CUP bags 'thrilling' Bartlett book on medieval Europe

From The Bookseller: 

Cambridge University Press has bagged a “thrilling” book on dynastic political intrigue in medieval Europe by historian and presenter Robert Bartlett.

Liz Friend-Smith, senior commissioning editor in history, bought world print and digital rights to Blood Royal: Dynastic Politics in Medieval Europe direct from the author. It will be published in July 2020.

The book explores the role played by family dynamics and family consciousness in the politics of the royal and imperial dynasties of Europe, “from royal marriages and the birth of sons, to female sovereigns, mistresses and wicked uncles”.

The synopsis explains: “Throughout medieval Europe, for hundreds of years, monarchy was the way that politics worked in most countries. This meant power was in the hands of a family—a dynasty; that politics was family politics; and political life was shaped by the births, marriages and deaths of the ruling family. Bartlett looks at how the dynastic system coped with female rule and pretenders to the throne. It expplores how the dynasties used names, the numbering of rulers and the visual display of heraldry to express their identity. And it asks why some royal families survived and thrived, while others did not.”

Bartlett is writer and presenter of several BBC documentary series including “Inside the Medieval Mind”, “The Normans”, and “The Plantagenets”. Professor Emeritus at the University of St Andrews, his books include The Making of Europe: Conquest, Colonization and Cultural Change (Penguin), which won the Wolfson History Prize.

Friend-Smith said: “Robert is a master historian and a fabulous storyteller. He makes enthralling sense of the complex web of internal rivalries and loyalties of the ruling dynasties and casts fresh light on an essential feature of the medieval world. We’re very excited to be publishing his next book, it’s a tour de force.”

Clive Cussler: Dirk Pitt novels author dies aged 88

From BBC News: 

Clive Cussler, the US author of the popular Dirk Pitt novels, has died at the age of 88.

He wrote 25 books in the adventure series, including Sahara and Raise the Titanic, and sold more than 100 million copies of his novels in total.

Writing on Twitter, Cussler's wife said: "It is with a heavy heart that I share the sad news that my husband Clive passed away [on] Monday.

"It has been a privilege to share in his life."

She added: "I want to thank you, his fans and friends, for all the support. He was the kindest most gentle man I ever met. I know, his adventures will continue."

The cause of his death has not been confirmed.

read more here @ BBC News

My own introduction to Cussler was when I did a book report (way back when) on "Raise the Titanic!" - I was looking to read something different to what everyone else was reading and just happened upon this title. It has remained with me ever since. Vale Clive.

How two women pulled off a medieval manuscript heist in post-war Germany

From The Conversation: 

Two precious manuscripts hidden in a bank vault survived the Allied bombing of Dresden, but one wound up in Soviet hands — until it was smuggled home.

Seventy-five years ago, in February 1945, during the Second World War, Allied forces bombed the magnificent baroque city of Dresden, Germany, destroying most of it and killing thousands of civilians.

In central Dresden, however, a bank vault holding two precious medieval manuscripts survived the resulting inferno unscathed. The manuscripts were the works of the prolific 12th-century composer, writer and visionary, St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), who had established a convent on the Rhine River, near Wiesbaden and 500 kilometres west of Dresden.

After the Dresden bombings, the Soviet Army seized and inspected the surviving vault. The first bank official to enter the vault afterwards found it pillaged, with only one manuscript remaining. The bank could never confirm if the vault was emptied in an official capacity or if it was plundered.

The missing manuscript has not been seen in the West since. The other made its way back to its original home of Wiesbaden, on the other side of Germany, through the extraordinary efforts of two women.

read more here @ The Conversation

Face It by Debbie Harry

As a musician, an actor, a muse, an icon, the breadth of Debbie Harry’s impact on our culture has been matched by her almost Sphinx-like reticence about her inner life. Through it all – while being acclaimed as one of the most beautiful women in the world, prized by a galaxy of leading photographers and fashion designers, beloved by legions of fans for her relentless, high-octane performances, selling 50 million albums or being painted by Andy Warhol – Debbie Harry has infused her perennial Blondie persona with a heady mix of raw sexuality and sophisticated punk cool.

In Face It, Debbie Harry invites us into the complexity of who she is and how her life and career have played out over the last seven decades. Upending the standard music memoir, with a cutting-edge style keeping with the distinctive qualities of her multi-disciplined artistry, Face It includes a thoughtful introduction by Chris Stein, rare personal photos, original illustrations, fan artwork installations and more.

Peppered with colourful characters, Face It features everyone from bands Blondie came up with on the 1970s music scene – The Ramones, Television, Talking Heads, Iggy Pop and David Bowie – to artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marina Abramovi and H.R. Giger of Alien fame. It explores her successful acting career (she has starred in over 30 film roles, including David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and John Waters’s Hairspray), her weekends with William S. Burroughs and her attempted abduction by serial killer Ted Bundy. 

Ranging from the hardscrabble grit and grime of the early New York City years to times of glorious commercial success, interrupted by a plunge into heroin addiction, the near-death of partner Chris Stein, a heart-wrenching bankruptcy and Blondie’s break-up as a band, an amazing solo career and then a stunning return with Blondie, this is a cinematic story of an artist who has always set her own path.

Manors and Markets by Bas van Bavel

The Low Countries — an area roughly embracing the present-day Netherlands and Belgium — formed a patchwork of varied economic and social development in the Middle Ages, with some regions displaying a remarkable dynamism. 

Manors and Markets charts the history of these vibrant economies and societies, and contrasts them with alternative paths of development, from the early medieval period to the beginning of the seventeenth century.

Providing a concise overview of social and economic changes over more than a thousand years, Bas van Bavel assesses the impact of the social and institutional organization that saw the Low Countries become the most urbanized and densely populated part of Europe by the end of the Middle Ages. By delving into the early and high medieval history of society, van Bavel uncovers the foundations of the flourishing of the medieval Flemish towns and the forces that propelled Holland towards its Golden Age.

Exploring the Low Countries at a regional level, van Bavel highlights the importance of localized structures for determining the nature of social transitions and economic growth. He assesses the role of manorial organization, the emergence of markets, the rise of towns, the quest for self-determination by ordinary people, and the sharp regional differences in development that can be observed in the very long run. In doing so, the book offers a significant contribution to the debate about the causes of economic and social change, both past and present.

City and Society in the Low Countries 1100-1600

The Low Countries was collectively one of the earliest and most heavily urbanised societies in European history. Present-day Belgium and the Netherlands still share important common features, such as comparatively low income inequalities, high levels of per capita income, a balanced political structure, and a strong 'civil society'. 

This book (edited by Bruno Blondé, Marc Boone and Anne-Laure Van Bruaene) traces the origins of this specific social model in medieval patterns of urbanisation, while also searching for explanations for the historical reproduction of social inequalities. Access to cheap inland river navigation and to the sea generated a 'river delta' urbanisation that explains the persistence of a decentralised urban economic network, marked by intensive cooperation and competition and by the absence of real metropolises. Internally as well, powerful checks and balances prevented money and power from being concentrated. Ultimately, however, the utmost defining characteristic of the Low Countries' urban cultures was located in their resilient middle classes.

This multi-authored and accessible volume, that resulted from a collaborative inter-university project on the social history of the city, offers a balanced and up-to-date view on relevant debates, and explicitly deals with the spatial and material dimensions of urban history.

Prince Felix Yusupov: The Man Who Killed Rasputin by Christopher Dobson

This powerful biography tells the compelling story of Prince Felix Yusupov — the man who murdered Rasputin.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, Grigori Rasputin’s influence over Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra meant he was effectively ruling the country. In a time of great unrest in Russia, his controversial involvement with the imperial family made him a target for many – including the notorious Prince Yusupov and his associates, who would eventually murder the ‘Mad Monk’ with poisoned cream cakes and a bullet to the head.

One of the richest men in Russia, Prince Yusupov was married to the Tsar’s niece, Irina – thought by many to be a sham marriage designed to hide his homosexuality. From his flamboyant lifestyle and friendships to his commitment to a cause so great he’d kill for it, his life story makes for a fascinating read. 

Based on personal interviews and meticulous research, this enthralling biography captures the flavour of the bizarre, eventful and extraordinary life of the man who assassinated Rasputin and unintentionally helped to precipitate the Russian Revolution.

The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel - Excerpt

From The Guardian: 

The first chapter of the final volume of Mantel’s award-winning Thomas Cromwell trilogy opens at the execution of Anne Boleyn.

London, May 1536

Once the queen’s head is severed, he walks away. A sharp pang of appetite reminds him that it is time for a second breakfast, or perhaps an early dinner. The morning’s circumstances are new and there are no rules to guide us. The witnesses, who have knelt for the passing of the soul, stand up and put on their hats. Under the hats, their faces are stunned.

But then he turns back, to say a word of thanks to the executioner. The man has performed his office with style; and though the king is paying him well, it is important to reward good service with encouragement, as well as a purse. Having once been a poor man, he knows this from experience.

The small body lies on the scaffold where it has fallen: belly down, hands outstretched, it swims in a pool of crimson, the blood seeping between the planks. The Frenchman – they had sent for the Calais executioner – had picked up the head, swaddled it in linen, then handed it to one of the veiled women who had attended Anne in her last moments. He saw how, as she received the bundle, the woman shuddered from the nape of her neck to her feet. She held it fast though, and a head is heavier than you expect. Having been on a battlefield, he knows this from experience too.

read more here @ The Guardian

'The most boring part': why the killer didn't matter to Georges Simenon

From The Guardian: 

Identifying the murderer in Maigret and the Man on the Bench is of scant concern to a writer preoccupied with deeper secrets.

It isn’t normal to begin reviews of detective novels by discussing their last chapter. But Maigret and the Man on the Bench is not a normal detective novel – and its conclusion is so striking that it demands immediate attention.

If you’ve read the novel, you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, I don’t think it’s giving away too much to say that in just 10 pages in David Watson’s (excellent) translation, Maigret discovers the identity of the murderer of Louis Thouret, the eponymous man on the bench. This murderer has barely been mentioned before in the novel, and Maigret doesn’t care about his identity. “This was the most boring part,” he reflects as he is writing up the case. Just six lines later, the book ends.

It’s possible to view this dashed-off ending as evidence that Simenon didn’t care either. The book was written in the early 1950s, when the author was allotting himself just 11 days to complete a Maigret novel. His heart – as he revealed in a 1955 interview with the Paris Review – was not with his beloved Parisian detective, but in the more serious romans durs he was writing concurrently.

read more @ The Guardian

Review: Indigo by Loren D Estleman

Synopsis: Film detective Valentino is summoned to the estate of Ignacio Bozel to collect a prized donation to the university’s movie library: Bleak Street, a film from the classic noir period, thought lost for more than sixty years. Bleak Street was never released. Its star, Van Oliver, a gifted and charismatic actor with alleged ties to the mob, disappeared while the project was in post-production, presumably murdered by gangland rivals: another one of Hollywood’s unsolved mysteries. Studio bosses elected to shelve the film rather than risk box-office failure. UCLA’s PR Department is excited about the acquisition, but only if Valentino can find a way to sell it in the mainstream media by way of a sensational discovery to coincide with its release: “We want to know what happened to Oliver.”

Valentino searches for and restores lost films, and in between has restored his own movie theatre. An opportunity to showcase a film thought long lost comes at a price - find out what happened to its star. The more Valentino digs, the more he realises someone doesn't want this film to see light of day.

This was a nice little noir outing with the twist at the end slowly revealing itself in the final chapters. You sort of get a hint that something is not quite what it should be. I hadn't read any of the previous books in this series, though had no real issues with picking up the threads as I read along. Loved the bibliograghy and filmography at the end.

An afternoon's escapism for those that get the chance to read it one sitting. 

Review: Sisters In Arms by Julie Wheelwright

Synopsis: A history of female combatants, from those who joined the military disguised as men to the current role of women in the armed forces. The book follows the evolution of women in combat, from the Scythian women who begat the Amazonian myth, to the passing women in the eighteenth century, and on to the re-emergence of women as proud members of the armed forces in various countries in the 20th and 21st centuries. The book also explores the formalization of women’s military roles and questions the contemporary relationship between masculinity and combat.

I'll begin with a quote: "Beginning with the founding myth of the Amazons--in reality female warriors of a nomadic tribe to whom the Greeks attributed super-heroic powers--Julie Wheelwright explores the history of women in arms. " Not my advanced copy.

Whilst ever so briefly mentioning the Amazons, this lengthy tome focuses heavily on the period from the 18th Century onwards and predominantly on the UK, USA and USSR (for want of a better collective term). It covers quite succinctly the areas of gender disguise and open enlistment, the maintenance of the fiction (ie: women disguised as men), the fear of discovery and punishment, and the experiences of these women upon their return from active duty and their new-found celebrity. I, however, was looking for more of the historical aspect rather than the more "recent" history.

It is the final chapters that looks at the continuity between historical and contemporary female warriors, but again within the parameters as set out above. There is a good section on sources, notes and extensive bibliography for those wishing to explore this topic further.

This will still make for a good sourcebook for those wishing to explore more - again, within the actual parameters.

Review: The War Queens by Jonathan & Emily Anne Jordan

Synopsis: The ingenious wartime tactics of some of history’s most powerful female leaders, from the stifling battlefields of ancient Egypt to the frigid waters off the Falkland Islands.

History’s killer queens come in all colors, ages, and leadership styles. Elizabeth Tudor and Golda Meir played the roles of high-stakes gamblers who studied maps with an unblinking, calculating eye. Angola’s Queen Njinga was willing to shed (and occasionally drink) blood to establish a stable kingdom in an Africa ravaged by the slave trade. Caterina Sforza defended her Italian holdings with cannon and scimitar, and Indira Gandhi launched a war to solve a refugee crisis.

From ancient Persia to modern-day Britain, the daunting thresholds these exceptional women had to cross―and the clever, sometimes violent ways in which they smashed obstacles in their paths―are evoked in vivid detail. The narrative sidles up to these war queens in the most dire, tumultuous moments of their reigns and examines the brilliant methods and maneuvers they each used to defend themselves and their people from enemy forces.

I will preface this by saying that I read this around the same time as "Sisters In Arms" by Julie Wheelwright; and as with that tome, I - personally - was left wanting a little more. Mayhap because I was already familiar with the women featured (Tomyris, Artmeisia, Boudicca, Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Caterina Sforza, Tamar of Georgie, Catherine the Great - to name but a few) that I was looking for a bit more variety - maybe, someone not on anyone's top ten list.

What I will say is that each woman featured has her own story to tell and it is told well, with some background information and a focus on the well known battles in which their are noted for (these are are explained quite well for the lay-reader). One reviewer commented that Maggie Thatcher should not have been included as she wasn't a "queen" per se - well neither was Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir or Caterina Sforza for that matter.

There are many more examples of women who could have been included (Empress Matilda and her rival Matilda of Boulogne, Zenobia, Isabella of Castile, Rani of Jhansi, Amanitore of Nubia, even Katherine of Aragon) for whilst many did take to the battlefield, they were also strongly supported by seasoned military commanders - and I was particularly struck by the quote from Gen. George Patton: "... tactics .. belong at battalion level, not in the supreme commander's palace ..." - a sly reference to the fact that a good leader need not always be required to know everything military-wise.

The extensive bibliography, secondary sources, and notes will provide those with an interest the stepping stones for explore and research at their leisure.

Review: The Emperor's Assassin by Autumn Bardot

Synopsis: History paints her as the first female serial killer…

Locusta is the daughter of a winemaker in the Roman province of Gaul. She enjoys the indulged childhood of the elite, her concerns only about the day’s amusements. She rides gentle ponies, attends parties, reads Ovid, and learns the herbal arts from her servant. But the day after meeting her betrothed, Locusta discovers the consequences of possessing such dangerous knowledge.

Ordered to leave her pastoral life, Locusta is thrust into a world of intrigue, scandal, and murder—where treason lurks behind every corner and defying an emperor means death. Locusta’s life changes forever when a young Emperor Nero requires her herbal expertise. And commands her to be his personal poisoner. Caught in an imperial web, Locusta must embrace her profession or die.

Who was this ancient roman series killer and how did some become the "personal poisoner" of Emperor Nero? That hooked me in from the beginning. Whilst familiar with all the usual suspects of the early Roman period, Locusta was not one that came to mind quite readily and I was intrigued to read more, even if only from a fictional account.

Bardot uses the first person narrative to recount Locusta's story - in her own words so to speak. We begin with a naive provincial girl who learns the hard way that her own idyllic life is not truly reflective of the Roman Empire as a whole. From the loss of innocence grows the worldly wisdom as she uses her skills in herbal knowledge to recreate a life for herself. It is only when sent to Rome where the ".. decadent world of the the Roman elite was laid wide open .." that this naivety is really drummed home. The use of the maid Priscilla as a " entree " into or teacher of, these dark arts, creates a sort of empathy with Locusta as if this was not all of her own doing but as a direct result of her personal circumstance .... she readily recounts that " .. my first ethics lesson in poisoning ... confess to noone ..".

So, for those not familiar with the " ... poisoned filled world ... " of the scandalous Roman Empire where ".. the wicked hold hands like old friends.." under the reigns of Caligula and Nero, it is from the great writers of the period that we are first introduced to the poisoner, Locusta. 

Suetonius in his Life of Nero :

From Tacitus' Annals:

From Cassius Dio's Roman History:

From Juvenal's Satires:

There is no doubt that these pages from the early Roman writers inspired Bardot to give life to this mysterious woman. After being sent to Rome and coming to the attention of a number of noble women, it is when she is introduced to the Empress Agrippina that Locusta's life as a poisoner begins. As Emperor Nero avails himself of her talents, she is well rewarded with property, money and gifts; though finds herself at his beck and call to perform those deeds he would prefer kept well hidden. She consoles herself with the thought that to reject Nero would be to sign her own death warrant, and so she does what she can to ensure her own survival.

The introduction of the character of the centurion Marcus earlier in the piece provides another component to the Locusta story, and one that plays out in the final chapters of both this book and her (fictional) life.

The life and death of Locusta is shrouded in mystery and fueled by chinese whispers with each re-telling. There are many legends of her graphic and barbarous death following the death of her patron, Nero, from being raped to death by a specially trained giraffe to being torn apart by wild animals in the arena as befits a notorious sorceress. It is presumed that she perished shortly after Galba succeeded.

Bardot provides us with an entertaining story that more than adequately fits in with what I call the "rehabilitation genre" - whereby - mostly - historical women with a less than pristine pasts are given a dusting off and are having their stories told from a slightly different perspective (history being written by the victors, etc etc). It is an enthralling tale, and the reader certainly finds empathy with the character of Locusta, which is the ultimate aim of the author. It is also a tale of the cesspit that was ancient Rome - the salacious scandals, the sex and violence, the notoriety of its citizens, murder, greed, envy, social position.

If you are looking for a "new" historical heroine, then you have found her in Locusta.

The Royal Minorities of Medieval and Early Modern England by Charles Beem

The term minority reign or royal minority refers to the period of a sovereign's rule when he or she is legally a minor. Minority reigns are of their nature times when politicians and advisors can be especially competitive. Some scholars claim that, in Britain, primogeniture, the growth of conciliar government, and the emergence of the Parliament as a representative and administrative force all occurred within the context of the minority reigns. And there are numerous instances from history where minority reigns have occurred.

This particular study covers the history of the underage male kings of England (Henry III, Edward III, Richard II, Henry VI, Edward V, and Edward VI), examining their historical relationship to one another and assessing their collective impact on the political and constitutional development of England. But this was not the first, as Beam mentions at the very outset of his book:

Some further reading:

The minority of Henry III by David A. Carpenter

The Minority of Henry the Third by Kate Norgate

Regency in Sixteenth-century Scotland by Amy Blakeway

Perilous Performances: Gender and Regency in Early Modern France by Katherine Crawford

Queen, Mother, and Stateswoman: Mariana of Austria and the Government of Spain by Silvia Z. Mitchell

Child Emperor Rule in the Late Roman West, AD 367-455 by Meaghan McEvoy

The Reign of Richard II: From Minority to Tyranny 1377-97 by A. K. McHardy

Princely Power in Late Medieval France by Erika Graham-Goering

Jeanne de Penthièvre (c.1326–1384), duchess of Brittany, was an active and determined ruler who maintained her claim to the duchy throughout a war of succession and even after her eventual defeat. 

This in-depth study examines Jeanne's administrative and legal records to explore her co-rule with her husband, the social implications of ducal authority, and her strategies of legitimization in the face of conflict. While studies of medieval political authority often privilege royal, male, and exclusive models of power, Erika Graham-Goering reveals how there were multiple coexisting standards of princely action, and it was the navigation of these expectations that was more important to the successful exercise of power than adhering to any single approach. 

Cutting across categories of hierarchy, gender, and collaborative rule, this perspective sheds light on women's rulership as a crucial component in the power structures of the early Hundred Years' War, and demonstrates that lordship retained salience as a political category even in a period of growing monarchical authority.

Prisoner of History by Madeleine M. Henry

According to legend, Aspasia of Miletus was a courtesan, the teacher of Socrates, and the political adviser of her lover Pericles. Next to Sappho and Cleopatra, she is the best known woman of the ancient Mediterranean. Yet continued uncritical reception of her depiction in Attic comedy and naive acceptance of Plutarch's account of her in his Life of Pericles prevent us from understanding who she was and what her contributions to Greek thought may have been. 

Madeleine Henry combines traditional philological and historical methods of analysis with feminist critical perspectives, in order to trace the construction of Aspasia's biographical tradition from ancient times to the present. Through her analysis of both literary and political evidence, Henry determines the ways in which Aspasia has become an icon of the sexually attractive and politically influential female, how this construction has prevented her from taking her rightful place as a contributor to the philosophical enterprise, and how continued belief in this icon has helped sexualize all women's intellectual achievements. 

This is the first work to study Aspasia's biographical tradition from ancient Greece to the present day.

New book will add to Declaration of Arbroath story

From The Courier: 

Writers behind an ambitious book which will tell the story of the characters connected to the Declaration of Arbroath, gathered in the town as the manuscript nears completion.

The project has seen more than 40 people from all walks of life in Scotland contribute a chapter on each of the signatories of the Declaration, as well as biographies of King Robert the Bruce and Abbot of Arbroath Abbey, Bernard de Linton.

The book, titled Declaration of Arbroath: The People’s History, is set to be published in April as the town embarks on a community-led programme of events to mark the 700th anniversary of the signing of the document.

read more here @ The Courier

How The Pale Horse May Have Inspired A Murderer

From The Guardian: 

This year’s big Agatha Christie adaptation, The Pale Horse, is one of her less well-known murder mysteries – but in some ways it has had a much greater impact than the others. The novel is credited with saving two lives and has also been cited in a murder trial.

The novel centres around a series of apparently unrelated deaths that have all been attributed to a wide variety of natural causes. Mark Easterbrook becomes suspicious when a young woman dies just weeks after he saw her in a cafe, apparently in the prime of life, and he decides to investigate. Christie’s tale of contract killers, witches and black magic is a fantastic example of her brilliant plotting and superb ability to keep you guessing whodunnit right until the very end.

The novel, as would be expected of Christie, is packed with poisonous information and killer clues. It is sufficiently detailed that on two occasions readers recognised symptoms in people who were being poisoned and were able to intervene. It seems reading Christie could save your life. But the same novel has also been accused of inspiring a murderer.

Christie often used real life cases of murder as sources for her plots but on this occasion it was allegedly the other way round. There are certainly some uncomfortable parallels between The Pale Horse and the crimes committed by Graham Young. The novel was published in 1961, the year before Young began his poisoning activities, but at his trial in 1971 he denied having read it. It is doubtful that Christie, scientifically accurate though she was, could have taught him anything anyway, as Young had made his own extensive and detailed studies of all things toxic.

read more here @ The Guardian

Author: Tracey Warr

Tracey Warr was not an author that had been on my reading radar at all until one of her titles crossed my path and piqued my interest.

Her Amazon bio states: "Her fiction is based on historical research and she imagines in the gaps between known historical facts. ". This is something that all writers of historical fiction do.

It was her choice of female characters that caught my eye - and the time period in which her fiction is set. So, briefly - and not having yet read any of the following - is a snapshot of four that may make it to me TBR list:

Almodis: The Peaceweaver

A story of love, adventure and scandal, based on the real life of the eleventh-century countess Almodis de la Marche. Through her marriages to three important historical figures, Almodis founds a maternal dynasty that rules southern France and northern Spain during the height of the Occitan culture. It is a time of troubadours, of cathedral and castle building, and the shaping of Europe after Charlemagne. A time in which Occitan noblewomen hold equal power with their husbands under the vestiges of Roman and Visigothic law. But Almodis path to power and happiness is fraught with drama. Her first husband scandalises her contemporaries by rejecting her, she is excommunicated by the Pope and her third husband kidnaps her from her second miserable marriage. Covert journeys across the Pyrenees, escapes from incarceration and murder punctuate this extraordinary story, vividly bringing to life Almodis early medieval world.

The Viking Hostage

Set in late 10th century France and Wales, The Viking Hostage tells the intertwining stories of three women living through turbulent times of Viking raids, Christian conversions, and struggles for power across Europe at the turn of the millennium. Sigrid is a Norwegian sold into slavery in the French Limousin, stubbornly clinging to her pagan identity. Aina is a rich heiress, betrothed as a child to a man who does not offer her the adventure she craves. Adalmode is the daughter of the Viscount of Limoges, whose father has forbidden her passion for a young man imprisoned in his dungeon for a great crime. Their stories question and tangle with the nature of human nobility and of freedom in the highly stratified, unequal, and often brutal society of early medieval Europe.

Conquest: Daughter of the Last King

1093. The three sons of William the Conqueror - Robert Duke of Normandy, William II King of England and Count Henry - fight with each other for control of the Anglo-Norman kingdom created by their father's conquest. Meanwhile, Nest ferch Rhys, the daughter of the last independent Welsh king, is captured during the Norman assault of her lands. Raised with her captors, the powerful Montgommery family, Nest is educated to be the wife of Arnulf of Montgommery, in spite of her pre-existing betrothal to a Welsh prince. Who will Nest marry and can the Welsh rebels oust the Normans? 'Daughter of the Last King' is the first in the Conquest Trilogy.

Conquest 2: The Drowned Court

1107. Henry I finally reigns over England, Normandy and Wales, but his rule is far from secure. He faces a series of treacherous assassination attempts, and rebellion in Normandy is scuppering his plans to secure a marriage for his son and heir. With the King torn between his kingdoms and Nest settled with her Norman husband, can she evade Henry's notice or will she fall under his control once more? As her brother Gruffudd garners support in an effort to reclaim his kingdom, Nest finds she cannot escape the pull of her Welsh heritage. While the dissent grows and a secret passion is revealed, the future of Nest and her Norman sons is placed in dire peril. In this riveting sequel to 'Daughter of the Last King', Nest must decide to whom her heart and loyalty belongs.

So, not only I am interested to see the third in the Conquest Trilogy (The Anarchy and covers the years 1122-1146, the final years of the reign of Henry I and then the subsequent struggle for the throne between Henry’s daughter Matilda and his nephew, Stephen of Blois), but this new tome that she is working on - again courtesy of her Amazon bio:

She received an Author’s Foundation Award from the Society of Authors for a biography she is working on about three French noblewomen, three sisters, who held power in 11th century Toulouse, Carcassonne, Barcelona and the Pyrenees.

The Right to Rule and the Rights of Women by Arianne Chernock

Queen Victoria is often cast as a foe of the women's movement - the sovereign who famously declared women's rights to be a 'mad, wicked folly'. Yet these words weren't circulated publicly until after the Queen's death in 1901. 

Beginning with this insight, this book reveals Victoria as a ruler who captured the imaginations of nineteenth-century feminists. Women's rights activists routinely used Victoria to assert their own claims to citizenship. So popular was their strategy that it even motivated anti-suffragists to launch their own campaign to distance Queen Victoria from feminist initiatives. 

In highlighting these exchanges, this book draws attention to the intricate and often overlooked connections between the histories of women, the monarchy, and the state. In the process, it sheds light on the development of constitutional monarchy, concepts of female leadership, and the powerful role that the Crown - and queens specifically - have played in modern British culture and politics.

Ming China and Its Allies by David Robinson

On the eve of the early modern age, Ming emperors ruled around one-quarter of the globe's population, the majority of the world's largest urban centers, the biggest standing army on the planet, and the day's most affluent economy. 

Far from being isolated, the Ming court was the greatest center of political patronage in East Eurasia, likely the world. Although the Ming throne might trumpet its superiority, it understood its need for allegiance from ruling elites in neighbouring regions. 

In this major new study, David M. Robinson explores Ming emperors' relations with the single most important category of Eurasian nobles: descendants of Ghengis Khan and their Mongol supporters. 

Exploring the international dimensions of Chinese rule, this revisionist but accessible account shows that even rulers such as the Ming emperor needed allies and were willing to pay for them.

Women and Law in Late Antiquity by Antti Arjava

This is the first comprehensive account of women's legal and social positions in the west from classical antiquity right through to the early middle ages. The main focus of the book is on the late antique period, with constant reference to classical Roman law and the lives of women in the early empire. 

The book goes on to follow women's history up to the seventh century, thus bridging the notorious gap of the 'dark ages'. Major themes include daughters' succession rights; the independence of married women; sexual relations outside marriage; divorce; remarriage; and the general legal capacity of women. 

Antti Arjava argues that from the viewpoint of most women, late antiquity was not a period of radical change. In particular, the influence of Christianity has often been considerably exaggerated. It was only after the fall of the Western empire that a new legal system and a new social world emerged.

Obits: Mary Higgins Clark, MC Beaton

From CNN: 

Mary Higgins Clark, the bestselling "Queen of Suspense" who wrote dozens of suspense novels sold worldwide, has died.

Clark's publisher, Simon & Schuster, confirmed her death in a tweet Friday night. "She passed away peacefully this evening at the age of 92 surrounded by family and friends," the publisher said.

Clark's writing career spanned decades, and included bestselling suspense titles such as "Loves Music, Loves to Dance" and "A Stranger Is Watching."  Two of her novels were made into feature films, including "A Stranger Is Watching" while others were turned into television movies.

From BBC News:

The creator of two of the world's best-loved fictional detectives has died at the age of 83.

Marion Chesney Gibbons, who wrote under the pseudonym MC Beaton, was the prolific author of the Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin crime novels.

Her son, Charles Gibbons, announced her death via Twitter on Thursday.  He said that "the support of her fans and the success she enjoyed in her later years were a source of great pride and satisfaction to her".  He added: "Author of over 160 novels in her prolific 40-year career, this news will sadden many of her family and friends."

MC Beaton sold more than 21 million copies of her books around the world and was regularly named as the most-borrowed adult author from UK libraries.

Her Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth novels were translated into 17 languages and were both made into TV dramas.  Robert Carlyle starred as Macbeth in the BBC series and Ashley Jenson played Raisin in the Sky TV dramas.