Tag Archives: book reviews

Review: Roman Britain’s MISSING LEGION – Simon Elliott

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Derek Birks

It seems like I’ve always been aware of the legion that disappeared – the Legio IX Hispana – but it is many years since I last read about it and I was therefore delighted to be offered the chance to … Continue reading →

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The Ladies of the Magna Carta – a Review

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Derek Birks

I am absolutely delighted that my blog has the honour of being the final stop on a blog tour to celebrate: The Ladies of the Magna Carta by Sharon Bennett Connolly. Sharon Bennett Connolly is fast becoming the go-to historian if … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Tour, Book Reviews, History, Medieval History, New release, Plantagenets, Reviews, Women's history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Kindred Spirits: Ephemera by Jennifer C. Wilson

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Derek Birks

I am delighted to be kicking off the Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of Jennifer C Wilson’s Kindred Spirits: Ephemera. This is, I believe, the fifth in a series of books set in the world of historical spirits but … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Blog Tour, Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, New release, Reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Diana Jackson – Missing: Past and Present

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Derek Birks

I am delighted to host the very first stop on this Blog Tour for Diana Jackson’s new book: Missing – Past and Present.  I was lucky enough to get hold of a copy of this book just before it came … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Tour, Book Reviews, New release, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Game of Thrones – A Review

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Derek Birks

N.B. Major – and I mean major! – Spoiler Alert!! Now that the dust and ash has settled – and there was a hell of a lot of ash to settle! – I feel I should put down a few … Continue reading →

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Review: Silk and the Sword by Sharon Bennett Connelly

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Derek Birks

Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest is, I suppose, a period about which we all know at least a little bit. We have heard of Harold Godwinson, William the Conqueror and perhaps Harald … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, History, Medieval History, Norman Conquest, Reviews, Saxon England, Women's history | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Days of Sun and Glory by Anna Belfrage

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Derek Birks

  In this second book in her King’s Greatest Enemy series, Anna Belfrage builds on the excellent set of characters introduced to us in In The Shadow of the Storm. The new novel concentrates once again on the exploits of … Continue reading →

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Book Reviews: Alison Morton’s Roma Nova

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Derek Birks

When Alison Morton asked me to take a look at her new book, Insurrectio, a few months ago, my first reaction was guilt because I’d been meaning to read her previous four books for ages. Like the rest of us, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Book Reviews, Reviews | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn – a Review

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Derek Birks

There are so many excellent writers around today that I’m never surprised when I discover another one. I was unfamiliar with Kate’s work until I read the fabulous A Day of Fire – a Novel of Pompeii. I loved her … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient History, Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, History, Reviews | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Learning to Swim in the Self-Published Fiction Lake

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Derek Birks

A while ago I did a guest post on another blog about my experiences with self-publishing. Now, not much older and only a bit wiser, I thought I had a few more things to say about it. There are so … Continue reading →

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