From Shadow on the Crown: Æthelred, his black-robed queen at his side, led a procession of ealdormen and clergy, of noblemen, their wives, and as many townsfolk as could walk or hobble, in a solemn procession from the palace steps … Read More →

The heroine of SHADOW ON THE CROWN, Emma of Normandy, was the youngest daughter (or so we think) of Richard I, Duke of Normandy and his duchess, Gunnora de Crepon. Emma’s mother appears only in the early chapters of my … Read More →

She made a circuit of the clearing among the oaks, three times round and three times back, whispering spells of protection. There had been a portent in the night: a curtain of red light had shimmered and danced across the … Read More →

For the past 300 years, anyone who has visited Winchester Cathedral could see, high atop the choir screen, 6 beautifully carved, wooden mortuary chests containing the remains of Anglo-Saxon royalty and ecclesiastics, dating back to A.D. 786. One of them, … Read More →

One particularly fascinating historical figure I ran across in my research into the 11th century was Gerbert d’Aurillac, possibly one of the most learned men of his time. For most of his life Gerbert was a scholar, scientist, mathematician, poet, … Read More →

I’m willing to bet that you’ve never spent an afternoon curled up with the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Right? This is not surprising because the ASC is not an easy read. For starters, it’s not just one chronicle, but several, written in … Read More →