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09 April, 2009

Books, etc

Congratulations to Susan Higginbotham, whose excellent novel The Traitor's Wife, about Edward II's niece Eleanor (de Clare) Despenser, was published recently and has been garnering terrific reviews online. I'm delighted on Susan's behalf, as she's become a good friend since we met via the blog some years ago, and also because - yes, I admit it - it means people are reading a far more positive portrayal of Edward II than is usually seen, though Susan certainly doesn't skate over his many faults.

Paul Doherty's third Mathilde of Westminster murder mystery, The Darkening Glass, came out on 2 April, though I haven't bought it yet. It's set in March 1312, and features Edward and Piers Gaveston forced to flee to Tynemouth Priory to escape the earl of Lancaster - and one of their party being murdered.

The twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh instalments of Michael Jecks' popular Templar series are coming out on 11 June: The King of Thieves in paperback, and No Law in the Land in hardback and trade paperback. They're set near the end of Edward II's reign, as everything starts to go pear-shaped for the king when Queen Isabella refuses to return to England and keeps their son in France with her.

Ian Mortimer has two books coming out this year, in May and September: The Dying and the Doctors: the Medical Revolution in Seventeenth-Century England, and 1415: Henry V's Year of Glory.

The sheer number of books about the battle of Bannockburn coming out these days is astonishing. Chris Brown's excellent Bannockburn, 1314: A New History is due out in paperback this December - though it's definitely worth splashing out on the hardback - Michael Brown's Bannockburn: The Scottish War and the British Isles, 1307-1323 came out last July, and David Cornell's Bannockburn: The Triumph of Robert the Bruce was published in hardback on 30 March this year. I haven't read the latter two yet, but am hoping to very soon. In case that isn't enough Bannockburn for you, there's also Michael Sadler's Bannockburn: Battle for Liberty and David Simpkin's The English Aristocracy at War: From the Welsh Wars of Edward I to the Battle of Bannockburn, both published last year.

Melissa Mayhue's A Highlander of Her Own came out in late January: a romance novel set in present-day Texas and Scotland in 1304. I'm happy to say that I get a mention in the acknowledgements for helping Melissa with her research.

Blog searches from the last few days:

marriage under eighteen:poeple under the age of eighteen should not be allowed to mary?

was edward ii a selfish ruler

edward ii murder of twin nephews

where can i find the books on Edward II

Renaissance time--a noblewaoman with a reputation for poisoning enemies

the thing why king edward the 2nd is famous for kids

Queen Isabella's age of taking over the thrown

gaveston's affect on edward 2

hugh despenser the younger pic

Edward II murder lurid

edward the 2 death description

Hugh Despenser the Younger, genitals

hugh despenser penis The obsession with Despenser's private parts continues.

emasculated penis

visite roi edward in savoy

despenser patent made in sweden

cool sorcerer names

insulting nicknames for the french

Remember you are mortal Coronation

symbols of queen isabella of her favorite things

queen isabella and her spare time

queen Isabella gets married to Roger

why do you think when a guest makes a request the housemaid has to confirm and note it down

towcester brothel

blogspot nude tall men

When was Quenn Isabele first child born?

14 comments:

  1. Thanks, Alianore! I wonder if the Swedish Despenser patent has particularly large genitals?

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  2. Cool sorcerer names - shall I call one of the bad guy mages in my nove Despenser? :)

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  3. Thanks for a great list! Now my cart at Amazon is loaded with some more new research books.

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  4. yes, Susan's done a great job with Edward in her fantastic novel - and I adore the portrayal of Piers'!

    Just started 'The Darkening Glass' - won't publish any spoilers, but Alianore, I think there may be a few things that will annoy you in the opening chapter......

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  5. oops, honestly didn't mean that ' at the end of Piers' name in the previous post!

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  6. Hmm, seems Edward II wasn't the only one fascinated with the contents of Hugh's hose :>

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  7. Ah Alianore, you have tempted me very much with your list of wonderful books. Sadly, the cost of books in Australia is RIDICULOUS. It appears reading material here is a luxury rather than a necessity. Sigh.

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  8. Susan: given the kind of blog searches I get but couldn't possibly repeat here, yes, I imagine so. ;)

    Gabriele: yes, please do! :)

    Rhonda: you're welcome, and happy reading!

    Anerje: from what you told me in the email, think I'll be giving this one a miss...

    Kate: sorry to hear that. :( I'd happily send you any books you wanted, as no doubt they're far cheaper here, but I suppose the postage costs might be prohibitive too.

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  9. Yep, I suppose I'd better admit it now... the person with the obsessions for Hugh's genitals is... ;-)

    Loved those. Tall nude man - wasn't Ed by any chance was it? Have you got a secret pic we don't know about hmmm?

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  10. Oh dear...
    I find a lot of strange searches as well. :-D

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  11. Thanks for the offer of book sendage. Dear you!

    I shall just save up all my money and when next I travel overseas I shall only take one set of clothes so I have enough room in my bag to take 25 books home. Simple!

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  12. Lady D: ohhh, I wish! :)

    Ashmodai: I dread to think! :)

    Kate: that's the idea! Who needs clothes anyway?? *Grins*

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  13. Why is that searchers can't spell - that's what I want to know!

    Seriously, I'm still giggling over Isabella and her 'thrown'.

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  14. Alison: yeah, I love that one too! I get searches which show that lots of people don't know the difference between rain, rein and reign. :)

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