11 Articles All Medieval History Lovers Should Read This Month
Monthly Roundup | September 2024
Hello all!
I hope that September has been kind to you, and that you have enjoyed uncovering hidden tales, old and new. This month’s roundup is heavy on the reads, with a few podcasts and an updates to the paid community here at Telling Their Tales that will, I hope, continue to build the connections between readers and writers in this space.
Notices
Welcome to new paid members who have joined in September
and - it’s so great to have you within our cosy community of history readers and writers. I can’t wait to get to know you better through the community features coming up in October.Can you help?
I’m putting together a Directory of our favourite historical fiction reads. This will, I hope, be the first of a series of Directories that gather top-notch history reads in one place; I’m planning fiction editions too, with lots of subsections that we can easily navigate.
Leave a comment on this post with the title & author of your favourite historical fiction read, and I’ll make sure to include it.
FYI…
Just a quick housekeeping note. This is a beefy edition and if you’re reading this in email (as most do), some email providers may truncate the content. Read in the Substack app to make sure you don’t miss anything. You can download the app at the link below. It’s free, quick, and easy to do.
Contents
In Case You Missed It
Something to Read
Something to Listen To
Coming Up In September
In Case You Missed It
My top article this month was about a book I nearly gave up on, but am so so glad I didn’t. Who knew there was a jaw-dropping twist waiting to keep me awake until the early hours? You can read it here.
Non-fiction articles
Fiction instalments
Something to Read
New additions to the
’ Directory are published weekly. You can find all of September’s editions HERE.The Pictish King With An Anglian Father, by
Celtic crosses and Saxon monasteries: How island art and monks helped shape Christian Europe, by
- , was a thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the craft of history writing.
The Crone Archetype: The Most Complex Female Archetype to Write, by
, came just as I was beginning to think of female character types for my next serial novel.The Mysterious Turkish Map of America, by
Which Came First: the Kingdom or the King?, by
After Hastings: Becoming William I by
Beyond the Eurocentric Canon by
Review: Saints: A New Legendary of Heroes, Humans and Magic by Amy Jeffs by
. Did I buy this book straight off the review? Yes, yes I did. Because I love everything that Amy Jeffs writes and somehow this launch had completely passed me by.
Something to Listen To
These recommendations come courtesy of
, a writer specialising in Tudor history. Do check her own publication out! I particularly loved her recent article on Henry VII.Henry V with Dan Jones on Single Malt History with Gareth Russell
The Rise of Henry Tudor: A Son of Prophecy with Nathen Amin on Talking Tudors
Sidenote from Holly: I also really enjoyed Nathen’s episode on Gone Medieval, The Medieval Tudors, back in July
Tudoriferous is a great podcast as a whole, as is The History of England (a chronological podcast that has reached the C17th English Revolution).
To add another Gone Medieval episode (I hope
appreciates all the mentions!), I loved the recent episode Tolkein: Middle Earth and Middle Ages. If Tolkein’s your thing, be sure to check out ’s upcoming slow read of the books, starting imminently.Also, Did Anne Boleyn write to Henry VIII from the Tower of London while she was a prisoner? by
. The title alone intrigued me: the chance to peer inside one of history’s most famous couples!Coming up in October
Articles
There’s something wrong with the world of medieval history publishing - my reflections on a recent bookstore visit, with a sprinkle of hope!
What’s in a name? - travel diaries from a recent trip to Beddgelert, Wales
What’s the point in historical fiction? - a collaborative project with subscribers, starting a two-month series on historical fiction and serialised fiction
Monthly roundup
Opportunities to connect
First book club post - Storyland by Amy Jeffs
A video diary sharing my PhD (Archaeology) induction week at Oxford University
Two threads - the first discussing where our passion for history developed from and the second our historical heroes
Two chats - a get-to-know-eachother and an ask me anything
Coming soon… A new serialised novel, shared exclusively on Substack.
That’s it for this month guys! It’s been a great one, and I look forward to connecting with you more over the coming weeks. Have a great October.
All the best as always,
Holly
Thank you for the spotlight! Cant wait to dig into these others recommendations
Thank you for the mention!