Christmas in the Middle Ages was celebrated with as much joy and enthusiasm as it is today, perhaps even more. Discover the origins of our modern traditions and how people would celebrate Christmas without turkey, tinsel or Santa Claus
My new n-f book, the latest in my series of survival guides from Pen and Sword Books has just gone on pre-order. How to Survive in Ration-Book Britain imagines you, dear reader, as a time traveller, going back to the middle of the c20th. Britain was at war and food, fuel, clothing, even cricket balls were rationed. What was it like for the ordinary housewife, looking after her family, perhaps working full-time for the first time, feeding the kids, worrying if her man would return, what would you eat, what would you wear? How would you survive?
THIS BOOK COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE! If you are planning to travel back to the England of Anglo-Saxon times and begin a new life without technology, how will you manage? If you were a king, a thegn or even a slave, what rights do you have under the law? Are women treated well by their husbands, and if you become sick, what are your chances of recovery? How might you earn your living, and the biggest worry: what to do about those fearsome Vikings? All these questions and more are answered in this self-help guide for time-travellers. It explores the difficulties you may encounter and the problems that might occur, especially as you are a newcomer in this very different world.
Virtually everyone travelling from London to Canterbury, or Dover, had to pass through Gravesend, either on the Roman Watling Street, the old Dover Road or the 'Long Ferry' on the Thames from Westminster.
The name Gravesend goes back to the tenth century and beyond; before the Domesday Book, and centuries before the plague came to England. The name Gravesend was the village belonging to the Greeve and where his authority ended (Greeve's End).
An Anglo Saxon settlement was here, as was a royal palace. The rights to a market were granted by the king and the right to ferry passengers to London was jealously guarded. Archbishops were born here, the town was destroyed by an invasion from France and survivors from the Wars of the Roses built their homes here. You can now order your copy in paperback or Kindle.
Click here to buy direct from the printer: https://shorturl.at/od2yp
Imagine you're transported back to Tudor England and had to start a new life there, without smartphones, satnav or social media, how will you know where you are or where to go? Where will you live and where will you work? And who can you turn to if you fall ill or God forbid if you upset the king? In a period when execution by beheading was the fate of thousands how can you keep your head in Tudor England?
All these questions are answered in this new guidebook to make your visit to the 16th century much more fun. Enjoy interviews with the celebrities of the day, and learn some new words to set the mood for your time-travelling adventure. Have an exciting visit but be sure to keep this book to hand.
order the paperback from the publisher Pen & Sword here here
or your favourite online bookstore here
This useful guide is a vital accessory when you next visit the Middle-Ages. How will you manage without your mobile phone, internet or social media? When transport means walking or, for the better off, horse-back, how will you know where you are or where to go? Where will you live and what should you eat?
What if you fall ill or are mugged in the street?
All these questions and many more are answered in this new self-help guide: How to Survive in Medieval England comes with top-tips to make your visit to the Middle Ages much more fun; have a go at preparing medieval dishes and learn some new words to set the mood for your adventure.
PLUS unique interviews with the celebrities of the day, from a successful business woman and a condemned felon, to a royal cook and a very controversial King Richard III.
Have an exciting visit to medieval England but be sure to keep this book to hand - coming soon mybook.to/MedEngland
The World of Isaac Newton is available now
For nine decades, Isaac Newton bestrode the world of science, becoming a colossus of experimentation, discovery and philosophy. How did a seventeenth-century Lincolnshire farm-boy become one of the most influential scientists of all time, his work still relevant to us today and for our future? This fascinating new biography explores not only Newton’s world and his times but the earlier ideas that were the foundation for his breakthroughs in science and those people around him who influenced his work. His later career at the Royal Mint and his heretical views on religion are considered as extensions of his philosophical thoughts. From school mathematics to space exploration, from laser surgical techniques to artificial intelligence, Newton is here in our everyday lives: the man who changed the world.
You can order here
Alongside the coronations, diplomacy and battles, here can be found the fabric of real medieval life. With a diverse range of entries – one for each day of the year – this is an almanac for lovers of all things medieval. A detailed picture of medieval England gathered from original sources.
Pub: Amberley Publishing (22 May 2016)
Published in paperback on 15th October 2019 - order here
Medieval Medicine: Its Mysteries and Science The phrase 'Medieval Medicine' conjures up horrors for us with our modern ideas on hygiene, instant pain relief and effective treatments. Although no one could allay the dread of plague, the medical profession could provide cures of sorts as well as cosmetics, sanitary products, dietary advice and horoscopes. (NB This is the paperback version of Dragon's Blood & Willow Bark...)
Pub: Amberley Publishing; (15 April 2016)
Dragon's Blood & Willow Bark - Medieval Surgeons performed life-saving procedures, sometimes even using anaesthetics, they knew a few tricks to lessen the scarring, too. Yet alongside such expertise, some still believed that unicorns and dragons provided cures for many diseases. No animals, large, furry or mythological, were harmed during research for this book. (NB This is the hardback version of Medieval Medicine)
Pub: Amberley Publishing (16 April 2015)
Everyday Life in Medieval London Abandoned by the Romans, rebuilt by the Saxons, occupied by the Vikings and reconstructed by the Normans, London would become the largest trade and financial centre, dominating the world in later centuries.
" ... an excellent book full of riches - extremely informative, insightful and entertaining in equal measure." London Blue Badge Guide
Pub: PB Amberley Publishing (15 May 2015)
HB Amberley Publishing (15 Mar 2014 )
The Medieval Housewife In the past, historians have tended to look at what women could not do. In this book we will look at the lives of medieval women in a more positive light, finding out what rights and opportunities they enjoyed and attempting to uncover the real women beneath the layers of dust accumulated over the centuries.
Pub: Amberley Publishing (15 Nov 2014)
Richard III King of Controversy is based on over 30 years of personal research as a member of the Richard III Society. Updated in 2015 this 40 page book with colour illustrations, is an introduction to the life and controversies surrounding one of England's best known Kings
Pub: Echoes from History (1 Mar 2015)
First Published 1 March 2013
Dare they be Doctors is the fascinating tale of the determined young Victorian women who overcame endless obstacles and discrimination to succeed in a man's world.
Pub: Echoes from History (1 April 2013)
Mrs Beeton's Victorian Christmas
Pub: Echoes from History (1 April 2012)
Medieval Housewives and Women of the Middle-Ages This 80 page paperback was my first book and is the basis of the book of the same title later republished by Amberley in 2014.
Pub: Echoes from History (1 May 2007)