Tag Archives: Britain

The Sword and the Serpent

Posted on April 23, 2021 by smellincoffee

Sword and Serpent © 2014 Taylor R. Marshall411 pages A phoenix from the fire will riseUnchain her and free the worldIn Britannia will rise the eagle whose sign is the CrossIn Britannia will rise the chief dragon whose sign is … Continue reading →

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A Visitor’s Guide to Jane Austen’s England

Posted on April 8, 2021 by smellincoffee

A Visitor’s Guide to Jane Austen’s England© 2014 Sue Wilkes224 pages Fancy a visit with Jane? Sue Wilkes has created here a light introduction to Austen’s society, the landed gentry of the mid-Georgian period. Although its approach reminds one of … Continue reading →

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The Blooding

Posted on April 5, 2021 by smellincoffee

Master of War: The Blooding© 2013 David Gilman512 pages Thomas Blackstone is a free man, a stonemason who learned his trade alongside his deaf-mute brother Richard.  When Richard is accused of raping and killing a young woman,  the price for … Continue reading →

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War Lord

Posted on December 2, 2020 by smellincoffee

War Lord© 2020 Bernard Cornwell352 pages As a boy, Uhtred saw his father and brother slain by an invading enemy, an enemy who took his home from him. Unwilling to turn and run, the boy Uhtred attacked these ferocious warlords … Continue reading →

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The Splendid and the Vile

Posted on July 27, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Splendid and the Vile: A Sage of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz © 2020 Erik Larson 464 pages “Nothing could have been more beautiful and the searchlights interlaced at certain points on the horizon, the star-like flashes … Continue reading →

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British Historical Fiction

Posted on April 29, 2020 by smellincoffee

This is an index post of historical fiction set in Britain that I originally published in November 2016. I’ve just updated to keep it current. The order of books is roughly chronological. Ancient and Legendary BritainStonehenge, Bernard CornwellThe Winter King: … Continue reading →

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Cruel as the Grave

Posted on April 28, 2020 by smellincoffee

Cruel as the Grave: A Medieval Mystery © 1998 Sharon Kay Penman 274 pages Justin de Quincy has a problem. Several problems, actually.   Chiefly, there’s the fact that his king is presumed captured overseas, and possibly dead, while the king’s … Continue reading →

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An English shield-maiden and England’s army

Posted on April 20, 2020 by smellincoffee

Time for two mini-reviews! First up, The Making of the British Army.   Retired brigadier Allan Mallinson  traces the history of Britain’s army to the creation of the New Model Army during the English civil war. Unlike armies of old, the … Continue reading →

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The White Horse King

Posted on April 8, 2020 by smellincoffee

© 2009 Benjamin Merkle 272 pages It reads like the best of high-stakes adventure stories: a young,  conscientious king watches as his neighbors fail to unite to the creeping threat of the Norsemen, and fall in their time, one by by … Continue reading →

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Second Sleep

Posted on February 23, 2020 by smellincoffee

Second Sleep © 2019 Robert Harris 302 pages Sometimes, readers, it pays not to read anything about a book before you start it. Take Second Sleep, for instance, which I picked up purely on the strength of its author (Robert … Continue reading →

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