Views, Reviews and Weird News

So what have I got to offer you in this weeks "Views, Reviews and Weird News?

Some fresh reviews at various blogs, a radio appearance or two and history coming back to life



VIEWS and REVIEWS:

GOODREADS ****

I do not typically read books that are geared towards younger readers or young adults, but I am very glad that I decided to try this book. It is very well written and kept me engaged to continue reading and finish it in one sitting. It is a heartwarming story of teenage life, love, and angst, as seen by characters that live in different settings. Yet, it is universal in its story, where anyone that reads it, will be able to relate to it. It did not have the quality of being a book that was "too young" for me to read and I believe it will reach readers on every level. I highly recommend this selection.

LIBRARY THING ****

I do not typically read books that are geared towards younger readers or young adults, but I am very glad that I decided to try this book. It is very well written and kept me engaged to continue reading and finish it in one sitting. It is a heartwarming story of teenage life, love, and angst, as seen by characters that live in different settings. Yet, it is universal in its story, where anyone that reads it, will be able to relate to it. It did not have the quality of being a book that was "too young" for me to read and I believe it will reach readers on every level. I highly recommend this selection.


THE KIDS BOOK CONNECTION

I enjoyed Across the Pond. A strong cast of characters, an interesting plot, some great baseball, and a deep secret all come together for an engaging and fun read.

WEIRD NEWS:

Medieval battle records go online

The detailed service records of 250,000 medieval soldiers - including archers who served with Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt - have gone online.

The database of those who fought in the Hundred Years War reveals salaries, sickness records and who was knighted.

The full profiles of soldiers from 1369 to 1453 will allow researchers to piece together details of their lives.

Thomas, Lord Despenser is the youngest soldier on the database, whose career began when he was aged just 12 in 1385.

Elsewhere, the career of Thomas Gloucestre, who fought at Agincourt, can be traced over 43 years and includes campaigns in Prussia and Jerusalem.

'Remarkable survival'

The website is the product of a research project by Professor Anne Curry of the University of Southampton and Dr Adrian Bell of the University of Reading.

Dr Bell said: "The service records survive because the English exchequer had a very modern obsession with wanting to be sure that the government's money was being spent as intended.

"Therefore we have the remarkable survival of indentures for service detailing the forces to be raised, muster rolls showing this service and naming every soldier from duke to archer."

He said accounts from captains showing how funds were spent and entries detailing when the exchequer requested the payments can be found.

The free-to-use website, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, also shows which soldiers rode the furthest.




Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
"Across the Pond"