by David West | Jul 29, 2025 | News
On the 29th of July, 1565, the widowed Mary Queen of Scots married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley at Holyrood Palace. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was born on 7 December 1545 at Temple Newsam in Leeds, Yorkshire. He was a significant figure in 16th-century British history,...
by David West | Jul 28, 2025 | News
I am working on the second draft of The Favourite Murder, the fifth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. It is set in Paris around 1612 to 1614, and the Estates-General of 1614 features. Perhaps that is why the execution of Robespierre by guillotine on the 28th...
by David West | Jul 27, 2025 | News
Here’s an update on progress with The Favourite Murder, the fifth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. Yesterday I completed the grammar and spelling checks with ProWritingAid. That was certainly well worth doing. So far my sternest critic has been my wife,...
by David West | Jul 27, 2025 | News
The Battle of Dunsinane was fought on the 27th of July, 1054, and Siward, Earl of Northumbria defeated Macbeth, King of Scotland. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a renowned tragedy that draws loosely from the historical figure Macbeth, who reigned as King of...
by David West | Jul 26, 2025 | News
As my ancestor, Sir Anthony Standen, was an Elizabethan Spy providing Walsingham with detailed intelligence on the Spanish Armada, I am interested in matters related to espionage. Therefore the creation of the CIA has grabbed my attention today. Origins and Formation...
by David West | Jul 25, 2025 | News
On the 25th of July, 1593, King Henry IV of France publicly converted from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. Henry, or Henri in the French of the time, is a key character in The Suggested Assassin, the third book in the Sir Anthony Standen Advetures. King Henry IV...
