While one of the most widely publicised cases of such a fertility treatment, it was certainly not the only one in the Middle Ages. In fact, due to the lack of knowledge surrounding not only fertility but also pregnancies and birth, there was a flourishing market offering spiritual and secular aids.

This book provides a history of the concerns and the common problems for women struggling with fertility problems, being pregnant and giving birth, and looks especially at the religious and societal ramifications of these issues.　

Michèle Schindler is a language teacher for children and adults, teaching English and German as a second language. She also reads and writes French and Latin. Her degree was in English Studies and History with a focus on medieval studies, in particular fifteenth-century England and France. She is the author of Lovell Our Dogge (Amberley, 2019) and De la Pole, Father and Son (Amberley, 2022). She has also written and self-published a novella, The Autumn Baron and a charity anthology Yorkist Stories, which raised money for Doctors Without Borders.

A writer utilizes violence, like song or dance, in moments where the story requires more than just words. But addressing how the violence will be staged tends either to be neglected or utterly gratuitous, both of which serve to separate the audience from the story and kill the whole venture.

The answer rests in approaching violence the same way we do scenework. The addition of violence, or ballet, or a musical number appears to be an altogether-separate beast from the basic text for an increasing number of actors and directors. Particularly those who think poetry and violence are mutually-exclusive concepts. The plays of William Shakespeare seek to engage audiences with all of the characters’ blood, tears, sweat, and guts. These works are not flowery poems meant to be mumbled in a classroom, or histrionically declaimed in frilly costumes. There is nothing light and fluffy about rape and murder’s rages, or carving someone as a dish fit for the gods, or fighting till from one’s bones one’s flesh be hacked.

Making matters more complicated is the ambiguity and sometimes even complete lack of stage directions. Modern texts typically possess clear directions whenever violence is to occur in the action but playscripts were quite different four centuries ago. Such denotations were both rare and inconsistent in Elizabethan and Jacobean printings.

Deciding which of the potential events to pursue in production comes down to which actors are involved, how they specifically match up with one another, and what types of violence exist within the vocabulary of the play and the world of any given production, specifically yours. The potential violence we will examine is not appropriate for all productions or scene partners. We’re here to question and inspire rather than provide catch-all solutions. Actors, directors, fight directors, and intimacy consultants must work together to find the most effective way for their production to communicate the playwright’s story to an audience.　

Seth Duerr is the Founder and Artistic Director of The York Shakespeare Company and has appeared in and/or directed 34 productions of Shakespeare. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and serves on the Advisory Board of Wingspan Arts.

About Jared Kirby

Jared Kirby has been involved in Western Martial Arts and Combat for Stage & Screen for 25 years. He teaches in New York City and is a Master of Arms (Maestro d’Armi) through the Martinez Academy of Arms. He is the president of CombatCon in Las Vegas and teaches workshops around the world. As a fight director, Jared has choreographed stars such as Peter Sarsgaard, Steve Guttenberg and Cameron Douglas and choreographed fights Off-Broadway, nationally, and internationally in London and Sydney. In addition to this book, Jared is the editor of A Gentleman’s Guide to Duelling by Vincentio Saviolo and The School of Fencing by Domenico Angelo and annotated by Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Martínez, and is the co-author of Staging Shakespeare’s Violence, Vol. 1.

This eagerly anticipated book is in three parts: Part One examines in detail the social history of the Regency, and is obviously the most recognizable to viewers of the series released so far by Netflix. As such it takes in all aspects of Regency society as enjoyed by the landowning and titled aristocracy in their opulent houses, with their lavish fashions and impeccably prescribed conduct and manners. We learn of the affairs, adultery, sport, leisure and the ardent pursuit of illicit sex in brothels, gambling houses and taverns, of Regency LGBTQ and the endless scramble for the best marriage match as played out in the extravagant balls and at the endless visits and soirées.

Part Two takes a close look at the production itself and discusses its historical accuracy in relation to what we discovered in Part One, and the divergences from that history. Using first-hand evidence from the creators and writers of the production we explore the ‘alternate history’ underscoring the series, not least the controversial issue of racial diversity in the casting. Part Three looks at the other side of the coin: the plight of the vast majority living and just surviving in Regency England, amidst the routine squalor, poverty, vagrancy, prostitution and occupational disease, workhouses and domestic and sexual abuse navigated daily, particularly by the women of the day.　

Paul Chrystal has been history advisor to York visitor attractions, writing features for national newspapers, and broadcasting on BBC local radio, on Radio 4’s PM programme and on the BBC World Service. He is contributor to a number of history and archaeology magazines and writes features for national newspapers. He is author of the best-selling A History of Britain in 100 Objects (2022). His books have been translated into Chinese and Japanese. He is author of Factory Girls: The Working Lives of Women and Children published by Pen & Sword in 2022.

Nicholas Fogg, MBE, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and educated at Warwick School and the Universities of Nottinghan, Oxford and London. His varied career includes founding a charity for the homeless, working with the City of Birmingham Orchestra and at Harvard University, teaching in the East End of London and Marlborough College. As the three-times Mayor of Marlborough, he was the 418yh successor to John Walford, who was sued for a debt of £30 by William Shakespeare’s father.

The long-awaited Tudor prince dies of the Sweat on his fifteenth birthday.

The Queen of Scots is ruthlessly executed by the Queen of England.

A seventeen-year-old ascends the Throne of England to rule it for a mere nine days. The last Plantagenet prince is put to death to facilitate a much-longed-for marriage alliance.

From Mary, Queen of Scots, to Lady Jane Grey, from Edward, Earl of Warwick, to Arthur Tudor and on to Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, these were the Lost Heirs to the Tudor Throne. They were the ones who - had luck favoured them - could have ascended the Throne of England. With an overview of the lives of the Princes in the Tower and the Battle of Bosworth, this book delves into the lives of these commoners and royalty alike, who may have rewritten history had they ascended the throne.　

Neha Roy is an educational content writer, and her short stories have been published in her local Bengali society’s annual magazine and online on her Wattpad page. It was her grandfather who introduced her to the world of books and, later, history. He made her fall in love with history by narrating anecdotes from the past and his life experiences. She recently forayed into non-fiction when she started a blog on the Plantagenets and the Tudor dynasty, and the various Tudor books, podcasts and websites available opened up a whole new world. She lives in Gurgaon, India with her husband, in-laws and her 4-year-old daughter. Her Twitter and Instagram handles are @withtudors.

The chapters appear in a variety of approaches and lengths. Some look at humorous happenings, others investigate interesting personages and events – examples include a look at Cato the Younger possibly interviewing a pharaoh whilst sitting on the lavatory, an inventor and house ‘flipper’ called Sergius Orata, the revolt of Lepidus, and the fixing of an election.

While aiming to be interesting and entertaining, the entries can also serve as jumping-off points for more in-depth study. To facilitate this, each chapter lists the secondary sources used in its creation, which doubles as ‘Further Reading’. So, if you want more on the Gracchi, Marius, Sulla, Rome’s wars (internal and external), political trials, revolts or another subject addressed within, help is provided.

There are also three subcollections interspersed throughout the compilation – the Catonic Interludes, which look at aspects of the career of Cato the Younger; Caesarian Setbacks, which look at battlefield defeats inflicted on Caesar and his lieutenants, while Avenging the Triumvirs looks at the fates of the men involved in the murders of Crassus, Pompey and Caesar.

Looking at the Contents, you would be forgiven for thinking that ‘The Murder of…’ and ‘The Trial of…’ were also subcategories given how often chapters could be summed up in that manner…

But then this Ancient Rome after all…　

Dr Peter Crawford gained a PhD in Ancient History at Queen’s University, Belfast under the tutelage of respected classicist Professor Brian Campbell. His previous books, The War of the Three Gods (2013), Constantius II (2015) and The Roman Emperor Zeno (2018) were also published by Pen & Sword. He lives in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

We begin with a re-evaluation of Catherine of Aragon’s name through the lens of her family history and how it shaped her life, followed by an analysis of Catherine’s financial situation after the annulment. Anne Boleyn is considered in relation to her role in the Chateau Vert pageant, followed by an analysis of her use of French and English gable hoods, which includes a discussion of an incredible, newly discovered contemporary image of Anne. Jane Seymour’s religion and unpopularity are each examined in turn to uncover fresh perspectives on Henry’s third queen. Anna of Cleves’s adaption to life in England is discussed, followed by her life and status under Edward VI and Mary I. Katherine Howard’s performance of queenship is re-evaluated, as well as the connections between herself and and her cousin, Anne Boleyn. Finally, apocryphal tales of Kateryn Parr’s rise to the throne are reassessed, followed by an examination of how close she came to arrest and execution.　

Jessica Carey-Bunning is a Tudor historian and PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide. She fell in love with history after seeing a copy of the Magna Carta on a trip with her parents when she was five years old. Jessica began the Tudor Treasures website and Facebook page in 2022. She lives in Sydney with her husband, son, and cat. This book is the culmination of decades of passion and research.

The knights were accused of horrific crimes that included spitting on the crucifix of Jesus, worshipping a demonic head, and engaging in secret rituals that disgusted medieval Christians. Heresy and sodomy were the two main charges levelled at the Templars. Were they framed or was there a germ of truth in the allegations?

For centuries, people have wondered what happened to the fabled treasure of the Templars, including the Holy Grail. The clues are examined to find out exactly what this treasure was and where it may have ended up.

The most common question asked about the Knights Templar is: do they still exist today? This book introduces you to those who claim to be the inheritors of the Templar legacy. Is it possible that the knights survived and endured to the present day?　

Tony McMahon is a broadcaster and author appearing on history and science TV documentaries such as William Shatner’s The UnXplained, Laurence Fishburne’s History’s Greatest Mysteries, and Channel 5’s Secrets of the Royal Palaces. Other books include his biography of Neville Staple of 1980s pop band, The Specials, Original Rude Boy, and the biography of British boxer Errol Christie, No Place To Hide, shortlisted for two awards. He is a former BBC news producer and lives in London.

Not yet fourteen when he became emperor, Alexander was dominated by his mother, Julia Mammaea and advisors like the historian, Cassius Dio. In the military field, he successfully checked the aggressive Sassanid Persians but some sources see his Persian campaign as a costly failure marked by mutiny and reverses that weakened the army. When Germanic and Sarmatian tribes crossed the Rhine and Danube frontiers in 234, Alexander took the field against them but when he attempted to negotiate to buy time, his soldiers perceived him as weak, assassinated him and replaced him with the soldier Maximinus Thrax. John McHugh re-assesses this fascinating emperor in detail.　

JOHN S MCHUGH has a BA and MA in Ancient History. His love of the ancient world has led him to travel to many classical sites. Before his recent (early) retirement he was Assistant Headmaster at a secondary school in Bolton. He is the co-author of a text book on Bolton’s connections with the slave trade and assisted Bolton Museum with a project to record the oral history of the local populace with the aim of promoting understanding between people of different generations or ethnic and social backgrounds. He is the author of The Emperor Commodus: God and Gladiator; Emperor Alexander Severus: Rome’s Age of Insurrection, AD 222-235; and Sejanus, Regent of Rome, which were also published by Pen & Sword Books.

Richard Maher has been researching and writing about Charles Wogan and the Wild Geese for ten years. He has delivered papers at the Tudor & Stuart conferences in 2015 and 2018, at the Second International Congress on Ireland and the Iberian Atlantic in Seville in 2016, and at the University of Notre Dame’s North Atlantic Catholic Communities in Rome, 1622-1939, hosted in Rome in 2017. In 2019, he organised an event to commemorate the tercentenary of the rescue and escape of Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska. He was the editor of the follow-on publication titled The Irish to the Rescue: The Tercentenary of the Polish Princess Clementina’s Escape, published by Peter Lang Ltd in 2021. He teaches Gaeilge, Politics and other subjects at Rathmines College of Further Education in Dublin.

Erasmus found himself in the midst of the religious debate in Europe during the sixteenth century and regardless of where his path led he would find himself subject to praise and scrutiny.

Desiderius Erasmus: The Folly or Far Sightedness of Renaissance Europe’s Greatest Mind will look at the life of a scholar who chose to put his own learning ahead of income, obtained patronage from the wealthy and influenced education for centuries to come.　

Amy was born and bred in Liverpool before moving to the Midlands to study Criminal Justice eventually becoming a civil servant. She has long been interested in history, reading as much and as often as she could. Her writing journey began with her blog, sharing thoughts on books she had read, before developing to writing reviews for Aspects of History magazine and culminating in her own book.

He is the man of paradoxes: the outsider who wanted access to the royal court, a monarchist who later became a republican hero, a lover and a fighter, a pirate and a poet, the last great Elizabethan superstar and the first victim of the Stuart dynasty. Let’s chart his rise, his fall, and his legacy.　

David Wildman has taught history for the past decade at South Devon College, specialising in the Tudor period and local studies. He has written a number of journal articles relating to Cornish history and maintains a blog (Dave Does History) in which he writes about a wide range of issues relating to the past. The Tudor Empire is his first book.

Drawing on a wealth of contemporary sources, from state papers to private letters and trial records, Jonathan Oates untangles fact from fiction, uncovering the truth about Oates’ character, his actions, and his legacy. By exploring his life in its full context, the author reveals a fascinating portrait of a man who played a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape of Britain.

Titus Oates and the Popish Plot to Kill King Charles II is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the turbulent world of Restoration England, and the shadow cast by one of its most controversial figures.　

Dr Jonathan Oates is the Ealing Borough Archivist and Local History Librarian, and he has written and lectured on the Jacobite rebellions and on aspects of the history of London, including its criminal past. His best-selling books on criminal history are John Christie of Rillington Place, John George Haigh, the Acid-Bath Murderer and London Serial Killers. He is also well known as an expert on family history and has written several introductory books on the subject including Tracing Your London Ancestors and Tracing Your Ancestors From 1066 to 1837.

From the drawing rooms of the influential Cliveden Set and the Mitford family to the sympathies of the abdicated King Edward VIII, fascism found unexpected champions. But it was not just the privileged classes whose interest was piqued – working-class citizens too were drawn to its promises of a better and brighter future.

This powerful book draws chilling parallels between history and today, examining the thin line between democracy and extremism. With rising autocracies across Europe and beyond, it asks urgent questions about the resilience of democratic values and warns of a cycle we seem doomed to repeat.

Provocative and timely, Oswald Mosley and A Short History of Fascism is a stark reminder that the past is never as far away as we think.　

Andrew Sangster has six degrees, in Law, Theology and four in history including his doctorate. An ordained priest, he has trespassed away from the Church to teaching and the study of history. He has taught in grammar schools and at Eton College, was a headmaster for some nine years and has assisted post-graduate students of history. He has some twenty published history books to his credit both in the United Kingdom and overseas with one co-authored with Pier Paolo Battistelli, the well-known Italian historian. When not called for Church duties he studies the lesser-known aspects of modern history and plays chess for relaxation.

How would you entertain yourself without recourse to computer games, movies, television shows, streaming, or the ability to hear any music you might wish at the touch of a button? How will you communicate with those around you with no telephones? How will you cope with the rules of Victorian etiquette, which govern nearly every facet of social life? Will you have to hire servants—or might you even become one? What you need is a guide, a practical manual to help you navigate the complexities of Victorian life … in short, the book you hold in your hands, which will help ensure that you not only survive but thrive in Victorian Britain!　

沒有電腦遊戲、電影、電視節目、串流媒體，也無法隨時隨地聆聽任何想聽的音樂，你會如何消遣？沒有電話，你會如何與周遭的人溝通？你會如何應對維多利亞時代幾乎支配著社交生活各個層面的禮儀規範？你會僱用僕人嗎？或者，你甚至會成為僕人？你需要的是一本指南，一本實用的手冊，幫助你應對維多利亞時代生活的複雜性……簡而言之，就是你手中的這本書，它將幫助你不僅在維多利亞時代的英國生存下來，而且取得成功！(Zoe)

2007年，莫伊拉·艾倫在英國生活期間，深深愛上了維多利亞時代的雜誌。自那時起，她收集了數百本維多利亞時代的年鑑，並將其中的大量內容（超過18,000篇文章）發佈在VictorianVoices.net網站上。在這本書中，艾倫幫助愛好者和研究者用維多利亞時代的文字探索他們的所思所想，並揭穿了許多關於維多利亞時代生活的常見誤解。艾倫自1979年起從事專業寫作，著有多本書籍，包括《如何開啟你的自由撰稿人職業生涯》和《如何應對失去寵物的悲傷》。她與丈夫和一隻熱愛科技的貓咪居住在肯塔基州。欲了解更多關於維多利亞時代的知識，並訂閱艾倫每月出版的維多利亞時代電子雜誌，請到www.victorianvoices.net。

About Moira Allen

Moira Allen fell in love with Victorian magazines while living in England in 2007. Since then, she has collected hundreds of Victorian annuals and has posted much of their content (over 18,000 articles) on VictorianVoices.net. In this book, Allen enables the enthusiast and the researcher to explore what Victorians thought and did in their own words, and debunks many common myths about Victorian life. Allen has been writing professionally since 1979, and is the author of several books, including Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer and Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet. She lives in Kentucky with her husband and a tech-loving cat. Find out more about the Victorian era, and sign up for Allen’s monthly e-magazine of Victoriana, at www.victorianvoices.net.

It was a time of Angle, Saxon and Jute invasions of Britain prompted by mass migrations westward from Eastern Europe by warring tribes like the Goths, Vandals and Huns, by Vikings from the north, Moors from the east and Scotti tribes from the west. Most of these diverse peoples left scant written record of their history or culture, evidently more intent on conquest.

What is known of them comes from Early Medieval sources, like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, from religious Irish clerics and medieval writers like Bede, Nennius and Gildas who often relied on earlier unverifiable narratives. Later accounts by Henry of Huntingdon and Geoffrey of Monmouth were more akin to storytelling than history and were often lavishly interspersed with ancient myths and folklore.

In the light of contemporary studies and extensive archaeological research, this book attempts to cast a light into some of that obscurity.　

John Moss studied Fine Arts and English in Wolverhampton and Manchester Art Schools, before taking early retirement after teaching and lecturing in Art & Design. He founded a Graphic Design company in 1997. Retired at last, he began writing: a science fiction trilogy in 2013. His first two non-fiction books were Great British Family Names and A History of English Placenames, both written for Pen and Sword: this will be the third history book in the series.

The condemned here were cattle rustlers, counterfeiters, burglars, protection racketeers, thieves and murderers who rode in family-based gangs, terrorised the countryside on both sides of the dividing line, and were essentially the mafia of their time.

They were executed in places such as Edinburgh, Dumfries, Jedburgh, Hawick, Peebles, Selkirk, Berwick, Morpeth, Alnwick, Newcastle, Hexham and Carlisle in a period marked by conflict between the two great nations where their land became a warzone.

Anyone interested in the darker side of the history of the bloodstained border can trace the lineage of those families embroiled in criminal society from the Scottish Wars of Independence right through to the Acts of Union between the countries in 1707.

The March Laws that the border reivers lived under were finally ended in 1603 when King James ascended to the English throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth I – and the ‘pacification’ of the criminal gangs began.　

Jon Tait is a freelance sportswriter for the local weekly newspaper titles at the Northumberland Gazette. He is the author of a number of local history books and volunteers at English Heritage. He was an agency football reporter on the tabloids for a decade and the press officer at Gretna Football Club. Tait was born in Northumberland and has been researching and writing about the border reivers for over twenty years. He likes hillwalking, techno music, hats and coats, books, beachcombing, rum, and typefaces, misses smoking Regal king-size cigarettes and lives in Carlisle with his wife, son, and cat, Charlie.

From Viking warriors felled by cheese to kings who perished in toilet-related mishaps, this book uncovers the strange, often absurd realities of life and death in an age of superstition, blood feuds, and very questionable medical advice. Packed with dark humour, historical oddities, and stories so strange they simply must be true, this is history as you’ve never read it before—deadly, disturbing, and delightfully ridiculous!　

從被乳酪擊倒的維京戰士到死於如廁事故的國王，本書揭示了在迷信、血仇和疑點重重的醫療建議盛行的時代，生與死的種種奇異而荒誕的現實。本書充滿了黑色幽默、歷史奇聞軼事，以及一些離奇古怪卻又非同尋常的故事，這是你從未讀過的歷史——既致命又令人不安，同時又荒誕可笑！(Zoe)

艾蜜莉一直熱愛歷史，尤其精通都鐸王朝時期的醫學，堪稱一本活的百科全書。她出生於諾福克郡的金斯林，並在那裡長大。艾蜜莉來自一個充滿愛與關懷的家庭，家人的支持對她來說至關重要。在考文垂大學攻讀法醫與調查研究學位期間，艾蜜莉決定嘗試發展她對音樂劇的另一個大愛好，於是加入了一個社團。在那裡，她遇到了一位來自伯明罕的神秘男子，從此就與她保持聯繫。 除了擔任全職IT技術員之外，艾蜜莉也總是會抽出時間來追求她的創作熱情。她是巡迴劇團「紫色夢想製作公司」（Purple Dreams Productions）的高級製作助理兼主演，同時她也和凱莉一起，是沃特靈頓劇社（The Watlington Players）的忠實成員。週末上午，您還可以收聽西諾福克廣播電台 (Radio West Norfolk) 的節目，聽到艾米麗的聲音。

關於凱莉·英格拉姆-蓋廷斯(Carrie Ingram-Gettins)

凱莉出生於英國伯明翰，並在那裡長大。從小，她就對歷史充滿熱情，這得歸功於父母的鼓勵。許多個週末，她都會興致勃勃地漫步在沃里克城堡 (Warwick Castle) 周圍，或探索附近的國民信託 (National Trust) 旗下的景點。除了閱讀之外，凱莉還盡可能地學習歷史知識，尤其對古代和中世紀的歷史情有獨鍾。 在考文垂大學攻讀音樂學位期間，她因為共同喜愛電視劇《邪惡力量》(Supernatural) 而結識了艾米麗，兩人從此成為好友。 2014 年，Carrie 搬到了諾福克，繼續她對歷史的熱愛，並最終在 2019 年獲得了古典學碩士學位。 Carrie 現在是研究和數據分析師，同時也是沃特靈頓劇社業餘戲劇團體的活躍成員，此外，她還與 Emily 一起主持了頗受歡迎的《一杯美味的歷史茶》播客節目，該節目擁有來自全球的聽眾。

About Emily Bush

Emily has always loved everything historical and is a fountain of knowledge about the Tudor period, particularly in medicine. Born and raised in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, Emily comes from a strong and affectionate family whose support she could not live without. Whilst obtaining a degree in Forensic and Investigative Studies from Coventry University, Emily decided to try and indulge one of her other passions of musical theatre by joining a society where she was approached by a strange Brummie who has hung around ever since.

As well as working as a full-time IT technician, Emily always makes time for her creative passions. She is a Senior Production Assistant and leading actress for Purple Dreams Productions, a touring theatre company and, along with Carrie, an avid member of The Watlington Players. You can also find Emily on the radio waves on weekend mornings with her shows on Radio West Norfolk.

About Carrie Ingram-Gettins

Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Carrie has had a deep passion for the past from an early age, something her parents encouraged. Spending many weekends wandering wide-eyed around Warwick Castle or exploring nearby National Trust properties - when she was not lost in a book, Carrie learned as much as she could about history with a particular enthusiasm for the ancient and mediaeval worlds.

Whilst studying for a music degree at Coventry University, she crossed paths with Emily through their shared love of the TV show Supernatural, and the two have been friends ever since. Moving down to Norfolk in 2014, Carrie continued her love of the past, eventually obtaining a master’s degree in Classics in 2019. Carrie now works as a Research and Data Analyst and is an active member of the Watlington Players amateur dramatic group, as well as hosting the successful A Nice Cup of Histortea Podcast with Emily, which enjoys a global listenership.

Being a firearms officer carries a kudos in policing, although why this is the case is not absolutely clear, especially when considering the real risk of either being shot dead, shooting somebody and being charged with their murder, or not shooting somebody and it resulting in the death of a colleague or a member of the public.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the police’s use of firearms was far removed from what it is today. Nominated officers were allowed to draw firearms on an ’as and when’ basis, and would undertake firing practice on only a few occasions throughout the course of the year, with little or no thought or consideration given to tactical approaches to a particular scenario. However, the change in attitudes by senior officers to firearms can be traced back to the August 1966 murders of three Metropolitan police officers by two armed criminals close to Wormwood Scrubs prison, in west London.

This book looks at the history of police firearms units, which started to be formed in the immediate aftermath of the 1966 killings, and how they have subsequently evolved, improving in the selection of suitable officers, along with the weaponry and equipment used and the training provided to the officers who volunteer for this extremely dangerous and stressful role.　

Stephen is a retired police officer having served with Essex Police as a constable for thirty years between 1983 and 2013. He is married to Tanya and has two sons, Luke and Ross, and a daughter, Aimee.

When not writing, Stephen can be found walking his four dogs with his wife Tanya at some unearthly time of the morning, when most normal people are still fast asleep.

Spanning from the brutal plantations of British Guiana to an explosive court trial in Britain, this is the untold true story of the Edmonstone women – victims of greed, cruelty, and a society built on slavery. With gothic overtones and echoes of Jane Eyre, Rebecca, and White Debt, this gripping narrative blends real letters, trial transcripts, and newly uncovered documents with reimagined scenes to expose how far the legacy of slavery reached, and who paid the price.

A compelling blend of historical investigation and personal reckoning, A Family of Notorious Slavers explores the author’s family link to the story and also exposes the glorified naturalist Charles Waterton as an enslaver, exploring how he and Charles Edmonstone, as slave owners, influenced Wakefield’s landscape, both past and present.　

Sarah is an established Yorkshire Bylines writer (https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/author/sarahcobham/) specialising in researching and writing about the lives of notable women from Wakefield’s past to bring their achievements into the present. It was her 9-part series ‘Petticoat Patrimony’ in 2023 which first exposed the myths surrounding Charles Waterton’s claim that he ‘Never possessed a slave in his life’. This new information is featured by award-winning author Rick Broadbent in his chapter about Charles Waterton, ‘The Nondescript’ in his latest book Now Then, a biography of Yorkshire. As a guest writer for The Yorkshire Post and The Wakefield Express Sarah is also an accomplished public speaker, co researcher and writer of Clara Clarkson’s Merrie Wakefield published in 2021, co-writer of the award-winning short film Clara and author of the Lady Catherine a play for the theatre. www.forgottenwomenwake.com