The history books you should panic-buy as Christmas presents

15 must-have titles, fiction and non-fiction

Christmas is almost upon us… But it’s not too late to do a bit of last-minute gift buying! Time is short with just a few days left so I won’t waste time with a verbose introduction: we need every minute we can get to prepare for the big day! (And there’s only so much time left to secure delivery slots…)

I’ve organised this list of books for history lovers into three categories, including a summary for each.

1. 5 books I bought recently

2. 5 books on my Christmas list

3. 5 books by Substack writers

It looks like a long post, but it’s quite easy to skim through to find what you’re looking for. Let’s dive in!

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5 books I bought recently

1. Hetta Howes, Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife: The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women. Non-fiction. ‘What was life really like for women in the medieval period? How did they think about sex, death and God? Could they live independent lives? And how can we hear their stories? Few women had the luxury of writing down their thoughts and feelings during medieval times. But remarkably, there are at least four extraordinary women who did … This mesmerizing book is an unforgettably lively and immersive journey into the everyday lives of medieval women through the stories of these four iconic women writers, some of which are retold here for general readers for the first time.’¹

2. Sara J. Charles, The Medieval Scriptorium: Making Books in the Middle Ages. Non-fiction. ‘This book takes the reader on an immersive journey through medieval manuscript production in the Latin Christian world … With the written word at the very heart of the Christian monastic movement, we see the immense amount of labour, planning and networks needed to produce each individual manuscript. By tapping into these processes and procedures, we can experience medieval life through the lens of a manuscript maker.’²

3. Barbara Erskine, The Dream Weavers. Fiction. ‘The year is 775AD, and the Saxon King Offa rules with cold ambition. His daughter, Eadburh, destined for an arranged marriage, is devastated when her true love is torn from her. Angry and passionate, she rebels – and her defiance may lead to war. Centuries later, unsettling visions disturb a cottage hidden amongst the Welsh hills, and Bea begins to have haunting nightmares. The past is calling – and Eadburh is trying to exact her revenge. As dreams and reality weave closer together, will Bea have the strength to resist the secrets of the Saxons?’³

4. Leonora Nattrass, The Bells of Westminster. Fiction. London, 1774. ‘Susan Bell spends her days within the confines of Westminster Abbey, one of many who live in the grounds of the ancient building … A ghostly figure is seen walking the abbey cloisters, wearing the crown and shroud of the dead king. Then there is further uproar when one of the Antiquaries is found viciously murdered, and the corpse of Edward I is stolen … Could one of the Society members be harbouring a murderous secret? Or is one of the abbey's own a killer?’⁴

5. Susanna Kearsley, The King’s Messenger. Fiction. ‘1613: Scotland and England, unified under one crown, are reeling from the sudden death of King James’ popular eldest son, Henry, as rumours swirl that the prince was poisoned. Andrew Logan, one of the King’s Messengers, is sent north with secret orders to find and arrest the man the king suspects. Phoebe Westaway cannot abide Andrew Logan. But when her ageing father is tasked with helping Logan, Phoebe finds herself with no choice but to join them in their quest to capture Sir David Moray, once Prince Henry’s trusted courtier, and carry him to London to stand trial for the prince’s murder.’⁵

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5 books on my Christmas wishlist

1. Ian Lloyd, The Throne: 1,000 Years of British Coronations. Non-fiction. ‘From the crowning of Charles III, thirty-nine coronations have been held in Westminster Abbey since the Norman Conquest. Only two monarchs – Edward V and Edward VIII – were uncrowned, and a further twenty or so Scottish monarchs were crowned elsewhere, usually at either Scone Abbey or Holyrood Abbey … Detailing everything from the famous Coronation Chair made for Edward I and the Crown Jewels to the infamously uncomfortable Gold State Coach – this is a truly spectacular celebration of British culture and the ultimate pomp of royalty.’⁶

2. Helen Castor, The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV. Non-fiction. ‘Richard of Bordeaux and Henry Bolingbroke were first cousins, born just three months apart. Their lives were from the beginning entwined. When they were still children, Richard was crowned King Richard II with Henry at his side, carrying the sword of state: a ten-year-old lord in the service of his ten-year-old king … Helen Castor tells this story of one of the strangest and most fateful relationships in English history. It is a story about power, and masculinity in crisis, and a nation brought to the brink of catastrophe. At its heart, it is the story of two men whose lives were played out in extraordinary parallel, to devastating effect.’⁷

3. Terry Deary, The History of Britain in Ten Enemies. Non-fiction. ‘Ah, Britain. So special. The greatest nation on earth, some say. And we did it all on our own. Didn’t we? As it happens Britannia got its name from the Romans, and for the past two centuries we have been ruled by Germans. As Horrible Histories author Terry Deary argues, nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make … A History of Britain in Ten Enemies is a witty, whistlestop tour of British history that will have you laughing as you find out what they didn't teach you in school.’⁸

4. Henrietta Leyser, Medieval Women: Social History of Women in England 450-1000. Non-fiction. ‘Henrietta Leyser considers the problems and attitudes fundamental to every woman of the time: medieval views on sex, marriage and motherhood; the world of work and the experience of widowhood for peasant, townswoman and aristocrat. The intellectual and spiritual worlds of medieval women are also explored. MEDIEVAL WOMEN celebrates the diversity and vitality of English women's lives in the Middle Ages.’⁹

5. Joanna Arman, The Warrior Queen: The Life and Legend of Æthelflæd, Daughter of Alfred the Great. Non-fiction. ‘Æthelflæd, eldest daughter of Alfred the Great, has gone down in history as an enigmatic and almost legendary figure … The sources from her own time, and later, reveal a more complex, nuanced and fascinating image of the ‘Lady of the Mercians’. A skilled diplomat who forged alliances with neighbouring territories, she was a shrewd and even ruthless leader willing to resort to deception and force to maintain her power … The real Æthelflæd emerges as a remarkable political and military leader, admired in her own time, and a model of female leadership for writers of later generations.’¹⁰

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5 books by Substack writers

1. Robin Payes, The Edge of Yesterday series. Fiction. ‘When thirteen-year-old geek-girl Charley Morton decides to build what she believes is Leonardo da Vinci’s design for a time machine for the middle school science fair, she has two thoughts in mind: to win first prize and to travel back in time to meet her idol, Leonardo. Her goal: to find out how the Renaissance artist, engineer, scientist, musician, anatomist, and inventor managed to do it all.’¹¹ Buy it HERE.

2. Marian L. Thorpe, Empire’s Legacy series. Fiction. ‘For centuries, women used weapons to kill for food, men to kill in war. Now Lena must break with tradition to save those she loves, but as she steps from her settled world into one of battle, intrigue and politics, her lover chooses banishment. Lonely and afraid, each decision Lena makes brings more terrible consequences, until even her own people turn against her. Her partner in exile, the enigmatic diplomat Cillian, has no survival skills. Lena’s quick wit and prowess with knife and bow keeps them alive as they search for a lost Empire of immense and ancient power. But how much will Lena sacrifice for a hopeless cause before the price is just too great?’¹² Buy it HERE.

3. Sarah Beeson MBE and Amy Beeson, The New Arrival. Memoir. ‘On a hot summer’s day in 1969, fresh-faced 17 year old Nurse Sarah Hill arrives at Hackney General Hospital in London’s East End. Battered suitcase in hand, she takes eager steps in her white calf-length Mary Quant boots towards the towering sandy-grey building of the Nurses’ Home. It’s the end of the swinging sixties, Britain is changing and the everyday life of the nurses and patients plays out against a backdrop of a failing government, strikes, immigration and women’s lib … But it’s not all smooth sailing in Hackney: for every baby that goes home to its loving family another is abandoned, unloved, or never gets to go home at all. Funny, warm and deeply moving, Sarah Beeson’s poignant memoir captures both the heartache and happiness of hospital life and 1970s London through the eyes of a gentle but determined young nurse.’¹³ Buy it HERE.

4. Sarah Beeson MBE and Amy Beeson, Our Country Nurse. Memoir. All seems tranquil as newly qualified health visitor Sarah Hill motors into a small Kentish hilltop village on a sunny afternoon in 1975. She’s barely out of the car when she’s called to assist the midwife with a bride who’s gone into labour in the middle of her own wedding reception. Village life isn’t always quite the Good Life Sarah’s been expecting – and will it be the clergyman, the vet or the young doctor who wins her heart? During her first year as a nurse in Kent, Sarah gets stuck in – reuniting families and helping mums in the midst of a community full of ancient feuds, funny little ways and just a bit of magic.’¹⁴ Buy it HERE.

5. Holly A Brown, Echoes of Hearth and Hall. Short story collection. ‘Weaving a richly textured, vibrant tale of life in the medieval past, Echoes of Hearth and Hall shares a deeply relatable world. Through vignettes of day-to-day life and creative reimaginings of more famous individuals, it invites you into a time of magic, fire, and love no less embodied than our own.’ Buy it HERE.

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Anything pique your interest? Or are there other books you’ve got your eye on?

Let us know in the comments - or simply pop by to wish everyone a happy holidays!

Alternatively, share this list with a friend or family member who’s struggling to find something for you (hint, hint - I know my family members read this newsletter, so I’ll know which ones of you made it to the end of this post !).

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Out of Office

This has been the penultimate post for

Telling Their Tales

in 2024. I’ll be taking a break from posting over the festive period¹⁵ and will be back with the launch of our ‘returning to our roots’ evolution in January. We’ll be diving headlong into medieval history and properly geeking out. That’s the vibe for 2025, and I can’t wait to meet you there.

For now, you can keep in touch with me on Notes in the Substack app, where I’ll be finishing the Medieval Treasures Advent Calendar, as well as sharing six small history newsletters and why you should subscribe to them between Christmas and New Year.

1. https://amzn.eu/d/7xakkVI

2. https://amzn.eu/d/ex2sQqH

3. https://amzn.eu/d/hMxOu1I

4. https://amzn.eu/d/1LwwHip

5. https://amzn.eu/d/cyKr7mV

6. https://amzn.eu/d/cORmEx8

7. https://amzn.eu/d/j6gxOAQ

8. https://amzn.eu/d/6C9vPFa

9. https://amzn.eu/d/iRLQ7KB

10. https://amzn.eu/d/1zslLin

11. https://amzn.eu/d/89y62ec

12. https://scarletferret.com/books/empires-legacy-season-pass

13. Personal communication.

14. Personal communication.

15. I have one more scheduled for Christmas Day, a gift to say thank you for all your kindness and friendship in 2024.