Historical Fiction Spotlight: Death of a Stranger: Step into Tudor England in this gripping new historical mystery from John Pilkington (The Bishopsgate Ward Mysteries Book 1) by John Pilkington

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

1594, Bishopsgate Ward, London. Within the walls and without, unease and uncertainty lurk beneath the noise and bustle of a 

smoky, teeming city.

Matthew Cutler, newly widowed and caring for two spirited daughters, takes his position as constable for the parish of Spitalfields very seriously. So when Paulo Brisco, a quiet Venetian perfumer is found brutally murdered in his own shop, Cutler throws himself into his first major crime, and one which threatens to set all Bishopsgate alight.

Being a humble parish constable, Matthew Cutler’s powers are slight – and yet he possesses a skill which most others do not. As a former actor he can employ disguise, to considerable effect and to his unique advantage...

Plunged into a treacherous world of notorious rakes, angry tradesmen and a community seething with anti-foreigner sentiment and suspicion, Cutler must decipher shattered clues and confront a killer whose motive remains a baffling mystery - until the very last.

Step into the dangerous world of Elizabethan London with this cracking murder mystery!

'Through the eyes of Matthew Cutler, the London of 1594 is brought to visceral life, with all the wretchedness and violence that entails.' Richard Cullen

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About the Author

An author for over thirty years, John Pilkington has written plays for radio and theatre as well as television scripts for a BBC soap, but now concentrates mainly on historical fiction set in the Tudor and Stuart eras. He has published over twenty books including the Thomas the Falconer Mysteries, the Marbeck spy series and the Justice Belstrang Mysteries (all pub. By Sharpe Books). He is also the author of a children’s series, the Elizabethan Mysteries (Usborne) and two Restoration tales featuring actress-turned-sleuth Betsy Brand (Joffe Books). His recent mystery The Tivoli Murders (Sharpe) marked a brief venture into the dazzling world of the Victorian Music Hall. His new book Yorick: A Jester’s Tale (Sharpe) is a departure into speculative fiction, telling the Secret History of the famous ‘mad rogue’ whose skull features in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Born in the north-west of England, he now lives in a Devon village with his partner, and has a son who is a psychologist and musician. Learn more by visiting his website at www.johnpilkington.co.uk or find him on Twitter @_JohnPilkington and Bluesky @johnpilkington.bsky.social‬

Medieval Christmas: The Origins and Traditions of Christmas in the Middle Ages, by Toni Mount

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Full colour, premium quality with over 30 illustrations:

Christmas in the Middle Ages was celebrated with as much joy and enthusiasm as it is today, perhaps even more. Discover the origins of our modern traditions and how people would celebrate Christmas without turkey, tinsel and Santa Claus.

Written by best-selling author and historian, Toni Mount, this well researched and beautifully illustrated book is written in her usual, friendly, easy to read style.

The perfect Christmas gift for the medieval buff in your life (or even yourself), Medieval Christmas is a fascinating look at how Christmas was celebrated in medieval times without turkey, crackers or Santa. What were the origins of Christmas? What did people eat? What music did they listen to? How did they celebrate? This book answers all those questions and more (Amazon Review)

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About the Author

Toni Mount is the author of several successful non-fiction books including How to Survive in Medieval England and the number one best-seller, Everyday Life in Medieval England. Her speciality is the lives of ordinary people in the Middle Ages and her enthusiastic understanding of the period allows her to create accurate, atmospheric settings and realistic characters for her medieval mysteries. Her main character, Sebastian Foxley is a humble but talented medieval artist and was created as a project as part of her university diploma in creative writing. Toni earned her history BA from The Open University and her Master’s Degree from the University of Kent by completing original research into a unique 15th century medical manuscript. Toni writes regularly for both The Richard III Society and The Tudor Society and is a major contributor to MedievalCourses.com. As well as writing, Toni teaches history to adults, and is a popular speaker to groups and societies. Find out more at Toni's website and find her on Facebook and Bluesky @toniauthor.bsky.social

Special Guest Post: Melusine, My Lucky Charm, by Justine Brown, Author of by Mary of Modena: James II’s Dazzling Queen

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order from Amazon US

The 1688 “Glorious Revolution” that toppled James II and VII also veiled his consort in propaganda. Mary of Modena: James II’s Dazzling Queen reveals the extraordinary woman beneath. Lovely and spirited, Mary Beatrice Isabella d’Este is also England’s sole Italian queen

Melusine, My Lucky Charm

Melusine Fontaine

As part of my research for my new book, Mary of Modena: James II’s Dazzling Queen, I was fortunate enough to travel to the Stuart consort’s birthplace in northern Italy. At this stage I was keenly intrigued by this lovely Italian lady, but felt I did not yet know her well enough to tell her tale. 

My husband and I flew first to nearby Bologna; we then boarded a train to Modena. Alighting at the station, we began to make our way through the beckoning maze of streets towards the centre of town, questing for two key sites. 

The first was the graceful pale stone Baroque palazzo ducale (duke’s palace) where Mary—or Mary Beatrice as I took to calling her, so as not to confuse my subject with her step-daughter, Mary II—was born and raised. The second site was the medieval duomo (cathedral) di Modena. Touring the great palazzo, which today functions as an officer training facility for the Italian military, I was able to ‘meet’ Mary Beatrice on the imaginative plane. 

A pious and thoughtful young principessa of the House of Este, Mary Beatrice had once yearned to take the veil. Instead, Pope Clement X persuaded her to marry James Duke of York so she could intercede for oppressed English Catholics. A proxy wedding took place at the Palazzo Ducale. 

I could grasp something of what she left behind when, in the year 1673, the very young woman departed her home forever to travel to the faraway island of Great Britain. Visiting the palazzo was immensely helpful, but touring the duomo was a revelation. 

There I saw the 13th century ‘Artus architrave’ depicting the adventures of King Arthur and his brave knights, which probably formed Mary Beatrice’s expectations of her new home. (She knew next to nothing of contemporary England, but like every other European she was steeped in Arthurian lore.) 

And in the crypt I spied, atop the slim stone pillars, carved lions, griffons…and then, with a start of recognition—I beheld a two-tailed water fairy, the mermaid named Melusine. The sight of her reassured me that I was on the right path.

Maestro delle Metope di Modena, Sirena

A writer should have a lucky charm, a talisman, for companionship on the journey. For many years now, Melusine has been mine. The ancient ancestress of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid, Melusine inhabits the holy wells of Christendom. 

Her story was written down by the French poet Jean d’Arras in the 14th century. It goes something like this: over the English Channel and faraway, in a deep well at the edge of the town of Lusignan, near Poitiers, there swims a beautiful two-tailed water sprite named Melusine. 

The daughter of the fairy Pressine and the King of Albany—Scotland-- Melusine is born in human form and grows into a graceful maiden. One day, however, she mistreats her royal father; as punishment, her enchantress mother condemns Melusine to metamorphose into a freshwater mermaid each Saturday. 

One day, riding in the forest, Melusine stops to water her horse at a cool fountain. There she encounters the noble Raymondin; they instantly fall in love.  He asks for her hand, and she agrees to marry him—on a single condition. One day out of seven, each Saturday, he may not see her at all. 

If he so much as glimpses her, he will lose her forever. Raymondin asks no questions, but hastens to accept. Now Melusine makes him blissfully contented. Not only does she adore him, she pulls riches out of thin air for him. She magicks him up a church, where they marry; and a castle, where they live happily together. Day after day, month after month, everything is perfect. She gives him many sons. Together the couple found the noble House of Lusignan. 

But the idyll is disrupted when an ill-wisher convinces Raymondin to spy on his wife, claiming that Melusine is entertaining a lover on Saturdays. Peering through the keyhole, Raymondin sees her in her bath, her great green tail flopping out. 

He emits a gasp. Melusine, realising what has happened, rebukes him. Transforming into a dragon, she wheels three times around the chateau, crying aloud, and flies away. Melusine has abandoned the castle, cathedral and village to her people, but she herself vanishes from sight. Returning to mermaid form, Melusine returns to her watery home. She can sometimes be heard keening to announce the death of a family member. But that is all.

.Julius Hubner - Melusine

As well as being honoured as the foundress of the noble House of Lusignan, Melusine is claimed by the members of the House of Luxembourg, as well as others. She is featured on several coats of arms. The mermaid is also featured on a medieval badge, which could be worn by members of a noble family’s entourage. Modern replicas are available, and I have one in my possession. 

It is noteworthy that the mother of Elizabeth Woodville, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, was particularly proud of her water-fairy lineage. Readers may recall this theme from Philippa Gregory’s White Queen: both Elizabeth and Jacquetta are depicted as practitioners of magic. 

The White Queen is of course a novel, but it turns out that the historical Jacquetta did in fact come close to being formally charged with witchcraft in her adopted country of England. The suspicion was that Jacquetta used spells and charms to induce Edward IV to fall in love with her daughter and make her queen. The upshot—Melusine was woven back into the royal family of the British Isles. 

Coat of arms of Isen

I happily display my Melusine badge, and she inhabits my screen-saver also. The familiar sight of my favourite freshwater siren —an image of the doubleness of our human nature, of transformation, of enigma—serves as a prompt: it is time to plunge into writing. I believe that in order to get those words out onto the page, we need ritual.

That means habits conducive to composition-- certain sights, sounds and even scents. In my experience, writing can happen only between certain hours; a portal opens, and for a time an alchemical process can occur. 

Before it shuts again, the fruits of research—the memories of a voyage to Modena, images of portraits and maps, notes compiled from long hours of poring over books and articles, scraps of poetry, music of the time—can begin to transform into a manuscript, a thing in itself. It seems to me that Melusine oversees the whole mysterious process.

Justine Brown

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About the Author

Justine Brown lives in London with her husband, and is the author of several books on a Utopian theme, as well as The Private Life of James II. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Justine travelled widely from a young age. She holds an M.A. in English literature from the University of Toronto, where she developed a broad interest in seventeenth century culture. There she became a Junior Fellow of Massey College. The author of three Utopian-themed books, she runs a YouTube history vlog, Justine Brown’s Bookshelf. Find out more from Justine's website and follow her on Twitter @brown_bookshelf

Historical Fiction Book Review: The Cameo Keeper: A Novel of Poison and Power in the Italian Renaissance (Giulia Tofana Series) by Deborah Swift

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Rome 1644: A Novel of Love, Power, and Poison

In the heart of Rome, the conclave is choosing a new Pope, and whoever wins will determine the fate of the Eternal City. Astrologer Mia and her fiancé Jacopo, a physician at the Santo Spirito Hospital, plan to marry, but the election result is a shock and changes everything..

The fourth book in Deborah Swift’s Giulia Tofana Series, The Cameo Keeper, is set in a richly‐evoked 17th-century Rome. In terms of the series, this is a turning point, transitioning the narrative from the survival of Giulia to the ascendancy of Mia — and signals that the shadow of the past could give way to a new era. 

I particularly liked the mercurial villainess, Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, (like several of the key characters, based on a real person), "a woman with no moral compass" who will not take no for an answer. 

I've enjoyed reading the previous books, and highly recommend reading the series in order to gain the most from The Cameo Keeper. However, if you jump in here, expect a strong story that hints at deeper roots.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Deborah Swift lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District and worked as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV. After gaining an MA in Creative Writing in 2007 Deborah now teaches classes and courses in writing and provides editorial advice to writers and authors. Find out more at Deborah's website www.deborahswift.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @swiftstory

Blog Tour interview with Wendy Johnson, Author of The Traitor’s Son

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

1461: Richard Duke of York, King by Right, has been branded a traitor and slain by his Lancastrian foes. For his eight-year-old son—Richard Plantagenet—England has become a dangerous place.

I'm pleased to welcome author Wendy Johnson to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

‘The Traitor’s Son’ is my debut novel, and the first in a proposed trilogy re-imagining the life of Richard III. This first instalment covers Richard’s ten formative years between 1461 and 1471 and tells of how a grieving, fatherless boy grows into a courageous warrior of eighteen. 

It is a story of inner conflict, of love, loyalty, sacrifice—and treachery within the House of York. It culminates in a heart-wrenching dilemma, when Richard is forced to choose between Edward, his blood brother—and king—and the man he has come to look upon as a second father: Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker.

What is your preferred writing routine?

I try to write every day – on average for around two hours. My habit is to continually edit my work as I go, so that only when I’m happy with what I’ve written do I carry on with the next scene. This can make for slow progress, but in my experience, makes the final edit much easier, because most of the hard work has already been done. 

I enjoy listening to music as I write: sometimes I’ll find authentic medieval music on YouTube, as this helps to set the scene, but mostly I listen to the Wolf Hall soundtrack by composer, Debbie Wiseman. Of course Wolf Hall is set at a later date, but the music is very stirring and I find it helps galvanize my writing. I’ve recently discovered the soundtrack for Lord of the Rings, too, and find that really emotive.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Two things in particular really helped me improve as a writer. The first was advancing my knowledge of how to write—the Writers and Artists Guide to How to Write by Harry Bingham was invaluable. It helped me hone the craft, teaching me such a lot and opening my eyes as to what was required of an aspiring author. 

The second thing was to constantly read the novels of award winning authors and try to learn from them. Both of these things helped me no end and if new writers are serious about their work, I would recommend trying something similar. I think the third piece of advice I would give would be to never give up—it's a hard road, but if you really want to write and are determined to succeed, then you will. Have faith in your work and just keep going!

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

Adverts, articles for Ricardian magazines and Amazon reviews.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

As someone who has been fascinated by the Wars of the Roses for most of my life, I was already very familiar with the history, so I wouldn’t say I was too surprised by anything thrown up by my research. However, while I was writing this first volume, concentrating on the childhood and youth of Richard III, something did occur to me which I decided to incorporate as the major theme of the novel. Richard’s father, the Duke of York, was slain in battle when Richard was only eight years old.

We know from the contemporary record, and from the evidence of his later life, that Richard greatly venerated his father’s memory and its clear he’d felt very close to him. It has often been suggested that this void in young Richard’s life was filled by his elder brother, Edward (later Edward IV), but this has never rung true to me. At the time of their father’s demise Edward himself was only eighteen years of age, and although Richard must have admired his brother’s military prowess and may even have considered him in heroic terms, I believe the ideal candidate for the role of father figure would have been his thirty-seven-year old cousin, Richard Neville, earl of Warwick. 

Edward assigned to Warwick the tutelage of his young brother, and Richard underwent his knightly training in the earls’ household. Warwick must undoubtedly have been an influence on the youth and between the ages of twelve and sixteen Richard must have surely sought the paternal guidance of his cousin, as well as the affection of a father figure. 

The more I thought about this, the more I felt I had to introduce the theme to the novel as I had begun to wonder how Richard must have felt when Warwick rebelled against the king. Should he pledge his allegiance to Edward, his blood brother as well as his king, or did he support Warwick, a man who had become a second father to him? Of course, we know from history, that he supported his king, but was that an easy choice to make? In ‘The Traitor’s Son’, Richard sees both options as a betrayal and this heart-wrenching dilemma forms the main thrust of the novel.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

By far, the hardest scene to write was that which described the battle of Barnet. For most of the other scenes in the book, I felt I had at least some point of reference, but a battle was something I found extremely difficult to imagine.

The historical events were easy to research, but the emotions involved are something the vast majority of people will never have to face. At times, it almost felt as though I couldn’t bring myself to write it, but I knew I had to, as this forms the climax of the novel. I got there in the end, and I’m pleased with the scene, but I didn’t relish having to picture it in my mind’s eye.

What are you planning to write next?

‘The Traitor’s Son’ is the first in a proposed trilogy and I’m currently working on the sequel. The second volume will take Richard up to the age of thirty and will cover the events of 1471 through to the early weeks of 1483. The story will be a rollercoaster ride for my protagonist and will once again focus on the trials and tribulations of the three York brothers – what I like to call the ‘fraternal triangle.’ 

As with ‘The Traitor’s Son’ I want historical fact to be the backbone of the novel and so, as well as having to place myself as far as is conceivably possible in Richard’s shoes, I also need to ensure the storyline is as accurate as it can be and that the characters ring true to their real-life counterparts. The trilogy will end with a final book covering Richard’s all too brief reign, and there is a possibility that sometime in the future, I may choose to write about his brother, George duke of Clarence, a man equally maligned and caricatured by history, but that will be some time in the future.

Wendy Johnson

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About the Author

Wendy Johnson has a lifelong passion for medieval history, its people, and for bringing their incredible stories to life. Her specific areas of interest are the fifteenth century, the Wars of the Roses, and Richard III in particular. She enjoys narratives which immerse the reader in the past, and tries faithfully to recreate the later Middle Ages within in her own writing. She has contributed to a number of historical anthologies and was a runner up in the Woman and Home Short Story Competition 2008. Wendy is also a founder member of Philippa Langley’s Looking for Richard Project, which located the king’s lost grave in 2012. She co-authored Finding Richard III: the Official Account of Research by the Retrieval and Reburial Project in 2014, and in 2019 received the Richard III Society’s Robert Hamblin Award.

How to Survive in Ration Book Britain, by Toni Mount

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order at Amazon US

This guide, How to Survive in Ration-Book Britain, will help the time-traveller who journeys back to mid-twentieth century Britain. From 1939 to 1945, the country is involved in World War Two and even after victory is achieved, Britain is cash-strapped and years of austerity follow.

 Throughout, food, clothing, fuel, furniture and items we take for granted today are rationed and people are scrimping, scraping and using their imagination just to get by. 

As cities and towns are bombed, lives lost and homes destroyed, men are called to serve the country, children are evacuated and women are expected to ‘do their bit’ on the ‘Home Front’, maintaining the house as a place of welcome, boosting morale and stretching meagre food allowances to keep everyone fed and fit. 

This is no easy life yet people find lighter moments and ‘carry on carrying on’. Whatever the disaster, somebody will find a way to make tea. The English ‘cuppa’ is the answer to almost every problem. You have to admire their spirit. Enjoy the experience as this book helps you to survive the hazards and live life to the full in Ration-Book Britain.

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About the Author

Toni Mount is the author of several successful non-fiction books including How to Survive in Medieval England and the number one best-seller, Everyday Life in Medieval England. Her speciality is the lives of ordinary people in the Middle Ages and her enthusiastic understanding of the period allows her to create accurate, atmospheric settings and realistic characters for her medieval mysteries. Her main character, Sebastian Foxley is a humble but talented medieval artist and was created as a project as part of her university diploma in creative writing. Toni earned her history BA from The Open University and her Master’s Degree from the University of Kent by completing original research into a unique 15th century medical manuscript. Toni writes regularly for both The Richard III Society and The Tudor Society and is a major contributor to MedievalCourses.com. As well as writing, Toni teaches history to adults, and is a popular speaker to groups and societies. Find out more at Toni's website and find her on Facebook and Bluesky @toniauthor.bsky.social

A Prompt a Day...: Keeps Writer's Block Away (A Novel Approach Book 4) by Jennifer C. Wilson

Available  from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Are you looking to keep the ink flowing, or your keys tapping, every day of the year?

In A Prompt A Day, there is a prompt for every day of the year, so you'll never be short of inspiration.
Suitable for poetry or prose, there is something for every writer.

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About the Author

Jennifer C. Wilson is a marine biologist by training, who developed an equal passion for history whilst stalking Mary, Queen of Scots of childhood holidays (she has since moved on to Richard III). She completed her BSc and MSc at the University of Hull, and has worked as a marine environmental consultant since graduating. Enrolling on an adult education workshop on her return to the north-east reignited Jennifer’s pastime of creative writing, and she has been filling notebooks ever since. In 2014, Jennifer won the Story Tyne short story competition, and also continues to work on developing her poetic voice, reading at a number of events, and with several pieces available online. Her books are published through Ocelot Press. She is also the co-founder and host of North Tyneside Writers’ Circle, and has been running workshops on creative writing and social media since 2016. Find out more from https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/ and follow Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter @inkjunkie1984 and Bluesky @inkjunkie1984.bsky.social

The Formidable Women who Shaped Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage at the Burgundian Court, by Susan Abernethy

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order from Amazon US

The formation of the Burgundian Empire by the four Valois Dukes of Burgundy would not have happened without the formidable royal and aristocratic women in their lives. These women, the wives, daughters, nieces, granddaughters and great-granddaughters, were vigorously engaged in the administration of the Burgundian empire, acting as governors and regents, making appointments, securing and making strategic marriages, raising taxes, negotiating treaties, engaging in cultural, religious and political patronage, giving birth to heirs and aiding in the military endeavours of their husbands. 

The history of these women involves numerous countries in Europe, including England, Scotland, France, Brittany, the Low Countries, Italy, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and many others. Some of these women lived in luxurious comfort, and others were bullied and badgered into turning over some or all of their patrimony, allowing these all-powerful men to build an influential and powerful new state comprised of a numerous and varied collection of territories in Western Europe that existed from the late fourteenth century until the early sixteenth century. 

We will meet women who were the daughters of kings, emperors, dukes and counts and even a queen regnant and a saint. The Valois dukes fully entrusted their wives with ruling in their stead while away fighting military and political wars. They used a deliberate policy of making marriages for their daughters and other female relatives into the many houses of Europe for political and territorial gains. 

In the end, the last Valois duke, Charles the Bold, put in motion a marriage for his daughter Mary, which would eventually bring about the end of the mighty Burgundian state, allowing it to be ruled by the House of Habsburg and absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire.

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About the Author

Susan Abernethy’s passion for history dates back fifty years and led her to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is currently a member of the Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association, the Society for Renaissance Studies and the Historical Association. Her work has appeared on several historical websites and in magazines and includes guest appearances on historical podcasts. Her blog, The Freelance History Writer, has continuously published over five hundred historical articles since 2012, with an emphasis on European, Tudor, Medieval, Renaissance, Early Modern and women’s history. She is currently working on her third non-fiction book. You can find Susan on Twitter and  Bluesky @susanabernethy2.bsky.social

Elizabeth I's Ladies, Gentlewomen and Maids: The Women who Served the Tudor Queen, by Heather Shanette

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

‘What do you think of my ladies?’ Queen Elizabeth I is said to have asked a visitor to her court. The visitor, an experienced courtier, is said to have given the perfect answer: ‘It is hard to judge of stars in the presence of the sun’. 

Although overlooked for centuries, as the eye of history has been on the chivalrous and stately men who surrounded the Virgin Queen, the women of the Queen’s world, who attended upon her in public and in private, were of no less influence and sway than the more famous men around her. Indeed, the women of the Queen’s inner circle were far more than just attendants. 

They were the Queen’s friends and confidantes, her all-important support network in a treacherous political world, and by blood or by bond they were her ‘family’. 

This book tells their stories, the stories of the Queen’s ladies, gentlewomen and maids who, between them, served her from the cradle to the grave. 

From governesses to laundresses, this book features them all, with a comprehensive overview of the main positions of attendance accompanied by a biographical index of all the women known to have served the Queen over the course of her life and reign, from the matronly ladies who headed her nursery to the vivacious maids who dazzled her court with their wit and beauty.

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About the Author

Heather Shanette has an M.Phil in Tudor History from Bangor University, Wales, where she spent a decade as a postgraduate researcher and occasional teacher. She is an expert on the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth I and for a quarter of a century has been the webmistress of elizabethi.org, a website dedicated to the Tudor Queen that has helped millions of people around the world learn about her extraordinary life. Find out more at heather's website https://heathershanette.com/ and find her on Twitter

Special Guest Post: Exploring The Roads To Rome: A Journey into Europe's past, by Catherine Fletcher

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

'All roads lead to Rome.' It's a medieval proverb, but it's also true: today's European roads still follow the networks of the ancient empire, stitching together our histories and continuing to inspire our imaginations.

Exploring the roads to Rome

One of the fascinating things about writing my book The Roads to Rome was the knowledge that I was following in the footsteps of millions of travellers before. From the ancient world onwards, the road network has been picked out as one of the major achievements of the Roman Empire, even while it also helped imperial control of distant provinces. As the geographer Strabo observed: ‘The Romans have provided for three things that the Greeks, on the other hand, neglected: roads, aqueducts, and sewers.’

Travellers of all sorts made their journeys on those roads. From the early medieval period we have guidebooks providing itineraries for pilgrims to Rome who want to see the sights. Some of them stick strictly to religious venues, but others also include the ancient pagan ruins. One even noted a good spot from which visitors might pause for a view of the city as they came into Rome. 

The medieval proverb, ‘All roads lead to Rome’ was first recorded almost a thousand years ago in the works of a French poet, Alain de Lille. Two centuries later, it turns up in Chaucer. There was even a monument in the Roman Forum, inaugurated by the Emperor Augustus and known as the Golden Milestone. According to the ancient historian Plutarch, it marked ‘the point at which all roads ended’. Nowadays only its plinth remains, and it isn’t even clear that’s the right plinth for the monument. 

There are eight roads leading in and out of Rome, still numbered from 1 (the Via Aurelia, leading north up the coast towards Genoa), then clockwise around to 8 (the Via Ostiense, leading to the port of Ostia). Further beyond, in the rest of the empire, are other important highways, not least the Via Egnatia, which ran from the Adriatic coast of what’s now Albania, to the eastern capital of the empire, Byzantium or Constantinople (now Istanbul). It wasn’t feasible in a single book to cover all of them in detail across the full historical period, so I picked out moments in time when certain roads seemed particularly significant in illustrating aspects of Roman heritage.

In the east of the empire’s footprint I also explored the Via Militaris or Diagonalis, which leads from Carnuntum (a Roman site just outside Vienna) through Serbia and Bulgaria and again to Istanbul. 

The Roman theatre at Plovdiv.

There are some remarkable Roman sites to be seen here, especially in the Bulgarian splendid city of Plovdiv. Carnuntum has limited original survivals, but has been brought to life with one of the most impressive reconstructions of a Roman settlement I’ve ever seen.

A reconstruction of a Roman bathhouse at Carnuntum, outside Vienna.

Going north from Rome, in contrast, I could travel some of the old pilgrim routes, sometimes walking stretches, as I did near the medieval spa town of Viterbo. Here the ancient Via Cassia was incorporated into a Christian pilgrim route known as the Via Francigena or Road of the Franks. First documented in the year 876, it’s now an accredited European cultural route. If you have three months spare, and are feeling energetic, you can walk it in full.

A cut-out of a pilgrim greets modern-day visitors to Viterbo.

Some pilgrims stayed in quite modest accommodation, but I also visited some of the grander locations that accommodated royalty and diplomats. These included the great Certosa (Charterhouse) of Pavia, commissioned by the rulers of Milan in the fourteenth century to accommodate Carthusian monks, and still a monastery today. 

The Certosa (Charterhouse) outside Pavia.

In Rome I saw the palazzo where James Stewart, the ‘Old Pretender’ to the throne of England, lived in the eighteenth century, and which many Grand Tourists surreptitiously visited, having made their way south on the Via Emilia and Via Flaminia.

The final chapters of my book, dealing with the twentieth century, explore the roads that lead to Rome from its south. The Via Appia and Via Latina run either side of a steep set of hills. During the Second World War, the Allies fought their way north up these roads, dodging artillery fire from the hills above.

The Via Appia, leading into Rome

The only previously successful conquest of Rome from the south had been during the Gothic Wars of the sixth century, led by the Byzantine general Belisarius. A millennium and a half on, newspaper reporters looked back to the history of those wars, and wondered if the Allies could match that ancient example. They couldn’t resist the headline that ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’.

Catherine Fletcher

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About the Author

Catherine Fletcher is Professor of History at Manchester Metropolitan University. She’s published widely on Italian Renaissance history. Her latest book is The Roads to Rome: A Journey into Europe’s Past. You can find Catherine on Bluesky @cathfletcher.bsky.social

Author photo credit: Steve Cross, other images copyright Catherine Fletcher

Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen, by Alice Loxton

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order from Amazon US

In 1290, England mourned the death of a queen, Eleanor of Castile, beloved wife of King Edward I. Her body was carried on a 200-mile journey from Lincoln to London, a solemn procession that would become immortalized in stone. To mark the places where her cortege rested, a heartbroken Edward commissioned twelve magnificent Eleanor Crosses.

More than seven centuries later, bestselling historian Alice Loxton set herself an epic challenge: following in history’s footsteps by walking the entire 200-mile funeral route on the corresponding dates.

As Alice journeys in search of England’s forgotten Queen, over ancient paths and modern motorways, history comes alive in surprising ways. Lively and entertaining, Eleanor uncovers the extraordinary life and formidable character of this lesser-known royal, revealing her inspiring legacy and the hidden history of Britain.

‘Captivating . . . Eleanor is a reminder of the beauty and intrigue all around us on this storied island’ – Luke Sherlock, bestselling author of Forgotten Churches

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About the author

Alice Loxton is a history presenter and author with over three million followers on social media (@history_alice), where she educates on British history, heritage and art. Her latest book, “Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives”, was a Sunday Times bestseller and Blackwell’s Book of the Year 2024. She has worked with many organisations to bring history to new audiences, including 10 Downing Street, The National Trust, The Royal Academy, English Heritage, The National Gallery, Tate, The King’s Foundation, BBC, ITV, and Microsoft. She writes about history for publications such as The Times, Telegraph and Spectator. Alice is an ambassador for the National Trust, a mentor for The King’s Foundation 35 Under 35 Network, and a patron of The British Pilgrimage Trust.  Follow Alice on Twitter @history_alice and Bluesky @historyalice.bsky.social

Book Launch: Holbein: Renaissance Master, by Elizabeth Goldring

Available from Amazon UK 

and pre-order from Amazon US

A definitive biography of the artist who, more than any other, has shaped our image of the Tudor court.

This landmark scholarly biography of Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1497-1543), court painter to Henry VIII, is the first in more than a century. 

From his early days in Augsburg and Basel to his lasting impact on British art and culture, this definitive account breathes new life into Holbein's story, shedding light on the artist whose paintings would shape perceptions of the Tudor court for five hundred years.

Written in accessible, engaging prose, the book explores Holbein's famous portraits of Tudor figures - Henry VIII, his queens, would-be wives, and leading courtiers such as Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell - and examines iconic works including The Ambassadors. 

Beyond biography, it situates Holbein's art within the broader context of Tudor Britain, tracing the birth of collecting, connoisseurship and art history itself.

Beautifully illustrated, and including rarely seen paintings from private collections, this volume weaves the latest research - including new archival discoveries and scientific analysis - into a fresh examination of Holbein's life and work.

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About tthe Author

Dr Elizabeth Goldring is an honorary reader at the University of Warwick and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Historical Society. She is the author of Nicholas Hilliard: Life of an Artist (2019) and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and the World of Elizabethan Art (2014). Elizabeth is on Instagram

The Forgotten Tudor Women: Jane Boleyn & Susanna Horenbout, by Sylvia Barbara Soberton

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Hans Holbein’s sketch identified as “Lady Parker” is among the most enigmatic portraits in the Royal Collection.

For years, historians have believed that “The Lady Parker” depicted Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford—but, like much about Jane’s life, this identification remains controversial. 

Another possibility is that the sitter was one of Jane’s sisters-in-law, Grace or Elizabeth Parker. Most intriguing of all is the theory that Holbein’s “Lady Parker” portrays Susanna Horenbout, the gifted painter and miniaturist who worked at the Tudor court.

This volume—the fourth in the acclaimed Forgotten Tudor Women series—traces the intertwined lives of these remarkable women. Was Jane Boleyn truly the “wicked wife” who betrayed her husband, George Boleyn, and his sister, Queen Anne? 

What role did she play in the downfall of Henry VIII’s fifth queen, Katherine Howard? Was she evil or just misunderstood?

Susanna Horenbout, daughter and sister of royal painters, was a talented artist in her own right, yet her work has long been misattributed or overlooked. For the first time, this book brings her story—and the mystery of Holbein’s “Lady Parker”—to light for a wider audience.

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About the Author

Sylvia Barbara Soberton is a writer and researcher specialising in the history of the Tudors. She is best known for The Forgotten Tudor Women book series, which concentrates on shifting the perspective from famous figures like Henry VIII’s six wives to the lesser-known, but no less influential, women of the Tudor court. Sylvia has written ten books to date, and her newest titles include The Forgotten Years of Anne Boleyn: The Habsburg & Valois Courts, Ladies-in-Waiting: Women Who Served Anne Boleyn and Medical Downfall of the Tudors: Sex, Reproduction & Succession. Her ground-breaking paper on Anne Boleyn and the accusation of witchcraft was published in the Royal Studies Journal in 2023.  You can find Sylvia on Facebook,  Goodreads, Twitter @SylviaBSo and Bluesky @sylviabso.bsky.social

Special Guest Interview with Gemma Lawrence, Author of The Narrowness of Death, book four of the Story of Eleanor of Aquitaine (part of The Heirs of Anarchy Series)

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

1189, England: Imprisoned for many years by her husband Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine has been freed by her son, King Richard I. Diminished not at all by her years as a captive, Eleanor must take on new roles for her son as he leaves his empire behind and 

embarks upon crusade. 

I'm pleased to welcome author Gemma Lawrence to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

I’m going to tell you about the latest two, if that’s ok!  My latest two books are The Narrowness of Death, book four of the Story of Eleanor of Aquitaine (part of The Heirs of Anarchy Series) and All the King’s Bastards, book one of the A Succession of Chaos series. 

The Narrowness of Death is the final book in my series on Eleanor of Aquitaine, dealing with the end of her life. It was such a compelling book to write because Eleanor led a fascinating, extraordinary life.

Even if we forget she was twice a Queen, a Duchess in her own right, that she was the mother of the famous Richard the Lionheart and Bad King John, this still was a woman who went on crusade, who survived imprisonment by not one, but two, husbands, who crossed the Alps when she was around twenty-five on crusade, then again in her seventies, then also crossed the Pyrenees twice when she was in her seventies. 

She rose with her sons in rebellion against her husband and rode out to defend her homeland from invasion when she was around eighty years old. Quite remarkable, by any standards. She started out life being generally disregarded, and certainly slandered, and ended her life as a respected woman men of power turned to for advice, and a woman who dared to write letters of fire and brimstone to the Pope, demanding that he aid her son when Richard was taken prisoner by his enemies. 

Many people have never heard of her or know her only as a femme fatale of the medieval world, but this was a woman with a powerful mind who led rebellions and her country, who marched out into conflicts for her husbands and her sons, who became a politician, a leader and a woman of great wisdom. I think Eleanor deserves to be remembered for her own life and deeds, not just added as a sidenote within the lives of her husbands and sons. I hope, in my series of books, I have done her some justice in this regard. 

All the King’s Bastards was a bit of a different project for me. It is speculative fiction, a “what if” of history, if you will. It deals with the idea of what would have happened if Henry VIII had died in the jousting accident of January 1536. 

The book was actually rather taxing to write, since I’m accustomed to relying on a map, as it were, of historical events and this was a departure from that, but although there were some exhausting mental gymnastics involved, I adored writing this book! The idea came about when I was having an email conversation with a reader of my books, and we were discussing our favourite “what-ifs” of history. When I said this was one of mine, since it was such a pivotal time in the Tudor age, the reader told me I should write about it. Initially I said no, I wasn’t a writer of speculative fiction, but the idea just would not go away. I started making notes, then writing, and the book was born. I’m working on book two at the moment.

What is your preferred writing routine?

In general, I’m a 9-5 writer. I try to have some downtime in the evenings (reading time, really!)  because my brain is often a bit fried if I’ve been wandering about in Tudor times, the middle ages, or researching all day. Sometimes I’ll end up working into the evening, though, if I’m racing a deadline! 

I usually get up at 6am and do social media marketing, emails, and anything else that will be distracting if I’m trying to write (I hate having tasks hanging over my head). Despite the fact I wake up early, I’m not a morning person. I need peace and quiet to work through everything in the morning. Sometimes I’ll listen to an audiobook as I work, and sometimes the only noise is my elderly cat, snoring away! 

Once the morning work is all done, I head to the writing chair for the day, but I try to get out for a run or a sea swim (very chilly this time of year in Wales!) most days, otherwise the body starts to seize up from sitting in a chair all day. I’m a keen, if slow, runner and I also do archery and kung-fu. 

What advice do you have for new writers?

Read. Read, read, read. Read books you know you’re going to like and ones you think you might hate. Read all genres, read non-fiction, re-read, listen to audiobooks. 

The more you read, the more you will find the words flow when you come to write. 

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

The hardest scene I ever had to write was at the end of Judge the Best, which was my last book on Anne Boleyn. It wasn’t her death scene which was the hardest to write, but rather her thoughts before she walked out to the scaffold. I was in tears and honestly considered altering the book so she could get away, but this series was historical fiction, not speculative, and so I knew I couldn’t change it. 

I was quite concerned about making this section of the book both dignified and entirely human, wanted to try to capture what Anne’s thoughts might have been and what her mental state was like. It was the chapter I went over more than any other, I think, because I didn’t want to let the book, or my character, down by having that part sound corny or foolish.

That last book actually took a bit of a toll on me. Anne was in my dreams and my thoughts all the time. She’s always fascinated me and the five-book series, told in first person, was such a personal journey through her life. I hope I did her justice, but yes, that last scene of her coming to terms with her own death, it was hard. It felt like losing a friend, and perhaps worse, as if I was the person sending her to her death, because I was the one writing it. 

What are you planning to write next?

I’ve always got a new book on the go. I find not writing a vastly uncomfortable experience, in all honesty. If not writing I feel low, depressed and at a loose end, so I write all the time (hence the extensive catalogue!).

I have a book, an imagining of the early life of Cleopatra, with my proofreader. This novel is called The Last Queen, and I’m hoping to have that out in perhaps a month or so, and I’m writing the second book in the A Succession of Chaos series, A Son of England, so I’m having another round of mental gymnastics of trying to work out what’s about to unfold for Anne Boleyn, Mary Tudor, Magpye Grey and others! 

Thank you! 

Gemma Lawrence

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About the Author

Gemma Lawrence is an independently published author living in Wales in the UK. She studied literature at university says, 'I write mainly Historical Fiction, with an emphasis on the Tudor and Medieval periods and have a particular passion for women of history who inspire me'. Her first book in the Elizabeth of England Chronicles series is The Bastard Princess (The Elizabeth of England Chronicles Book 1).Gemma can be found on Twitter @TudorTweep and Bluesky @glawrence.bsky.social‬