13thcenturyhistory

'Rebellion Against Henry III- The Disinherited Montfortians 1265-1274'- David Pilling On 4th August 1265 the Second Barons War is said to have ended, with  Simon de Montfort and his eldest son Henry , along with  some 34  rebel noblemen ,were killed at the Battle of  Evesham ( The contemporary ideal of chivalry seemed to be largely overlooked), A rebel army had been caught, trapped and soundly defeated by Lord Edward and the Royalists. Henry III was released from rebel captivity.  Mr Pilling's book presents a strong case to argue that Evesham did not end a wider rebellion  against the Crown.And very convincing he is too. For a start  there were still diehard supporters of Simon de Montfort who were not going to surrender quietly, most notably under the command of Simon de Montfort the Younger at Kenilworth Castle. Furthermore de Montfort's widow Eleanor, held on to Dover Castle, had support in the Cinque Port Towns . The book demonstrates tha...

                    David Pilling                        It was a pleasure to interview author David Pilling via email last month. His novellas and novels take in many different historical eras. David has also written some fantasy novels and historical works. David's medieval fiction has an emphasis on conflict, breakdown of order, realistic to the point of being brutal, and displays a great knowledge of the era, along with  the history of different regions of England, along with Wales , Scotland, and parts of France. This interview focuses more on David's writing that relates to the 13th and 14th centuries, rather than attempts to be some sort of overview of his work. Predictable question : How important is your connection with Wales in writing Medieval fiction? Am particularly thinking of the 'Lions of Gwynedd' series?  I was born in England but raised on...