History Play - Marlowe Lives?

Rodney Bolt's book is not an attempt to prove that, rather than dying at 29 in a tavern brawl, Christopher Marlowe staged his own death, fled to Europe, and went on to write the work attributed to Shakespeare. Instead, it takes that as the starting point for a playful and brilliantly written "fake biography" of Marlowe, which turns out to be a life of the Bard as well. 

Using real historical sources (as well as the occasional red herring) plus a generous dose of speculation, Bolt paints a rich and rollicking picture of Elizabethan life. As we accompany Marlowe into the halls of academia, the society of the popular English players traveling Europe, and the dangerous underworld of Elizabethan espionage, a fascinating and almost plausible life story emerges, along with a startlingly fresh look at the plays and poetry we know as Shakespeare's. 

Tapping into centuries of speculation about the man behind the work, about whom so few facts are known for sure, Rodney Bolt slyly winds the lives of two beloved playwrights into one.

Spymistress - A Biography of Vera Atkins

She was stunning. She was ruthless. She was brilliant and had a will of iron. Born Vera Maria Rosenberg in Bucharest, she became Vera Atkins. William Stephenson, the spymaster who would later be known as "Intrepid", recruited her when she was twenty-three.

Vera spent most of the 1930s running too many dangerous espionage missions to count. When World War II began in 1939, her many skills made her one of the leaders of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a covert intelligence agency formed by, and reporting to, Winston Churchill. She trained and recruited hundreds of agents, including dozens of women. Their job was to seamlessly penetrate deep behind the enemy lines.

As General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, the fantastic exploits and extraordinary courage of the SOE agents and the French Resistance fighters "shortened the war by many months." They are celebrated, as they should be.

But Vera Atkins's central role was hidden until after she died; Author William Stevenson promised to wait and publish her story posthumously. Now, Vera Atkins can be celebrated and known for the hero she was: the woman whose beauty, intelligence, and unwavering dedication proved key in turning the tide of World War II.

Benjamin Wallace - Duck & Cover Series

Even a mushroom cloud has a silver lining.

Join the Librarian and his mastiff as he does his best to make the post-apocalyptic world a better place by protecting the weak,fighting injustice, squaring off against a group of former renaissance fair workers who have established a kingdom in the Rocky Mountains, and so on. 

Can one man make a difference in the face of such murderous cannibals and super smart bears? Probably not.

Visit Benjamin's website for more on this series.

Dirk Cussler - reflections 50 years on

From an article posted in CrimeReads:

In 1973, a paperback thriller was published by Pyramid Press, written by an aspiring writer from Southern California. The book opened with an antiquated World War I German Albatross biplane strafing Brady Air Force Base on the Greek island of Thásos, destroying its fleet of F-105 jet fighters. The attack is disrupted by the arrival of a lumbering PBY Catalina flying boat, whose pilot engages in an unlikely dogfight with the Albatross and somehow prevails. The Mediterranean Caper was the debut novel by my father Clive Cussler, and introduced the indomitable character of Dirk Pitt at the controls of the Catalina, along with his fictional employer, the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA).

Read full article here @ CrimeReads

My first introduction to both Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt was through his third novel, "Raise The Titanic". I needed to do a book report for school, and was definitely not into romance, having been raised with a healthy dose of murder and action adventure. This book still occupies a small corner of my mind even to this day.

Raise The Titanic: The President's secret task force develops the ultimate defensive weapon. At its core: byzanium, a radioactive element so rare sufficient quantities have never been found. But a frozen American corpse on a desolate Soviet mountainside, a bizarre mining accident in Colorado, and a madman's dying message lead DlRK PITT~ to a secret cache of byzanium. Now he begins his most thrilling, daunting mission -- to raise from its watery grave the shipwreck of the century!

A Woman of Pleasure by Kiyoko Murata

In 1903, a fifteen-year-old girl named Aoi Ichi is sold to the most exclusive brothel in Kumamoto, Japan. Despite her modest beginnings in a southern fishing village, she becomes the protégée of an oiran, the highest-ranking courtesan at the brothel.

Through the teachings of her oiran, Shinonome, Ichi begins to understand the intertwined power of sex and money. And in her mandatory school lessons, her writing instructor, Tetsuko, encourages Ichi and the others to think clearly and express themselves. By banding together, the women organize a strike and walk away from the brothel and into the possibility of new lives.

Based on real-life events in Meiji-era Japan, award-winning and critically acclaimed veteran writer Kiyoko Murata re-creates in stunning detail the brutal yet vibrant lives of women in the red-light district at the turn of the twentieth century—the bond they share, the survival skills they pass down, and the power of owning one’s language.

Translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter

Review: Women in the Scottish Wars of Independence by Beth Reid

Synopsis: The Scottish Wars of Independence are often celebrated for the heroic deeds of men, but behind the scenes, noblewomen played an equally pivotal role in shaping the nation’s fate. In Women in the Scottish Wars of Independence, Beth Reid brings to life the stories of these remarkable women, from royalty to influential landowners, whose contributions to Scotland’s turbulent history have long been overlooked.

From noblewomen like Isabella MacDuff, Agnes Randolph, and Agnes Comyn—who made kings, defended castles, and led conspiracies—to royal women who influenced key decisions and defined dynasties, this book paints a vivid picture of resilience, strategy, and courage. Through chronicles, royal charters, and material culture, Reid uncovers how these women navigated war and politics, revealing their critical yet underappreciated roles in shaping the outcomes of the Wars of Independence.

Focusing on noblewomen rather than ordinary lives, this book offers a fresh perspective on a male-dominated narrative, shedding light on the influential partnerships and actions of women who stood at the heart of Scotland's history. With meticulous research and compelling storytelling, Women in the Scottish Wars of Independence is essential reading for history enthusiasts eager to explore the often-untold contributions of Scotland’s noblewomen during one of its most formative periods.

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On the one hand, Reid's book is a very detailed history of the period commonly known as the Scottish Wars of Independence - the era dominating the political landscape of Scotland from the death of the little Maid of Norway to the Treaty of Berwick which formally ended the wars and secured the release of King David II of Scotland from English captivity.

On the other hand, it is an attempt to give to a small cohort of women a more visual role on the political chessboard than they may have previously been given.

To the first, Reid provides an ample study of the succession, sovereignty and overlordship of Scotland during this period. The internal political factionalism, dynastic ambitions and prevalent warfare was dominated by men. Reid states her intent to provide a renewed focus on experience and perceptions of real people, particularly women; and this this tome will provide an accessible "correction to the wider understanding of 13th and 14th century Scottish women in warfare". However, the evidence is sparse and Reid relies on a wider context and a fair bit of speculation as to what may or may not have occurred.

Reid then collates her chosen subjects into three categories: politics, warfare and captivity. Under "politics" the focus in on the rise of the Bruce women; under "warfare" the focus is on the likes of Agnes Randolph and her ilk, who defended their castles against enemy armies; whilst "captivity" focuses on the humiliating and isolating fate of primarily the Bruce women after the defeat of Robert (kudos for exploring and and expanding on this in particular).

My issue, as with many other tomes of this style, is when an author attempts to ascribe to their given subject much more than is their due, particularly when "evidence" is lacking. 

To summarise: the women featured have not been overlooked - there is ample documentation both on the internet and in print - and what his been provided herein can easily be found via both if that is what you are looking for - I could put my hand on a number of books in my own library to support this. Secondly, I would question whether all these women had "critical roles in shaping the outcomes" - one or two or three perhaps, or is Reid possibly referring to this "critical role" in the context of dynastic political marriages. Thirdly, and unfortunately, I - personally - found no "fresh perspective on a male dominated narrative" - because that is essentially what it was - a period dominated by men and their actions on both the political and military fields. Yes, there were a number of women who stood out for their deeds and actions - however, we can find many examples among their historical counterparts both on the Continent and on home soil, both before and after their own times.  These are not singularly exceptional or unique only to the Scottish Wars. Again, these actions must be put in context to both the politics of the period and of personae dramatis in whose orbits they circled.

To give the author, Beth Reid, their dues, the book is well researched, providing a good background and context of the politics of the day; it accessible (conversational even) to the lay reader, thus not a dry, academic tome; and provides a good launching pad for further research. A well-read historical researcher will not find anything new.

PD Lennon — The Case of the Mad Doctor

Inspired by the true story of Jamaica’s first serial killer.

Jamaica, 1772. Caribbean jewel, or a killer’s playground?

On the island of Jamaica, people have started disappearing without trace. Have they run away, trying to start new lives in the British colony under assumed names, or is something darker afoot?

Some of the missing had taken out large life insurance policies before leaving England, and so word of the vanishings reaches Bristol when relatives try to collect their payouts.

With suspicion of a grand fraud in the air, ambitious Black barrister’s clerk Isaiah Ollenu is thrown together with pious insurance agent Ruben Ashby, and together they are ordered to the Caribbean to investigate.

But, confronted by prejudice, untoward characters and vengeful spirits, the task may cost this unlikely duo more than either man is willing to pay…

A searing snapshot of the British Empire at the threshold of emancipation, and a chilling historical adventure.

Jack the Ripper and the Case for Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect

An investigation into the man Scotland Yard thought (but couldn't prove) was Jack the Ripper. Dozens of theories have attempted to resolve the mystery of the identity of Jack the Ripper, the world's most famous serial killer. Ripperologist Robert House contends that we may have known the answer all along. The head of Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department at the time of the murders thought Aaron Kozminski was guilty, but he lacked the legal proof to convict him. By exploring Kozminski's life, House builds a strong circumstantial case against him, showing not only that he had means, motive, and opportunity, but also that he fit the general profile of a serial killer as defined by the FBI today.

The first book to explore the life of Aaron Kozminski, one of Scotland Yard's top suspects in the quest to identify Jack the Ripper, combines historical research and contemporary criminal profiling techniques to solve one of the most vexing criminal mysteries of all time. The book draws on a decade of research by the author, including trips to Poland and England to uncover Kozminski's past and details of the case. Includes a Foreword by Roy Hazelwood, a former FBI profiler and pioneer of profiling sexual predators. Features dozens of photographs and illustrations. Building a thorough and convincing case that completes the work begun by Scotland Yard more than a century ago, this book is essential reading for anyone who wants to know who really committed Jack the Ripper's heinous and unforgettable crimes.

Review: The Blazing Sea by Tim Hodkinson

Synopsis: The thrilling new Whale Road Chronicles Viking adventure. Einar and the Wolf Coats venture south, but danger and bloodshed is never far away.

Einar and the Wolf Coats have angered most of the kings of Northern Europe. With England no refuge, their only solution is to set sail across the Whale Road.

A chance encounter with a slave trader leads them to Muslim Spain, but what starts as a joyous homecoming for one of the crew ends in the Caliph's infamous dungeons.

The Mediterranean proves a perilous sea. Byzantine warships roam, armed with liquid fire that can torch man and ship alike. Viking mercenaries and pirate lords alike spill blood for gold or glory.

With a chance to retake his stolen kingdom of Orkney, Einar must first save an innocent life... and risk his own and those of his crew once more.

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Following adventures in 10th century Brittany, Ireland and Saxon England, Book 8 in the series finds Ulrich and his band of Ulfhednar in sun-soaked al-Andalus, and as prisoners of the Caliphate not long after their arrival. After managing to make their escape, they flee across the Mediterranean Sea, only to find themselves again prisoners ... this time at the mercy of the Byzantines and their deadly liquid (Greek) fire.

The motley band find themselves in the legendary Miklagarad (Constantinople) where Araltes (Harold), a Norwegian Imperial (or Varangian) Guard, makes them an offer they cannot refuse .... infiltrate one pesky pirate island.

Hodkinson's narrative leads Einar and the Wolf Coats on a merry adventure which sees Affreca infiltrate the harem of the pirate king to find the daughter of one of their own. Byzantine plots, pirates, capture and evasion, battles and heroics, Greek fire and gold keep the reader suitably entertained.

Another rollicking story in the legend of Einar and the Wolf Coats that will surely be recounted in the best Skaldic tradition by the fireside!