Sharon Kay Penman's Blog, page 90
June 11, 2014
The young king and the white queen
June 11, 1183 must surely have been one of the most tragic days of Henry II’s life, for it was on that date that his eldest son, known to history as the young king and as Hal in my books, died of dysentery at age 28, after yet another rebellion, one which he’d become little better than a bandit. On his deathbed, he’d pleaded for Henry to come to him, but after having been shot at twice by Hal’s men under a flag of safe conduct, Henry wisely refused. It is quite possible that he did not truly believe that Hal was dying, either. Once it was too late, though, he must have tormented himself with vain regrets, for the chroniclers relate his anguish in heartrending detail.
Devil’s Brood, page 327
* * *
Hal had been sincere when he said he did not deserve forgiveness; there could be few epiphanies as dramatic as one brought about by the awareness of impending death. But no matter how often he told himself that his punishment was just and fitting, he was anguished by his father’s rejection. If the man he’d finally become in the last week of his life could try to accept Henry’s judgment, the boy he’d always been cried out for mercy, needing his father to bring light into the encroaching darkness of his world, to say he understood and the slate of his misdeeds was wiped clean—just as he’d done time and time again.
* * *
Still on Page 327, when the Bishop of Agen arrives with a message from Henry for his son.
* * *
“Have…have you really come from my father?”
“Indeed, my liege.” Bishop Bertrand was so shaken by Hal’s shocking decline that he unfastened his own pater noster from his belt and placed it on the pillow next to Hal, then reached out and took the young king’s hot, dry hand in his. “King Henry bade me tell you that he freely and gladly grants you full forgiveness for your sins, and that he has never ceased to love you”
Hal’s lashes swept down, shadowing his cheeks like fans as tears seeped from the corners of his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, although the bishop was not sure if it was meant for him, for Henry, or for the Almighty.
“I bring more than words,” he said and, taking a small leather pouch from around his neck, he shook out a sapphire ring set in beaten gold. He started to tell Hal that this was Henry’s ring, but saw there was no need, for Hal could not have shown more reverence if he’d produced a holy relic.
“He does forgive me, then!” he cried and gave the bishop such a dazzling smile that for a moment the ravages of his illness were forgotten and they could almost believe this was the young king of cherished memory, the golden boy more beautiful than a fallen angel, able to ensnare hearts with such dangerous ease. Then the illusion passed and they were looking at a man gaunt, hollow-eyed, suffering, and all too mortal
* * *
June 11th was also the birthday of another major character of mine, Anne Neville, who was born on this date in 1456. She died young, during a solar eclipse of the sun (which no novelist would have dared to invent) in March of 1485, only in her 29th year.
Somehow those ubiquitous Tudors always manage to crash the party, for on June 11, 1509, Henry VIII wed his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. We know it was a happy day for them both, although knowing what we do, many of us probably wish we could go back in time, take Catherine aside, and cry, “Girl, run for the hills!”
Devil’s Brood, page 327
* * *
Hal had been sincere when he said he did not deserve forgiveness; there could be few epiphanies as dramatic as one brought about by the awareness of impending death. But no matter how often he told himself that his punishment was just and fitting, he was anguished by his father’s rejection. If the man he’d finally become in the last week of his life could try to accept Henry’s judgment, the boy he’d always been cried out for mercy, needing his father to bring light into the encroaching darkness of his world, to say he understood and the slate of his misdeeds was wiped clean—just as he’d done time and time again.
* * *
Still on Page 327, when the Bishop of Agen arrives with a message from Henry for his son.
* * *
“Have…have you really come from my father?”
“Indeed, my liege.” Bishop Bertrand was so shaken by Hal’s shocking decline that he unfastened his own pater noster from his belt and placed it on the pillow next to Hal, then reached out and took the young king’s hot, dry hand in his. “King Henry bade me tell you that he freely and gladly grants you full forgiveness for your sins, and that he has never ceased to love you”
Hal’s lashes swept down, shadowing his cheeks like fans as tears seeped from the corners of his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, although the bishop was not sure if it was meant for him, for Henry, or for the Almighty.
“I bring more than words,” he said and, taking a small leather pouch from around his neck, he shook out a sapphire ring set in beaten gold. He started to tell Hal that this was Henry’s ring, but saw there was no need, for Hal could not have shown more reverence if he’d produced a holy relic.
“He does forgive me, then!” he cried and gave the bishop such a dazzling smile that for a moment the ravages of his illness were forgotten and they could almost believe this was the young king of cherished memory, the golden boy more beautiful than a fallen angel, able to ensnare hearts with such dangerous ease. Then the illusion passed and they were looking at a man gaunt, hollow-eyed, suffering, and all too mortal
* * *
June 11th was also the birthday of another major character of mine, Anne Neville, who was born on this date in 1456. She died young, during a solar eclipse of the sun (which no novelist would have dared to invent) in March of 1485, only in her 29th year.
Somehow those ubiquitous Tudors always manage to crash the party, for on June 11, 1509, Henry VIII wed his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. We know it was a happy day for them both, although knowing what we do, many of us probably wish we could go back in time, take Catherine aside, and cry, “Girl, run for the hills!”
June 10, 2014
Which medieval emperor drowned in a river?
The Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, was a man who’d changed history during his lifetime and changed, it, too, by his unexpected demise. After taking the cross, Frederick had chosen to take the overland route to the Holy Land, and the decision proved to be a fatal one. On June 10th, 1190, he drowned while attempting to ride his horse across the River Saleph in Armenia. His loss doomed the German crusade; only a few thousand of his large army managed to reach the siege of Acre and his eldest son, Frederick, died of a fever soon after his arrival in the Holy Land. Frederick was a legendary leader, bold and charismatic, shrewd, charming, and ruthless when need be, and had earned considerable prestige in his long life; he was 68 at the time of his death. It is possible that he would have been able to keep the rivalry of the much younger monarchs, Richard and Philippe, from degenerating into the hatefest it became, and that would have impacted the crusade. His death and that of his son at Acre also had enormous consequences for Germany, for his next son, Heinrich, was then able to claim the imperial crown, which would have dire results for the Lionheart and for the Sicilians and for many of his Germany subjects. So I would include Frederick Barbarossa’s death in the What If game we like to play here.
June 9, 2014
Nero and Prince Oberyn and Bad Doings at Castle Black
Nothing medieval of great interest to me on this date, but Nero, yet another of those murderously deranged emperors the Roman Empire turned out so alarmingly often, committed suicide at age 31. Margaret George is working on a novel about Nero and Boudica and I am so looking forward to that one.
Now, leaving the appalling bloodshed of Ancient Rome for the appalling bloodshed of our favorite fantasyland. Here is the review for last night’s episode of Game of Thrones; as always, Spoilers abound. The reviewer is still bemoaning last week’s beyond-brutal murder of a favorite character, and I am guessing that most of us are in utter agreement with him. See the link I posted last week which offers an alternative version of that fight in which the good guy actually wins for once. As if—this is GRRM’s universe, folks. My favorite comment about last week’s fight came from a Goodreads friend of mine, who confessed she was shouting at the screen, “Stick him with the pointy end!”
Anyway, here is the link to the review. Only one more episode to go; winter is coming.
http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/game-of-...
Now, leaving the appalling bloodshed of Ancient Rome for the appalling bloodshed of our favorite fantasyland. Here is the review for last night’s episode of Game of Thrones; as always, Spoilers abound. The reviewer is still bemoaning last week’s beyond-brutal murder of a favorite character, and I am guessing that most of us are in utter agreement with him. See the link I posted last week which offers an alternative version of that fight in which the good guy actually wins for once. As if—this is GRRM’s universe, folks. My favorite comment about last week’s fight came from a Goodreads friend of mine, who confessed she was shouting at the screen, “Stick him with the pointy end!”
Anyway, here is the link to the review. Only one more episode to go; winter is coming.
http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/game-of-...
June 8, 2014
The Lionheart arrives at Acre and the death of the Black Prince
On June 8th, 1191, Richard the Lionheart finally arrived at the siege of Acre, making one of his usual understated, modest entrances. I had fun writing this scene because I did it through the eyes of two men who were not Richard’s fans, Philippe, the French king, and Conrad de Montferrat.
Lionheart, page 291
As they emerged from Philippe’s pavilion, they paused in surprise, for the entire camp seemed to be in motion. Men were hurrying toward the beach, jostling one another in their haste to secure a good vantage point There were a number of noncombatants at the siege—wives of soldiers and their children, the prostitutes drawn to an army encampment like bears to honey, servants, pilgrims, local vendors and peddlers. They were all running, too, eager to witness the English king’s arrival.
Watching in bemusement as this throng surged toward the sea, Conrad said scornfully, “Will you look at those fools? You’d think they hope to witness the Second Coming of the Lord Christ! What is there to see, for God’s sake? Just some ships dropping anchor offshore.”
Philippe gave the older man a tight, mirthless smile, thinking that Conrad was about to get his first lesson in Ricardian drama. (omission)
* * *
He asks Conrad if they have troupes of traveling players in Montferrat, to the other man’s puzzlement, and describes the entry of a troupe into a town, seeking to attract as much attention as possible with tumblers and jugglers, trumpets, drums, trained dogs and monkeys, sometimes even a dancing bear. Conrad looks at him as if his wits are wondering.
* * *
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 settling 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.”
* * *
Richard’s grasp of tactics obviously extended beyond the battlefield, for he was shrewd enough to make his reputation a weapon of intimidation in and of itself. But it is easy to understand why his talent for PR and self-promotion so annoyed his enemies and critics.
Also on this date, the Black Prince, eldest son of Edward III, died in 1376, at age 46. He is the only Prince of Wales who never became king, dying before his father. He is famed for his military successes, taking part in the battle of Crecy when he was just 16. He was not called the Black Prince in his lifetime; that did not occur for several centuries after his death, and the generally accepted explanation is that the reference was to the black armor he wore. He occasionally appears in Bernard Cornwell’s Grail series, which covers both the battles of Crecy and Poitiers. Because of his untimely death, the crown would eventually pass to his young son, Richard, with unhappy consequences for all. So here’s another What If speculation. What if the Black Prince had not died when he did and he lived to take the throne? One likely consequence---no Wars of the Roses since his son’s eventual reign would surely have been changed if he’d not inherited the throne as a child king. Of course no Wars of the Roses means I’d not have been able to write Sunne in Splendour and might have been trapped for all my born days practicing law. (insert shudder here)
Lastly, on June 8th, 1476, George Neville, Archbishop of York, died. He was overshadowed by his brothers and I find him the least sympathetic of the Nevilles. I think John Neville was a tragic figure and Warwick an interesting one; he was often misguided, too arrogant for his own good, and not the best judge of character, as he proved with his cousin Edward. But he was no villain and had his own code of honor. Whereas George Neville comes across as smarmy and self-centered, not overly burdened with scruples. Somewhat like King Stephen’s brother, the Bishop of Winchester, but without the latter’s ruthlessness or knife-blade intelligence.
Lionheart, page 291
As they emerged from Philippe’s pavilion, they paused in surprise, for the entire camp seemed to be in motion. Men were hurrying toward the beach, jostling one another in their haste to secure a good vantage point There were a number of noncombatants at the siege—wives of soldiers and their children, the prostitutes drawn to an army encampment like bears to honey, servants, pilgrims, local vendors and peddlers. They were all running, too, eager to witness the English king’s arrival.
Watching in bemusement as this throng surged toward the sea, Conrad said scornfully, “Will you look at those fools? You’d think they hope to witness the Second Coming of the Lord Christ! What is there to see, for God’s sake? Just some ships dropping anchor offshore.”
Philippe gave the older man a tight, mirthless smile, thinking that Conrad was about to get his first lesson in Ricardian drama. (omission)
* * *
He asks Conrad if they have troupes of traveling players in Montferrat, to the other man’s puzzlement, and describes the entry of a troupe into a town, seeking to attract as much attention as possible with tumblers and jugglers, trumpets, drums, trained dogs and monkeys, sometimes even a dancing bear. Conrad looks at him as if his wits are wondering.
* * *
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 settling 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.”
* * *
Richard’s grasp of tactics obviously extended beyond the battlefield, for he was shrewd enough to make his reputation a weapon of intimidation in and of itself. But it is easy to understand why his talent for PR and self-promotion so annoyed his enemies and critics.
Also on this date, the Black Prince, eldest son of Edward III, died in 1376, at age 46. He is the only Prince of Wales who never became king, dying before his father. He is famed for his military successes, taking part in the battle of Crecy when he was just 16. He was not called the Black Prince in his lifetime; that did not occur for several centuries after his death, and the generally accepted explanation is that the reference was to the black armor he wore. He occasionally appears in Bernard Cornwell’s Grail series, which covers both the battles of Crecy and Poitiers. Because of his untimely death, the crown would eventually pass to his young son, Richard, with unhappy consequences for all. So here’s another What If speculation. What if the Black Prince had not died when he did and he lived to take the throne? One likely consequence---no Wars of the Roses since his son’s eventual reign would surely have been changed if he’d not inherited the throne as a child king. Of course no Wars of the Roses means I’d not have been able to write Sunne in Splendour and might have been trapped for all my born days practicing law. (insert shudder here)
Lastly, on June 8th, 1476, George Neville, Archbishop of York, died. He was overshadowed by his brothers and I find him the least sympathetic of the Nevilles. I think John Neville was a tragic figure and Warwick an interesting one; he was often misguided, too arrogant for his own good, and not the best judge of character, as he proved with his cousin Edward. But he was no villain and had his own code of honor. Whereas George Neville comes across as smarmy and self-centered, not overly burdened with scruples. Somewhat like King Stephen’s brother, the Bishop of Winchester, but without the latter’s ruthlessness or knife-blade intelligence.
June 7, 2014
Another fun Game of Thrones quiz
Sandi posted this on my Fan Club page and I wanted to share it with my fellow Thrones zealots. I am a bit embarrassed to admit I was revealed to be a Lannister. http://www.playbuzz.com/rachaelg/whic...
Plague claimed a queen, leprosy probably did not kill a king, and a sad Welsh princess
June 7th was the date of death in 1329 of the celebrated Scots king, Robert the Bruce. There is some controversy about the cause of his death, several chroniclers claiming he died of leprosy. Modern historians tend to be skeptical of that, though, for it was not so unusual for other diseases to be diagnosed as leprosy. I’m inclined to be dubious about the leprosy claim, too.
And on June 7th, 1394, Anne of Bohemia, beloved queen of Richard II, died of the plague at age 28, after thirteen years of marriage. The English had disapproved of the match initially as she brought no dowry, but she seems to have been a very kind, generous person and she won people over by her willingness to intercede on behalf of her husband’s subjects. Sadly, the marriage was childless. Richard adored her and was devastated by her death. She seems to have had a stabilizing influence upon him, for his behavior became increasingly impulsive and erratic after her death, and it is another intriguing What If of history to wonder if his reign might have ended differently had she survived. One oft-repeated legend is that Anne was the one to introduce the style of riding side-saddle to England, but this is not so. We know that the side-saddle was in use as far back as the 12th century.
I am embarrassed to admit I forgot that June 7th was also the date of death of a Welsh princess, Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn, only child of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and Ellen de Montfort. She died in 1337 after spending her life as a nun; Edward I sent her as a baby to the remote nunnery of Sempringham, dispatching her female cousins, the daughters of Davydd ap Gruffydd, to other Lincolnshire convents. Davydd’s sons suffered a worse fate, being imprisoned as small boys and held till their deaths. Davydd himself was brutally executed by being drawn and quartered. We know almost nothing of Gwenllian’s involuntary life as a nun, can only hope she was content in the only life she knew. Thanks to Rhys Jones for his post that reminded us of this sad day in Welsh history.
And on June 7th, 1394, Anne of Bohemia, beloved queen of Richard II, died of the plague at age 28, after thirteen years of marriage. The English had disapproved of the match initially as she brought no dowry, but she seems to have been a very kind, generous person and she won people over by her willingness to intercede on behalf of her husband’s subjects. Sadly, the marriage was childless. Richard adored her and was devastated by her death. She seems to have had a stabilizing influence upon him, for his behavior became increasingly impulsive and erratic after her death, and it is another intriguing What If of history to wonder if his reign might have ended differently had she survived. One oft-repeated legend is that Anne was the one to introduce the style of riding side-saddle to England, but this is not so. We know that the side-saddle was in use as far back as the 12th century.
I am embarrassed to admit I forgot that June 7th was also the date of death of a Welsh princess, Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn, only child of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and Ellen de Montfort. She died in 1337 after spending her life as a nun; Edward I sent her as a baby to the remote nunnery of Sempringham, dispatching her female cousins, the daughters of Davydd ap Gruffydd, to other Lincolnshire convents. Davydd’s sons suffered a worse fate, being imprisoned as small boys and held till their deaths. Davydd himself was brutally executed by being drawn and quartered. We know almost nothing of Gwenllian’s involuntary life as a nun, can only hope she was content in the only life she knew. Thanks to Rhys Jones for his post that reminded us of this sad day in Welsh history.
June 6, 2014
The heart remembers
Nothing medieval to report, but June 6th, 1944 is, of course, the 70th anniversary of D-Day, an anniversary definitely worth remembering. Anyone who has seen those Normandy beaches or listened to a father or a grandfather relate memories of that day or watched Saving Private Ryan understands what courage and dedication it took to leap from those boats and wade ashore under unrelenting enemy fire.
And here is a video that really resonated with me, for my own father suffered from the cruelest of diseases, Alzheimer’s. This story ends with such beautiful words. “The heart remembers”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05...
And most of the Game of Thrones fans are still recovering from the last episode in which yet another fan favorite met a gruesome and lamented end. Sadly, if we tallied up the Good Guys vs the Bad Guys, the former seem to die like the proverbial flies in GRRM’s universe while the latter flourish like the green bay tree. Okay, the unspeakable Joffrey finally got what he deserved, but the scale is still unbalanced, folks. Interestingly, Game of Thrones is now HBO’s most popular series ever, beating out The Sopranos. At least there are characters to root for in Game of Thrones, whereas they were few and far in-between in The Sopranos.
And here is a video that really resonated with me, for my own father suffered from the cruelest of diseases, Alzheimer’s. This story ends with such beautiful words. “The heart remembers”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05...
And most of the Game of Thrones fans are still recovering from the last episode in which yet another fan favorite met a gruesome and lamented end. Sadly, if we tallied up the Good Guys vs the Bad Guys, the former seem to die like the proverbial flies in GRRM’s universe while the latter flourish like the green bay tree. Okay, the unspeakable Joffrey finally got what he deserved, but the scale is still unbalanced, folks. Interestingly, Game of Thrones is now HBO’s most popular series ever, beating out The Sopranos. At least there are characters to root for in Game of Thrones, whereas they were few and far in-between in The Sopranos.
June 5, 2014
Brother Cadfael e-books, Michigan Shakespeare Festival and last chance to win free book on my blog
On the medieval news front, Edward I’s much more likable brother, Edmund, died on June 5th, 1296, at age 51. As anyone who read Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning knows, I became rather fond of Edmund and his glamorous wife
I know that many of us are Shakespeare fans, notwithstanding that one play we wish he’d not written. I am sorry to report that the Michigan Shakespeare Festival is in financial difficulty. I was happy to make a donation; I’d have made it in Richard III’s name, but I wasn’t given that option! For any of my readers who would also like to help them out, here is the link. https://app.arts-people.com/index.php... Or you can make a donation via PayPal. And here is the link to their website so you can see for yourself why they are worth supporting. http://www.michiganshakespearefestiva...
Now I have good news for my readers who like mysteries. My e-book publisher, Head of Zeus, has just brought out the first ever Brother Cadfael e-books in the UK! I am happy to report that several of them are already on Amazon.co.UK’s Kindle historical mystery bestseller list. Here is the link to the first Brother Cadfael novel that I read, the one that remains my favorite, The Virgin in the Ice. I bought it in Shrewsbury years ago on my way into Wales, and once I read it, I actually drove all the way back to Shrewsbury to buy all the others that the bookstore had.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Virgin-Ic...
And if I can brag a bit about my Justin de Quincy, all four of his mysteries remain ensconced on that same bestseller list, so we are both great fans of Head of Zeus. My American readers will be able to buy the Brother Cadfael mysteries in the e-book format, too, only just not yet. Mysterious Press is bringing them out, using Head of Zeus’s covers, but we don’t have a publication date for them yet. When we do, I’ll post it here.
Lastly, I wanted to remind my British readers that Head of Zeus brought out Colleen MCullough’s splendid Master of Rome series as e-books earlier this year. I was astonished that they were not available earlier, but thankfully for those of us who love well-written and well-researched historical fiction, Head of Zeus stepped into the breach. Also, I wanted to remind everyone that there is still time to post a comment on my current blog and thus become eligible for a free signed copy of Pauline Toohey’s The Pull of the Yew Tree, which is set in fifteenth century Ireland and even has a brief appearance by the young Richard, Duke of Gloucester
http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=451
I know that many of us are Shakespeare fans, notwithstanding that one play we wish he’d not written. I am sorry to report that the Michigan Shakespeare Festival is in financial difficulty. I was happy to make a donation; I’d have made it in Richard III’s name, but I wasn’t given that option! For any of my readers who would also like to help them out, here is the link. https://app.arts-people.com/index.php... Or you can make a donation via PayPal. And here is the link to their website so you can see for yourself why they are worth supporting. http://www.michiganshakespearefestiva...
Now I have good news for my readers who like mysteries. My e-book publisher, Head of Zeus, has just brought out the first ever Brother Cadfael e-books in the UK! I am happy to report that several of them are already on Amazon.co.UK’s Kindle historical mystery bestseller list. Here is the link to the first Brother Cadfael novel that I read, the one that remains my favorite, The Virgin in the Ice. I bought it in Shrewsbury years ago on my way into Wales, and once I read it, I actually drove all the way back to Shrewsbury to buy all the others that the bookstore had.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Virgin-Ic...
And if I can brag a bit about my Justin de Quincy, all four of his mysteries remain ensconced on that same bestseller list, so we are both great fans of Head of Zeus. My American readers will be able to buy the Brother Cadfael mysteries in the e-book format, too, only just not yet. Mysterious Press is bringing them out, using Head of Zeus’s covers, but we don’t have a publication date for them yet. When we do, I’ll post it here.
Lastly, I wanted to remind my British readers that Head of Zeus brought out Colleen MCullough’s splendid Master of Rome series as e-books earlier this year. I was astonished that they were not available earlier, but thankfully for those of us who love well-written and well-researched historical fiction, Head of Zeus stepped into the breach. Also, I wanted to remind everyone that there is still time to post a comment on my current blog and thus become eligible for a free signed copy of Pauline Toohey’s The Pull of the Yew Tree, which is set in fifteenth century Ireland and even has a brief appearance by the young Richard, Duke of Gloucester
http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=451
June 3, 2014
June 3rd, a busy day on the medieval calendar
Here is the medieval roundup for June 3rd. In 1098, the city of Antioch was captured by the men of the First Crusade, who bribed a guard to let them in one of the gates. The usual massacre of civilians, both Christian and Muslim, then ensued. I could never write about the First Crusade; way too much bloodshed for me.
On June 3rd, 1140 Abelard of Ablelard and Helloise fame was found guilty of heresy.
On June 3rd, 1162, Thomas Becket was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury, to Henry’s gratification. If he only knew that his troubles were just beginning.
And on June 3rd, 1369, the English parliament shamelessly freed Edward III from adhering to the provisions of the treaty he’d signed in 1360, in which he relinquished any claim to the French throne. With this bit of chicanery, the war resumed. I always thought Edward’s claim was a dubious one. Sadly this needless war of his lasted long after he’d breathed his last. We know it as the Hundred Years War.
On June 3rd, 1140 Abelard of Ablelard and Helloise fame was found guilty of heresy.
On June 3rd, 1162, Thomas Becket was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury, to Henry’s gratification. If he only knew that his troubles were just beginning.
And on June 3rd, 1369, the English parliament shamelessly freed Edward III from adhering to the provisions of the treaty he’d signed in 1360, in which he relinquished any claim to the French throne. With this bit of chicanery, the war resumed. I always thought Edward’s claim was a dubious one. Sadly this needless war of his lasted long after he’d breathed his last. We know it as the Hundred Years War.
June 2, 2014
Another shocking Game of Thrones episode
Nothing of medieval interest to me on this date--at least that I can remember. So here is my favorite reviewer's recap of last night's Game of Thrones. Warning: massive spoilers, so read it at your peril. That should have been the warning for the episode itself which had to shock its fans who've not read the books. I am so glad I knew what was to come--knowing how merciless Master Martin can be with characters we love, I couldn't stand the suspense if I had to watch it utterly unprepared. http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/game-of-...
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