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I should have got round to writing about this sooner, but hey, better late than never. The first History in the Court (HitC) event took place last Thursday, the 29th of September. Hosted by the wonderful David Headley and Daniel Gedeon of Goldsboro Books, it saw more than 45 authors of historical fiction gathered in Cecil Court just off Charing Cross Road to chat with readers, drink a glass of wine, enjoy the sunshine and hear about the inaugural HWA/Goldsboro Crown for best debut historical fiction novel. The prize – a beautiful glass block and £2,000 – will be awarded for the first time at HitC next year. See the HWA website for more details.

As well as my good self, there were many other word scribes: Anthony Riches, Harry Sidebottom, Russell Whitfield, Manda Scott, Giles Kristian, Douglas Jackson, Michael Arnold, Angus Donald to name but a few. Conn Iggulden was there, but I didn’t get to meet him, sadly. I did get to talk to Bernard Cornwell, however, which was absolutely brilliant. Even got my photo taken with him!

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the publication of Sharpe’s Eagle by Bernard Cornwell. It’s a momentous landmark to reach, not least because alongside all Cornwell’s other outstanding books, Sharpe is still going strong. In the years since his first book was released, Cornwell has ranged far afield – from the American Civil War to the Dark Ages, from Arthurian legend to Regency London. Despite the dramatic changes in scenery and time period, his unerring eye and ability to tell a fantastic story has never flagged. Few writers can ever hope to reach the dizzy heights of Cornwell’s skill or success. I raise my glass to him, the foremost author of historical fiction in the last 30 years. May his forthcoming book, Death of Kings, hit No. 1 in the bestseller charts the day it comes out! [Read more…] about Bernard Cornwell – the master of historical fiction

Two years ago, I was thrilled to hear about the new Starz TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. naturally, I’m a sucker for any programme or film set in ancient times, especially if it’s about someone as iconic as Spartacus. I watched the first two programmes on the Starz website, and thought that they were tremendous. Yes, they played fast and loose with historical fact, but the world portrayed therein was quite similar to Rome in the first century BC: it was very violent, accepting of slavery, gladiatorial combat and war. The sets were well created, and the actors were convincing. John Hannah finally shed the memories of his role in Four Weddings, and Lucy Lawless was way better than she was in Xena. Best of all, however, there was the stand out actor – Andy Whitfield. If there were ever huge shoes (or sandals) to step into, they belonged to Spartacus. He is not only one of the most memorable figures in world history, but he was played brilliantly by the square-chinned Kirk Douglas in Kubrick’s classic film. In 2010, Andy Whitfield assumed the mantle with ease. [Read more…] about R.I.P. Andy Whitfield

Gods, how I would have loved to have been at this event. It’s been planned for the last two or more years, and hundreds of reenactors from all over the world descended on Greece to make it happen. Christian Cameron, whose Greek HF books are spoken of very highly, was there, as was Angus Donald, author of the excellent Outlaw. Take a look at some of the amazing pictures here. There are also some on one of the posts here. No doubt more will follow, and videos too. I can’t wait. Major kudos to everyone who took part. It was an amazing achievement, and I sincerely hope that a Roman event of that size could take place at some stage, reenacting a major battle like Cannae, Alesia, or Pharsalus.

Incredible, but it’s true. Roman glass that survived more than 1800 years on the seabed is being studied to help make sure that modern storage facilities for nuclear material will be fail-safe. Read about it here. Imagine the thoughts of the manufacturer of that glass if he were to hear what was being done with it now!

There’s also an interesting article about the dedication of Roman arms and weapons in water as a religious ritual here. Having visited the Roman baths in Bath again recently, I was amazed by the not only the number of votive objects that have been trawled from the pool there, but the size of them. The largest item I can think of was a lead ingot or ‘pig’ from the nearby Mendip mines. Not just large and very heavy, but very valuable. Someone a long time ago was extremely worried about an upcoming enterprise, or extremely grateful that something had gone their way!

I love the way new archaeological finds are always coming to light. Carnuntum, a former Roman settlement just outside Vienna has placed itself firmly on the map with this discovery.

In other news, a reader of mine, Steven Kelly, is heading soon to the Roman ruins at Volubilis. I had to look up the name, and when I did, I felt jealous. It’s an amazing site in Morocco, and apparently one of the best in North Africa. Check it out on Google, or here. Please take lots of photos, Steven, and share when you get back!

A 3,000 year old body found in an Irish bog is that of a sacrificed man, possibly a king. Nasty way to go.