Dr Erica Canela’s debut history work, Zealous: A Darker Side of the Early Quakers, published by Pen & Sword History in the UK in late September 2025, focuses on the oft-sidelined history of the early Quakers, bringing to life these unconventional and fascinating people in Stuart Britain – with their many trials and tribulations. This period was at… Read on
‘Elizabeth was king, now James is queen’, one anonymous English author wrote around 1623, and it is this quote which begins Queen James, which was released today in the United Kingdom. I recently had the delight of having its author, historian Gareth Russell, back on my show for Season 2, Episode 2 of Stuart Saturday Live. It is… Read on
Historian Heather R. Darsie, who was my first guest for Season 2 of Stuart Saturday Live, is best known for her work on Tudor women such as Anne of Cleves (and I’m looking forward to reading her forthcoming book on Katharine of Aragon for Amberley Publishing). She recently, however, stepped into the world of Stuart history with her… Read on
King Charles I (1600-1649) had a life marked by tragedy, plots, war, and bloodshed (all culminating in his beheading). Coming from an already grim heritage (his grandmother was Mary, Queen of Scots, after all), he was born in Scotland to James VI of Scotland and Anna of Denmark. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, this… Read on
The name of Bernini is one that all fans of Baroque sculpture instantly recognise because of the beauty and importance of his work. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, born in 1598 and died in 1681, is known for such works as The Rape of Proserpina (1621-22), the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1647-52), David (1623-24), among many others. His works are known… Read on
It is no secret that Charles Spencer has been one of my favourite historians for several decades. In recent years, I have had the honour of communicating with him about Stuart-era history and he has always been kind, supportive, and helpful. I’m also fond of him because he lives in Northamptonshire, where my husband, Gavin, is from (and,… Read on
I recently had the pleasure of reading The Myrtle Wand by Margaret Porter a couple of months ago, a story set in seventeenth-century France during the time of Louis XIV. Porter is the award-winning author of over a dozen books of historical fiction and historical romance (under Margaret Evans Porter). Although I have purchased several of her novels,… Read on
Today, we welcome a prolific author and history lover: C de Melo! I recently had the pleasure of working on the audiobook production de Melo’s The Apprentice (out today!), which is a dramatic adventure that takes place in the early 1600s, and is set in alluring, stunning Italian cities such as Florence, Siena, Rome, and Naples. The protagonist, ‘Carlo’,… Read on