Catching up and honoring the French and my favorite king
I am very relieved to report that I am now able to spend some time at the computer, so I ought to be able to visit with everyone again, even if in short bursts. It seems that whenever I am able to start posting again, there are so many tragedies and horrific events to mention. Here is a link to a story about the way the French illuminate the Eiffel Tower in honor of the latest victims of terrorism. After the appalling carnage in Nice, other countries also lit up their national monuments and landmarks to show solidarity with the victims. But it was so painful to read how many times the Eiffel Tower has been illuminated after a terrorist attack just in the past year; they honor victims of terror in other countries as well as in their own. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic...
I hope that all of my American friends and readers who are suffering under this latest deadly heat wave are managing to cope. I have been lighting candles to my new patron saint, Willis Carrier, the inventor of modern air conditioning.
It will probably take me years to catch up on all the Today in History posts that fell through the cracks while I was sidelined. But I have to mention the death of one of my favorite kings. On July 6, 1189, Henry II died in misery at Chinon Castle, feverishly murmuring “Shame upon a conquered king” after having been forced to make a humiliating surrender to his own son Richard and the young French king Philippe. He’d saved Philippe’s throne several times in the past, but Philippe did not hold gratitude to be a virtue. Henry probably died of septicemia, the result of a wound to his heel, although he had numerous other ailments by that time—as well a broken heart, having learned that his beloved son John had betrayed him.
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Devil’s Brood, page 713. “Henry’s delirium soon returned, and he did not speak coherently again, dying the next day after a hemorrhage that stained his bedding with dark blood. He was fifty-six, had ruled almost thirty-five years as King of England and even longer as Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou.”
* * *
I hope that all of my American friends and readers who are suffering under this latest deadly heat wave are managing to cope. I have been lighting candles to my new patron saint, Willis Carrier, the inventor of modern air conditioning.
It will probably take me years to catch up on all the Today in History posts that fell through the cracks while I was sidelined. But I have to mention the death of one of my favorite kings. On July 6, 1189, Henry II died in misery at Chinon Castle, feverishly murmuring “Shame upon a conquered king” after having been forced to make a humiliating surrender to his own son Richard and the young French king Philippe. He’d saved Philippe’s throne several times in the past, but Philippe did not hold gratitude to be a virtue. Henry probably died of septicemia, the result of a wound to his heel, although he had numerous other ailments by that time—as well a broken heart, having learned that his beloved son John had betrayed him.
* * *
Devil’s Brood, page 713. “Henry’s delirium soon returned, and he did not speak coherently again, dying the next day after a hemorrhage that stained his bedding with dark blood. He was fifty-six, had ruled almost thirty-five years as King of England and even longer as Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou.”
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Beverly
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Jul 24, 2016 03:18PM
Welcome back! I am glad you are feeling better!
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Awwwww I love your books but really disliked the first of the Plantagenets clan. I was constantly cursing this family while reading the Devil's Brood. LOLFeel better! Do you have the voice transcription program? I never used it but I believe you speak and the computer types. Its actually on Windows programs (it used to be anyway) you should look into it.
Thanks, V. No, I have never used one of those software programs. At least not yet. I would find it challenging to dictate one of my books, but it is reassuring to know it is there, rather like a spare parachute.
So glad to hear you are feeling better. I have to say, love him or hate him, Henry II was a true king. His greatest treasure was Eleanore, he should have treated her better. Ok, I'll admit, just a tad partial here. She was my very favorite queen of all time.Mardi
My favorite queen, too, Mardi. What I found so sad about their marriage was that there were so many cross roads where things would have been different if only they'd taken the other road. There was nothing inevitable about Henry's sad death at Chinon. So many times when it could have been avoided.
Sharon, glad you are moving more fluidly these days. Miss your posts greatly ... hope to have read a few excerpts from "Land" sometime soon. When is it due?
It was supposed to be done at the end of December, RJay, but that deadline went off the rails. Now I am aiming for the late spring of 2017, which would mean it will be published in the UK and the US sometime in 2018.
Sharon wrote: "It was supposed to be done at the end of December, RJay, but that deadline went off the rails. Now I am aiming for the late spring of 2017, which would mean it will be published in the UK and the U..."I remember you told me that the publishers allow you 3 years to write your books. A attended a panel of historical fiction writers at the Festival of Books who write 90,000 words in 3 months ... enough for a new book. But their characters are fictional and only the settings are historical. BIG DIFFERENCE to writing about what really happened. Do you find it difficult to create 'plot' out of a real person's life when they didn't live their lives with plot in mind? What's the secret?
so glad you are able to again do what you love. Great to see your blogs again.
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