MaryAnn Bernal's Blog, page 562
August 15, 2011
August 15, 778 The Battle of Roncevaux Pass (Pyrenees on ...
August 15, 778 The Battle of Roncevaux Pass (Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain), at which Roland (commander of the rear guard of Charlemagne's army) was killed. The battle was romanticized by oral tradition into a major conflict between Christians and Muslims, when in fact both sides in the battle were Christian. The legend is recounted in 11th century The Song of Roland, which is the oldest surviving major work of French literature, and in Orlando Furioso, which is one of the most celebrated works of Italian literature. 982 Holy Roman Emperor Otto II was defeated by the Saracens in the battle of Capo Colonna, in Calabria. 1057 King Macbeth was killed at the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada. 1248 The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, was laid. 1261 Michael VIII Palaeologus was crowned Byzantine emperor in Constantinople. 1309 The city of Rhodes surrendered to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights established their headquarters on the island and renamed themselves the Knights of Rhodes. 1483 Pope Sixtus IV consecrated the Sistine Chapel.
August 14, 2011
History Trivia
August 14, 1040 Duncan, King of Scots was murdered by Macbeth, who became king. 1598 Nine Years War: Battle of the Yellow Ford: Irish forces under Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, defeated an English expeditionary force under Henry Bagenal.
August 13, 2011
August 13,523 John I was elected Roman Catholic pope. 141...
August 13,523 John I was elected Roman Catholic pope. 1415 Hundred Years War: King Henry V of England army landed on mouth of the Seine River, and organized the siege of the town of Harfleur (now part of Le Havre). 1516 The Treaty of Noyon between France and Spain was signed. Francis I of France recognized Charles's claim to Naples, and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor recognized Francis' claim to Milan.
August 12, 2011
History Trivia
August 12, 30 BC –Cleopatra VII Philopator, the last ruler of the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty, committed suicide, allegedly by means of an asp bite. 1099 First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon: Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeated Fatimid forces led by Al-Afdal Shahanshah. This is considered the last engagement of the First Crusade. 1164 Battle of Harim: Nur ad-Din Zangi defeated the Crusader armies of the County of Tripoli and the Principality of Antioch.
August 11, 2011
History Trivia
August 11, 480 BC Greco-Persian Wars: Battle of Artemisium – the Persians won a naval victory over the Greeks in an engagement fought near Artemisium, a promontory on the north coast of Euboea (island of central Greece in the Aegean Sea). 355 Claudius Silvanus, accused of treason, proclaimed himself Roman Emperor against Constantius II. 1492 Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI. One of the most notorious men to sit on the papal throne, Alexander VI was worldly, ambitious and ruthless. However he was a patron of the arts (Raphael, Michelangelo and Pinturicchio) and also encouraged the development education as evidenced by the 1495 issuing of a Papal Bull at the request of William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen, and King James IV of Scotland, founding King's College, Aberdeen.
August 10, 2011
History Trivia
August 10,955 Battle of Lechfeld: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor defeated the Magyars (Hungarians), ending 50 years of Magyar invasion of the West. 991 Battle of Maldon: the English, led by Byrhtnoth, Ealdorman of Essex, were defeated by a band of inland-raiding Vikings near Maldon in Essex. 1316 The Second Battle of Athenry during the Bruce campaign in Ireland. The Second Battle of Athenry marked the definitive end of the power of the Ua Conchobair (O'Connor's) as Kings of Connacht. The decades following marked the high point of Norman rule in Connacht, and the rise of the towns of Athenry and Galway as centers of economic and political power and wealth. Unlike the First Battle of Athenry in 1249, no account is given of the battle itself in any surviving account, and even the site of the battle itself is uncertain.
August 9, 2011
History Trivia
August 9,48 BC – Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus (Greece) – Julius Caesar decisively defeated Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey fled to Egypt where he was later murdered. As a result Caesar had absolute control of Rome. 378 Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople – A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens was defeated by the Visigoths in present-day Turkey. Valens was killed along with over half of his army. 681 Bulgaria was founded as a Khanate on the south bank of the Danube after defeating the Byzantine armies of Emperor Constantine IV south of the Danube delta. 1173 Construction of the campanile of the cathedral of Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa) begun; it would take two centuries to complete. 1483 Opening of the Sistine Chapel in Rome with the celebration of a Mass.
August 8, 2011
The Briton and the Dane does not disappoint
Booksessed
http://completelybooksessed.blogspot.com
Monday, August 8, 2011
Review: The Briton And The Dane
Book: The Briton and the Dane by Mary Ann Bernal
Published by Mary Ann Bernal in association with The Literary Underground; 2011
312 pages; excluding glossary, character lists and maps.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Adult Fiction
Synopsis via Goodreads: After the last of Rome's legions left Britannia to the mercy of the invading barbarian hordes and before the age of chivalry, when knighthood was in flower and troubadours sang of courtly love, there lived a King whose love for his people and the land left a legacy coveted by his descendants who sought to wear his crown. Travel back in time to the late Ninth Century, to the tumultuous days in the reign of Alfred the Great who successfully defeated the Danish Viking King Guthrum and kept his precious Wessex free from Viking rule. Journey to the Burh of Wareham where Lord Richard oversees the training of Alfred's army; where his children, Stephen, David and Gwyneth, swear fealty to their King and support Alfred's vision to build a nation to rival the glory that once was Rome in a land ravaged by war and conquest.
When Mary Ann emailed me about this book I was interested obviously because it was historical fiction, but also because she made mention of her love for novels like Ivanhoe. I love sweeping epics with tons of characters and story arcs, and that is what Briton and the Dane offers.
There are so many characters and story lines to draw readers in right from the beginning. I wish I could go into a lot of detail and gush about my favorite characters, but the list in lengthy and it would give away so many things. I can say that I loved the characters of David and Gwyn immediately. Their stories I loved; couldn't get enough scenes with them. While each character has their own unique story, they're interspersed and somehow connected with all the others, which I really liked.
I don't want to say that the book overall seems condensed, but you do get a lot of information in what seems like a short amount of time. I wasn't left wanting, other than the obvious cliffhangers. The chapters are rather short, which I liked. The pacing is great. It's slow enough that none of the story seems rushed and fast enough that nothing seems drawn out or overdone.
I think that this novel will have wide appeal, not just to those who like historical fiction. I didn't know much about Viking history when I started this novel, but it had definitely prompted me to get into it a bit more.
I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
Posted by Jenn at 12:00 AM
http://completelybooksessed.blogspot.com
Monday, August 8, 2011
Review: The Briton And The Dane
Book: The Briton and the Dane by Mary Ann Bernal
Published by Mary Ann Bernal in association with The Literary Underground; 2011
312 pages; excluding glossary, character lists and maps.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Adult Fiction
Synopsis via Goodreads: After the last of Rome's legions left Britannia to the mercy of the invading barbarian hordes and before the age of chivalry, when knighthood was in flower and troubadours sang of courtly love, there lived a King whose love for his people and the land left a legacy coveted by his descendants who sought to wear his crown. Travel back in time to the late Ninth Century, to the tumultuous days in the reign of Alfred the Great who successfully defeated the Danish Viking King Guthrum and kept his precious Wessex free from Viking rule. Journey to the Burh of Wareham where Lord Richard oversees the training of Alfred's army; where his children, Stephen, David and Gwyneth, swear fealty to their King and support Alfred's vision to build a nation to rival the glory that once was Rome in a land ravaged by war and conquest.
When Mary Ann emailed me about this book I was interested obviously because it was historical fiction, but also because she made mention of her love for novels like Ivanhoe. I love sweeping epics with tons of characters and story arcs, and that is what Briton and the Dane offers.
There are so many characters and story lines to draw readers in right from the beginning. I wish I could go into a lot of detail and gush about my favorite characters, but the list in lengthy and it would give away so many things. I can say that I loved the characters of David and Gwyn immediately. Their stories I loved; couldn't get enough scenes with them. While each character has their own unique story, they're interspersed and somehow connected with all the others, which I really liked.
I don't want to say that the book overall seems condensed, but you do get a lot of information in what seems like a short amount of time. I wasn't left wanting, other than the obvious cliffhangers. The chapters are rather short, which I liked. The pacing is great. It's slow enough that none of the story seems rushed and fast enough that nothing seems drawn out or overdone.
I think that this novel will have wide appeal, not just to those who like historical fiction. I didn't know much about Viking history when I started this novel, but it had definitely prompted me to get into it a bit more.
I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
Posted by Jenn at 12:00 AM
Booksessed: Review: The Briton And The Dane
Booksessed: Review: The Briton And The Dane: " Book: The Briton and the Dane by Mary Ann Bernal Published by Mary Ann Bernal in association with The Literary Underground; 2011 312 pa..."
History Trivia
August 8, 117 Roman emperor Trajan died at Selinus (southern coast of Sicily) at age 63. 1220 Sweden was defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. The short-lived Swedish attempt to gain a foothold in Estonia was motivated by the quickly advancing Danish and German crusaders who had been able to conquer most of the area in the early 13th century. 1503 King James IV of Scotland married Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh, Scotland. 1588 Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines – The naval engagement concluded, ending the Spanish Armada's attempt to invade England.
