Welcome to the Historical Fiction Online forums: a friendly place to discuss, review and discover historical fiction.
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You will have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing posts, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You will have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing posts, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Æthelred the Unready
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 4
- Joined: December 2012
Nefret, If your interest is in the historical Aethelred and not a novel, there is a wonderful book titled "The Death of Anglo-Saxon England" by N.J. Higham that is pretty fascinating reading about the reign of Aethelred. Alibris.com has it for under $10, but your local library might be able to get it for you, too.
- Mythica
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: November 2010
- Preferred HF: European and American (mostly pre-20th century)
- Location: Colorado
- Contact:
[quote=""PBracewell""]I'd send you an ARC if I had one! I only have one left in the house, and I need it! To answer your question, neither Viking nor I see it as a young adult novel, and I certainly wrote it for adult readers, meant to appeal to both women and men. [/quote]
Thanks, I'm not heavily into YA so I'm glad. I think some people tend to automatically assume a teenage character means it's YA but of course, that is not necessarily the case.
I'm looking forward to it! Emma is one of my favorite historical figures.
Thanks, I'm not heavily into YA so I'm glad. I think some people tend to automatically assume a teenage character means it's YA but of course, that is not necessarily the case.
I'm looking forward to it! Emma is one of my favorite historical figures.
- Rowan
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1462
- Joined: August 2008
- Interest in HF: I love history, but it's boring in school. Historical fiction brings it alive for me.
- Preferred HF: Iron-Age Britain, Roman Britain, Medieval Britain
- Location: New Orleans
- Contact:
I'd like to throw my two cents in here, if I may.
I am currently reading Shieldwall and contrary to what the back-of-the-book-blurb would have you think, it does not begin at the time of Æthelred's death. He is, in fact, alive for most of the book. I've got 1/4 of the book to read and he's only just now died.
The plot itself focuses on Godwin Wolfnothson (who would later father Harold, the last king of England) and his friendship with Edmond Ironside as well as his on-going conflict with Eadric.
I am currently reading Shieldwall and contrary to what the back-of-the-book-blurb would have you think, it does not begin at the time of Æthelred's death. He is, in fact, alive for most of the book. I've got 1/4 of the book to read and he's only just now died.
The plot itself focuses on Godwin Wolfnothson (who would later father Harold, the last king of England) and his friendship with Edmond Ironside as well as his on-going conflict with Eadric.
Last edited by Rowan on Wed December 12th, 2012, 3:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Mythica
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: November 2010
- Preferred HF: European and American (mostly pre-20th century)
- Location: Colorado
- Contact:
[quote=""Rowan""]I'd like to throw my two cents in here, if I may.
I am currently reading Shieldwall and contrary to what the back-of-the-book-blurb would have you think, it does not begin at the time of Æthelred's death. He is, in fact, alive for most of the book. I've got less than 1/4 of the book to read and he's only just now died.
The plot itself focuses on Godwin Wolfnothson (who would later father Harold, the last king of England) and his friendship with Edmond Ironside as well as his on-going conflict with Eadric.[/quote]
That's good to know, thanks!
I am currently reading Shieldwall and contrary to what the back-of-the-book-blurb would have you think, it does not begin at the time of Æthelred's death. He is, in fact, alive for most of the book. I've got less than 1/4 of the book to read and he's only just now died.
The plot itself focuses on Godwin Wolfnothson (who would later father Harold, the last king of England) and his friendship with Edmond Ironside as well as his on-going conflict with Eadric.[/quote]
That's good to know, thanks!
- Mythica
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: November 2010
- Preferred HF: European and American (mostly pre-20th century)
- Location: Colorado
- Contact:
I just came across Kings of the North by Cecelia Holland - it sounds like it's more from the Danish side but it does involve Æthelred.
- red805
- Avid Reader
- Posts: 303
- Joined: August 2008
- Preferred HF: I like a series the best - more to look forward to after one book ends. Masters of Rome, The Century Trilogy, & the Outlander series are some of my favorites.
- Location: Southern California
I'm currently listening to my first Bernard Cornwell book - Sword Song, & there is an Aethelred that is a major character in the book, but I don't know if that's the Aethelred you're referring to. Oh, sorry, You wanted Aethelred the Unready. Who knew there were so many Aethelreds?
Last edited by red805 on Sat December 29th, 2012, 11:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: wrong Aethelred!
Reason: wrong Aethelred!
- Nefret
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 2994
- Joined: February 2009
- Favourite HF book: Welsh Princes trilogy
- Preferred HF: The Middle Ages (England), New Kingdom Egypt, Medieval France
- Location: Temple of Isis
Oh, the Saxon series. Nice. That's actually the fourth book.
Wrong time period though.
Wrong time period though.
Into battle we ride with Gods by our side
We are strong and not afraid to die
We have an urge to kill and our lust for blood has to be fulfilled
WE´LL FIGHT TILL THE END! And send our enemies straight to Hell!
- "Into Battle"
{Ensiferum}
We are strong and not afraid to die
We have an urge to kill and our lust for blood has to be fulfilled
WE´LL FIGHT TILL THE END! And send our enemies straight to Hell!
- "Into Battle"
{Ensiferum}
Posted by red805
The Anglo-Saxons were fond of reusing names, especially within families, which makes it difficult at times to work out just who's who! Anglo-Saxon names were generally compounded of two words, and causing special confusion is the habit among families of using the same first part of the compound for several family members. So, for example, Æthelflæd's siblings were called Edward, Æthelgifu, Ælfthryth and Æthelweard. Æthelred and Æthelflæd had a daughter called Ælfwynn. It's enough to make your eyes cross!
Yes, Cornwell's Athelred is the Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians, who married Æthelflæd, eldest daughter of King Alfred (also spelt Ælfred). Æthelflæd makes an excellent fist of running Mercia on her own as Lady of the Mercians after her husband Æthelred falls ill and later dies. Cornwell portrays him rather unkindly, though there's no particular evidence that he was a nasty piece of work. As Bernard Cornwell says, though, one of the fun things about using a relatively undocumented period as a setting is that it gives you room for artistic licenceSword Song & there is an Aethelred that is a major character in the book.
The Anglo-Saxons were fond of reusing names, especially within families, which makes it difficult at times to work out just who's who! Anglo-Saxon names were generally compounded of two words, and causing special confusion is the habit among families of using the same first part of the compound for several family members. So, for example, Æthelflæd's siblings were called Edward, Æthelgifu, Ælfthryth and Æthelweard. Æthelred and Æthelflæd had a daughter called Ælfwynn. It's enough to make your eyes cross!
Last edited by annis on Tue January 1st, 2013, 7:56 am, edited 10 times in total.
[quote=""annis""]Posted by red805
Yes, Cornwell's Athelred is the Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians, who married Æthelflæd, eldest daughter of King Alfred (also spelt Ælfred). Æthelflæd makes an excellent fist of running Mercia on her own as Lady of the Mercians after her husband Æthelred falls ill and later dies. Cornwell portrays him rather unkindly, though there's no particular evidence that he was a nasty piece of work. As Bernard Cornwell says, though, one of the fun things about using a relatively undocumented period as a setting is that it gives you room for artistic licence
The Anglo-Saxons were fond of reusing names, especially within families, which makes it difficult at times to work out just who's who! Anglo-Saxon names were generally compounded of two words, and causing special confusion is the habit among families of using the same first part of the compound for several family members. So, for example, Æthelflæd's siblings were called Edward, Æthelgifu, Ælfthryth and Æthelweard. Æthelred and Æthelflæd had a daughter called Ælfwynn. It's enough to make your eyes cross![/quote]
'Aethel-' names seem to have been especially popular, perhaps because 'aethel' meant 'noble, royal'. There are Aethel- names back in the late sixth/early seventh century, so it was popular for a very long time.
Yes, Cornwell's Athelred is the Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians, who married Æthelflæd, eldest daughter of King Alfred (also spelt Ælfred). Æthelflæd makes an excellent fist of running Mercia on her own as Lady of the Mercians after her husband Æthelred falls ill and later dies. Cornwell portrays him rather unkindly, though there's no particular evidence that he was a nasty piece of work. As Bernard Cornwell says, though, one of the fun things about using a relatively undocumented period as a setting is that it gives you room for artistic licence
The Anglo-Saxons were fond of reusing names, especially within families, which makes it difficult at times to work out just who's who! Anglo-Saxon names were generally compounded of two words, and causing special confusion is the habit among families of using the same first part of the compound for several family members. So, for example, Æthelflæd's siblings were called Edward, Æthelgifu, Ælfthryth and Æthelweard. Æthelred and Æthelflæd had a daughter called Ælfwynn. It's enough to make your eyes cross![/quote]
'Aethel-' names seem to have been especially popular, perhaps because 'aethel' meant 'noble, royal'. There are Aethel- names back in the late sixth/early seventh century, so it was popular for a very long time.
PATHS OF EXILE - love, war, honour and betrayal in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria
Editor's Choice, Historical Novels Review, August 2009
Now available as e-book on Amazon Kindleand in Kindle, Epub (Nook, Sony Reader), Palm and other formats on Smashwords
Website: http://www.carlanayland.org
Blog: http://carlanayland.blogspot.com
Editor's Choice, Historical Novels Review, August 2009
Now available as e-book on Amazon Kindleand in Kindle, Epub (Nook, Sony Reader), Palm and other formats on Smashwords
Website: http://www.carlanayland.org
Blog: http://carlanayland.blogspot.com