellow Bernard Cornwell fans will be delighted to hear that he has written a non-fictional account of this battle, titled simply Waterloo. I have added it to my TBR list, which is rapidly assuming the appearance of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. http://www.amazon.com/Waterloo-Histor...
Today, June 18th, is the anniversary of one of history’s most significant battles. Not medieval, but important, nonetheless. On this date in 1815, Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo by an English-Prussian coalition led by the Duke of Wellington. And to show that bad feelings linger two hundred years later, the French were not happy with Belgium for recently issuing a commemorative coin to celebrate this victory. My fellow Bernard Cornwell fans will be delighted to hear that he has written a non-fictional account of this battle, titled simply Waterloo. I have added it to my TBR list, which is rapidly assuming the appearance of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. http://www.amazon.com/Waterloo-Histor...
June 17, 2015
The Fall of Acre
Richard I, AKA the Lionheart, thought that his Third Crusade had failed because he’d been unable to recapture Jerusalem, but he did gain the kingdom another hundred years of life. It came to a bloody end, though, on June 17, 1291, when the city of Acre fell to the Mamlucks. The Mamluks showed no pity to the inhabitants, no more than the men of the First Crusade had done when they captured Jerusalem in 1099. Mercy always seems to be a scarce commodity in this part of the world, sadly. Michael Jecks is one of the writers who has written about this episode in his novel Templar’s Acre.
June 16, 2015
Of kings, princes,battles, and betrayals, all that historical novelists hold dear
Good luck to everyone in Houston and those areas in the bull’s eye of this new storm. The last thing they need is more rain in Texas.
I missed a few historical events while I was gone. On June 11, 1183, Henry’s son, the Young King (Hal in my books) died of dysentery after disgracing himself by robbing abbeys in the Limousin. He made a “good death,” though, begging the forgiveness of his father and God and imploring Henry to pardon Eleanor. I knew Kasia would do him justice on his day, and she did.
On June 13, 1483, William, Lord Hastings, was put to death at the command of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, which was not Richard’s finest hour, for Hastings was executed without a trial. I will admit that I had fun writing that council confrontation scene in Sunne, though. I rather liked Will. And I’ve seen some commentators compare Cersei’s walk of shame on the Game of Thrones finale to Jane Shore’s penance, but that does not really work. Jane was not shorn of her hair and forced to strip naked as Cersei was; that scene reminded me more of what befell women who were believed to have collaborated with the Nazis. And yes, I also enjoyed writing Jane’s penance scene in Sunne; I liked Jane, too, and luckily for her, so did the Londoners.
Continuing on, Hal was crowned at age 15 on June 14, 1170, Henry’s second greatest mistake. The first, of course, involved those rash words spoken in one of his Angevin temper tantrums, and no, he did not say, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” But he said enough, of course, to send four ambitious knights galloping for the Channel with murder in mind. On that date, too, in 1381, King Richard II courageously rode out alone to meet the rebels advancing on London; it is rather sad that the high point of his life occurred at age 14 and it was downhill after that. On June 15, 1330, the Black Prince was born, and today, June 16, 1487 was the battle of Stoke Field, said to be the last battle of the Wars of the Roses. Henry Tudor won a decisive victory and Richard’s nephew, John, the Earl of Lincoln, was slain. It was believed that Francis Lovell drowned fleeing the field after they’d lost, but we now know Francis reached safety in Scotland; the last record of him occurs in 1489 and after that, he disappears from history.
I missed a few historical events while I was gone. On June 11, 1183, Henry’s son, the Young King (Hal in my books) died of dysentery after disgracing himself by robbing abbeys in the Limousin. He made a “good death,” though, begging the forgiveness of his father and God and imploring Henry to pardon Eleanor. I knew Kasia would do him justice on his day, and she did.
On June 13, 1483, William, Lord Hastings, was put to death at the command of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, which was not Richard’s finest hour, for Hastings was executed without a trial. I will admit that I had fun writing that council confrontation scene in Sunne, though. I rather liked Will. And I’ve seen some commentators compare Cersei’s walk of shame on the Game of Thrones finale to Jane Shore’s penance, but that does not really work. Jane was not shorn of her hair and forced to strip naked as Cersei was; that scene reminded me more of what befell women who were believed to have collaborated with the Nazis. And yes, I also enjoyed writing Jane’s penance scene in Sunne; I liked Jane, too, and luckily for her, so did the Londoners.
Continuing on, Hal was crowned at age 15 on June 14, 1170, Henry’s second greatest mistake. The first, of course, involved those rash words spoken in one of his Angevin temper tantrums, and no, he did not say, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” But he said enough, of course, to send four ambitious knights galloping for the Channel with murder in mind. On that date, too, in 1381, King Richard II courageously rode out alone to meet the rebels advancing on London; it is rather sad that the high point of his life occurred at age 14 and it was downhill after that. On June 15, 1330, the Black Prince was born, and today, June 16, 1487 was the battle of Stoke Field, said to be the last battle of the Wars of the Roses. Henry Tudor won a decisive victory and Richard’s nephew, John, the Earl of Lincoln, was slain. It was believed that Francis Lovell drowned fleeing the field after they’d lost, but we now know Francis reached safety in Scotland; the last record of him occurs in 1489 and after that, he disappears from history.
June 15, 2015
Magna Carta and Game of Thrones finale
I’m back, having fought the deadline dragon to a draw; the chapter is done!
On the historical front, June 15th is the anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta by King John in 1215. John of course repudiated it as soon as he could, as did his son, Henry III, and grandson, Edward I—for all the good it did them. I discuss the provisions of the Runnymede charter on pages 454-458 of Here Be Dragons. It is a little-known but fascinating fact that two of the provisions were included at the demand of the barons’ ally, Llywelyn Fawr. One compelled John to make restitution of Welsh lands, liberties, and rights seized unjustly by the Crown and recognized the supremacy of Welsh law in Wales. And the other said simply, “We will restore at once the son of Llywelyn, and all the hostages from Wales and the charters delivered to us as security for peace.”
On the quasi-medieval Game of Thrones front, here is the link to James Hibberd’s recap of last night’s finale. SPOILERS, as usual. http://www.ew.com/recap/game-thrones-...
I have yet to talk to any reader of the books who believes the major character who died at the end of the 5th novel is actually dead; nor do I. Not only are there clues aplenty to indicate he is not really dead, his death would invalidate his entire story arc and do major damage to the major plot-line itself. And again, this is not just me; as far as I can tell, it is the consensus of opinion among GRRM’s readers. Ah, but does GRRM agree? His is the only opinion that really counts, of course. As for the HBO episode, it certainly looked as if this character was dead and the actor is quoted as saying he’ll not be back. However, he could be lying. Or they could be lying to him. Or they could plan to bring the character back in another guise. ?????? It does seem to me, though, that the level of gory violence is reaching the saturation point. I am not squeamish; I am the woman who has been known to shoot an arrow into some poor soldier’s eye or throat, after all. But the scene with Arya was a bit too graphic for my taste. Since neither Master Martin nor the HBO writers have yet to ask for my advice, however, that does not matter much. Finally, this is a spoiler, but a small one, and since it is sure to be of interest to Games fans, I feel free to report that the Hound will be back; the actor has signed on for the next season.
On the historical front, June 15th is the anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta by King John in 1215. John of course repudiated it as soon as he could, as did his son, Henry III, and grandson, Edward I—for all the good it did them. I discuss the provisions of the Runnymede charter on pages 454-458 of Here Be Dragons. It is a little-known but fascinating fact that two of the provisions were included at the demand of the barons’ ally, Llywelyn Fawr. One compelled John to make restitution of Welsh lands, liberties, and rights seized unjustly by the Crown and recognized the supremacy of Welsh law in Wales. And the other said simply, “We will restore at once the son of Llywelyn, and all the hostages from Wales and the charters delivered to us as security for peace.”
On the quasi-medieval Game of Thrones front, here is the link to James Hibberd’s recap of last night’s finale. SPOILERS, as usual. http://www.ew.com/recap/game-thrones-...
I have yet to talk to any reader of the books who believes the major character who died at the end of the 5th novel is actually dead; nor do I. Not only are there clues aplenty to indicate he is not really dead, his death would invalidate his entire story arc and do major damage to the major plot-line itself. And again, this is not just me; as far as I can tell, it is the consensus of opinion among GRRM’s readers. Ah, but does GRRM agree? His is the only opinion that really counts, of course. As for the HBO episode, it certainly looked as if this character was dead and the actor is quoted as saying he’ll not be back. However, he could be lying. Or they could be lying to him. Or they could plan to bring the character back in another guise. ?????? It does seem to me, though, that the level of gory violence is reaching the saturation point. I am not squeamish; I am the woman who has been known to shoot an arrow into some poor soldier’s eye or throat, after all. But the scene with Arya was a bit too graphic for my taste. Since neither Master Martin nor the HBO writers have yet to ask for my advice, however, that does not matter much. Finally, this is a spoiler, but a small one, and since it is sure to be of interest to Games fans, I feel free to report that the Hound will be back; the actor has signed on for the next season.
June 9, 2015
Game of Thrones--one death too many?
Here is James Hibberd’s comments on Sunday’s episode of Game of Thrones. As usual, spoilers abound, so do not read any farther if you have not yet seen it. I don’t want to commit any spoilers myself, but I am guessing I am not the only one who gave some serious consideration to bailing after one scene in particular. I will probably hang in to the bitter end because of Tyrion and Danni and her dragons, but the thought definitely crossed my mind. While reading the books, I remember thinking that Joffrey had to be the worst character in the entire series, and then we were introduced to Ramsay Snow. Well, I consider Sunday’s scene to be even worse than what happened at the Red Wedding, which probably says it all. Anyway, here is the link; Hibberd is always well worth reading and does have some interesting insights about the last episode.
http://www.ew.com/recap/game-of-thron...
http://www.ew.com/recap/game-of-thron...
June 6, 2015
June 6th in 1191 and 1944
Sorry for disappearing again, but I’ve been cornered by that blasted deadline dragon, who is really becoming a pest. I need to finish my current chapter before I leave for the Historical Novel Society Convention in Denver toward the end of the month, so the pressure level is rising. While the convention itself is only open to those who registered, they are holding a book signing for all attending authors and that will be open to the general public. So if any of my Facebook friends and readers who live in the Denver area would like to get books signed, I’d love to meet you; I’ll post the details later.
June 6th is, of course, the anniversary of D-Day, well worth remembering. I know that Steven Spielberg’s epic Private Ryan is considered the definitive film about these events, but I also liked The Longest Day, for I thought it conveyed the confusion and horrors of war very effectively. Anyone else see that one?
June 6th was also the day the Lionheart finally reached the siege of Acre in 1191. I had a lot of fun writing that scene, for I related it from the point of view of the perpetually disgruntled French king and Conrad de Montferrat, who not yet met the English king. Richard was a master at self-promotion, which absolutely infuriated his enemies, none more so than Philippe, who could only watch and fume helplessly as Richard took center stage once again, relegating him to the sidelines.
Lionheart, page 292
* * *
By the time they reached the beach, it looked as if every man, woman, and child in camp had gathered at the shoreline. To the west, the sun was setting in a blaze of fiery color, the sky and sea taking on vivid shades of gold and red, drifting purple clouds haloed in shimmering lilac light. The ships entering the bay were backlit by this spectacular sunset, and Philippe wondered if Richard had timed his landing for maximum impact. The sleek war galleys were slicing through the waves like the deadly weapons they were, the royal banners of England and Outremer catching each gust of wind, the oarsmen rowing in time to the thudding drumbeats, the air vibrating with the cacophony of trumpets, pipes, and horns. And just as he’d done at Messina, Richard was standing on a raised platform in the prow of his galley, a magnet for all eyes. When the crowds erupted in wild cheering, he acknowledged their tribute by raising a lance over his head and the noise level reached painful proportions, loud enough to reach the Saracen soldiers lining the walls of the city as they, too, watched, spellbound, the arrival of the legendary Lionheart.
Conrad was staring at the spectacle in disbelief, eyes wide and mouth open. When he finally tore his gaze away from the scene playing out in the harbor, he saw that the French king was watching him with a mordant, cynical smile, one that he now understood. “All that is lacking,” Philippe said, “is the dancing bear.”
* * *
June 6th is, of course, the anniversary of D-Day, well worth remembering. I know that Steven Spielberg’s epic Private Ryan is considered the definitive film about these events, but I also liked The Longest Day, for I thought it conveyed the confusion and horrors of war very effectively. Anyone else see that one?
June 6th was also the day the Lionheart finally reached the siege of Acre in 1191. I had a lot of fun writing that scene, for I related it from the point of view of the perpetually disgruntled French king and Conrad de Montferrat, who not yet met the English king. Richard was a master at self-promotion, which absolutely infuriated his enemies, none more so than Philippe, who could only watch and fume helplessly as Richard took center stage once again, relegating him to the sidelines.
Lionheart, page 292
* * *
By the time they reached the beach, it looked as if every man, woman, and child in camp had gathered at the shoreline. To the west, the sun was setting in a blaze of fiery color, the sky and sea taking on vivid shades of gold and red, drifting purple clouds haloed in shimmering lilac light. The ships entering the bay were backlit by this spectacular sunset, and Philippe wondered if Richard had timed his landing for maximum impact. The sleek war galleys were slicing through the waves like the deadly weapons they were, the royal banners of England and Outremer catching each gust of wind, the oarsmen rowing in time to the thudding drumbeats, the air vibrating with the cacophony of trumpets, pipes, and horns. And just as he’d done at Messina, Richard was standing on a raised platform in the prow of his galley, a magnet for all eyes. When the crowds erupted in wild cheering, he acknowledged their tribute by raising a lance over his head and the noise level reached painful proportions, loud enough to reach the Saracen soldiers lining the walls of the city as they, too, watched, spellbound, the arrival of the legendary Lionheart.
Conrad was staring at the spectacle in disbelief, eyes wide and mouth open. When he finally tore his gaze away from the scene playing out in the harbor, he saw that the French king was watching him with a mordant, cynical smile, one that he now understood. “All that is lacking,” Philippe said, “is the dancing bear.”
* * *
June 3, 2015
Game of thrones chitchat
I have not heard yet from Laurie Spencer, the winner of the hardcover copy of Sunne and there are several Laurie Spencers on Facebook. So Laurie, I hope you see this, and if anyone knows her, will you pass the word on to her? Thanks.
Here is Master Hibberd and EW’s recap of Sunday’s episode of Game of Thrones. I laughed aloud when he speculated that the missing Rickon Stark is maybe off partying with Gendry and Arya’s dyrewolf.
http://www.ew.com/recap/game-of-thron...…
Here is some speculation upon what the finale of this season will hold, based mainly on the title of that show.
http://www.vanityfair.com/…/game-of-t...-… This link also has an interesting interview with cast members, who are asked which other characters would they like to play.
Here is Master Hibberd and EW’s recap of Sunday’s episode of Game of Thrones. I laughed aloud when he speculated that the missing Rickon Stark is maybe off partying with Gendry and Arya’s dyrewolf.
http://www.ew.com/recap/game-of-thron...…
Here is some speculation upon what the finale of this season will hold, based mainly on the title of that show.
http://www.vanityfair.com/…/game-of-t...-… This link also has an interesting interview with cast members, who are asked which other characters would they like to play.
June 2, 2015
Game of Thrones quotes
No spoilers here, just a collection of the better known quotes from Game of Thrones. We all know “Lannisters always pay their debts” and “The things I do for love” and “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” But there are others that stick in our memories, too. Of the following quotes, my own favorite occurs when Tyrion stops his lunatic nephew, Joffrey, from beating Sansa. One of Joffrey’s lackeys yells that Tyrion cannot threaten the king. Tyrion says he wasn’t making threats. “I am educating my nephew. Bronn, the next time Ser Meryn speaks, kill him. Now that was a threat. See the difference?”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gall...
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gall...
June 1, 2015
Winners of Sunne book drawing
I have my new blog up, with the winners of the Sunne book drawing. The winner of the hardcover edition is Laurie Spencer and the winner of the paperback edition is Cynthia Fuller. I will try to do another Sunne drawing later this year. http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=509
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