Book Launch Spotlight: Republic: Britain's Revolutionary Decade, 1649–1660, by Alice Hunt

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

A biography of a daring and an unprecedented decade: the 1650s

Events moved fast in the 1650s. Something cataclysmic happened every year, something that would thrust the newly formed republic, its people, and its eventual ‘Lord Protector’ Oliver Cromwell, in an entirely new direction. 

It was a time of bewildering change and uncertainty, but it was also a time of innovation and opportunity. And, for the men and women who lived through these years, this period was certainly not an ‘interregnum’. The restoration of Charles II in 1660 was not inevitable, nor was it welcomed by everyone.

England’s unique republican experiment ­– imposed on Scotland and Ireland, too – may have been shortlived, but it has had a lasting impact on British monarchy, politics, religion and culture, and on the story the British continue to tell about themselves. 

It is a period that, for a long time, history chose to forget, or recalled as a failure. Here, in thrilling detail, Alice Hunt brings the republic and its extraordinary cast of characters, from politicians to poets and prophets, back to life.

Alice Hunt brilliantly reanimates this most extraordinary decade. It is a gripping tale of political and cultural crisis but also one of joy and hopeful innovation, told with eloquence and passion.'  MALCOLM GASKILL

'A magisterial, compelling and eye-opening biography of Britain's great and extraordinary experiment.'  SUZANNAH LIPSCOMB

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About the Author

Alice Hunt is an Associate Professor of English at Southampton University and the author of The Drama of Coronation (Cambridge University Press, 2008). She is also the co-editor, with Anna Whitelock, of a book about Mary I and Elizabeth I, co-author of the Rough Guide to Royals (2012), and has contributed to several television programmes, including BBC2’s ‘Fit to Rule’. Before becoming a full-time academic in 2006, Alice was a senior editor at Atlantic Books. Alice lives in Winchester with her husband, the writer James McConnachie, and their children. You can find Alice on Twitter @amm_hunt

Blog Tour Book Review: Sisters of the Resistance, Book Two of The Wartime Paris Sisters, by Jina Bacarr

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Paris, 1942: Two sisters in Paris had their lives torn apart. Now they must choose – save themselves, or fight the Nazis to the very end…

Jina Bacarr's Sisters of the Resistance explores the lives of two sisters, Eve and Justine Beaufort, as they navigate the tumultuous landscape of occupied Paris during World War II. This second book in The Wartime Paris Sisters series continues to build upon the strong foundation established in the first.

This is a story of courage, sacrifice, and the indomitable spirit of the human heart. The sisters' involvement in the French Resistance is both thrilling and heart-wrenching, as they risk their lives to aid the Allied cause. The author's vivid descriptions of the city, its people, and the dangers they faced transport readers to a time of great turmoil and uncertainty.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its portrayal of the complexities of human nature. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with authentic motivations and fears. The bond between the sisters is particularly complex, as they support and protect each other in the face of adversity.

Jina Bacarr takes the time to delve into the emotional toll of war on the characters. The novel doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of the time, including the often harrowing brutality of the Nazi occupation and the devastating consequences of resistance. 

In her author's note Jina Bacarr adds that her personal journey and experience of violence against women helped her to wrote about this difficult subject, and how if can affect the victims. 

I recommend Sisters of the Resistance as an authentic historical fiction novel that offers a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people who made extraordinary sacrifices.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Jina Bacarr is a US-based historical romance author of over 10 previous books. She has been a screenwriter, journalist and news reporter, but now writes full-time and lives in LA. Jina’s novels have been sold in 9 territories.  Find out more at Jina's website https://jinabacarr.wordpress.com/ and follow her on Facebook @jinabacarrauthor and Twitter @jinabacarr