Cecelia Anastasia Holland is an American historical novelist. A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. ...

Biography

She was born December 31, 1943 in Henderson, Nevada, and began writing at the age of twelve, recording the stories she made up for her own entertainment in order to keep them straight. From the beginning, her focus was on history because "being twelve, I had precious few stories of my own. History seemed to me then, as it still does, an endless fund of material." December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... Henderson is the fastest-growing large city (over 150,000 pop. ...

She attended Pennsylvania State University for a year, but received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 from Connecticut College, where she took a course in creative writing and was encouraged by poet William Meredith and short story writer David Jackson. Jackson took her first effort to his own editor at Atheneum and her first novel, Firedrake, was published in 1966. She had just dropped out of graduate school at Columbia University to work as a clerk at Brentano's in Manhattan. She has been a full-time professional writer ever since. (Firedrake was actually the fourth novel she had written; Jerusalem is the final, mature version of one of the earlier ones. Pieces of the other two also have made their way into her published work.) The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (commonly known as Penn State) is a state-related land-grant university based in State College, Pennsylvania (the university uses University Park, Pennsylvania to differentiate University addresses from those in town), with over 80,000 students at 24 campuses throughout the state. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Connecticut College is a coeducational, private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut. ... William Meredith may refer to more than one person: William Meredith (poet) William M. Meredith, a U.S. Treasury Secretary Sir William Meredith, 3rd Baronet, a minor British politician. ... David Noyes Jackson (September 16, 1922 – July 13, 2001) was the life partner of poet James Merrill (1926-1995). ... Firedrake, in Teutonic mythology, is a fire-breathing reptilian creature, occasionally winged. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Columbia University is a private university in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City and a member of the Ivy League. ... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Jerusalem (31°46′N 35°14′E; Hebrew: (help· info) Yerushalayim; Arabic: (help· info) al-Quds), Greek Ιεροσόλυμα, the capital city of Israel, is an ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of 650-840 meters. ...

She lives presently (2004) in Fortuna, California, a small town in rural Humboldt County, California. She is married, with three daughters. Once a week, she teaches a two-hour creative writing class at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California. She was visiting professor of English at Connecticut College in 1979 and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1981-1982. Fortuna is a city located in Humboldt County, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... Humboldt County is a county located on the northwest coast of California, USA, on the Pacific Ocean. ... Pelican Bay State Prison is a California State Prison located in the northwestern part of the state near Crescent City, California on 275 acres (1. ... Crescent City is the county seat of Del Norte County, California, USA. It is named after the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Guggenheim Fellowships are awarded annually by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Holland is known for her spare, unadorned, incisive narrative style, filled with physical, emotional, and intellectual tension. Unlike most historical novelists, who restrict themselves to a relatively narrow time and place, she seems to possess the ability to inhabit almost any point in history and geography and to convincingly take the reader there with her. She is especially drawn to intercultural conflict, and has been a reader of historical primary sources since adolescence. In non-technical terms, no matter what the context (whether scientific, philosophical, legal, etc) a narrative is a story, an interpretation of some aspect of the world that is historically and culturally grounded and shaped by human personality (per Walter Fisher). ... A primary source is any piece of information that is used for constructing history as an artifact of its times. ...

Her unblinking grasp of the often harsh details of life in the distant -- or recent -- past is impeccable and her depiction of it is meticulous. She has the knack of showing how even the strangest of strange worlds makes perfect sense to those immersed in it. Her strongly character-driven plots often are developed from the viewpoint of a male protagonist. While including plenty of action (her battle scenes are noteworthy for their bottom-up viewpoint and understated verisimilitude), they focus primarily on the life of the mind -- whatever that might mean in a particular culture -- and especially on politics, in the broadest sense. // Plot in literature, theater, movies According to Aristotles Poetics, a plot in literature is the arrangement of incidents that (ideally) each follow plausibly from the other. ... In literature and storytelling, a point of view is the related experience of the narrator — not that of the author. ... The protagonist is the central figure of a story, and is often referred to as a storys main character. ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Politics, sometimes defined as the art and science of government. ...

In her medieval novels particularly, the subtle skill with which she makes her characters, even Huns and Mongols, speak in semi-colloquial English rather than the self-conscious "antique" style of Sir Walter Scott, gives the reader the impression of listening in on a conversation in the speakers' own vernacular. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Huns were a confederation of Eurasian tribes, most likely of diverse origin with a Turkic-speaking aristocracy, who appeared in Europe in the 4th century. ... The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China, particularly Inner Mongolia. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Portrait of Sir Walter Scott, by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (14 August 1771–21 September 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. ... The vernacular is the native language of a country or locality. ...

Most of her novels have grown slowly in the back of her mind, often the result of nonfiction articles and essays she has written, though The Belt of Gold and The Lords of Vaumartin were written "cold", as the result of requests by her editor. While she claims not to choose fictional settings because of their sparse usage by other writers, "I wouldn't dare do the Civil War, because it's so well known, every damn detail, it would be so stifling." An Editor is a person who prepares text—typically language, but also images and sounds—for publication by correcting, condensing, or otherwise modifying it. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln† Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,213,363 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 74,500 Total dead: 198,500 Wounded: 137,000+  The American...

List of works

Historical Novels

• The Firedrake (1966) -- After wandering across Western Europe, Laeghaire, an Irish mercenary, finds himself reluctantly accompanying the Norman invaders at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
• Rakóssy (1967) -- Rakóssy, a Hungarian aristocrat with a wide independent streak, fights the Ottoman Turkish invaders in 1526.
• The Kings in Winter (1968) -- The authority of High King Brian Boru is being contested by other clans and by the Danish invaders, and Muirtagh O'Cullinane must balance his own honor and that of his clan against loyalties to the various kings. It all comes to a head at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
• Until the Sun Falls (1969) -- Psin, a minor war leader from the steppe, takes part in the Mongol conquest of Russia and the nearly-successful invasion of Eastern Europe in the first generation following the death of Genghis Khan, c.1240. Still widely regarded by her readers as one of her most perceptive and most flawlessly executed novels, especially given its huge canvas.
• Antichrist (1970) -- Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor of the Hohenstaufen leads a successful crusade of liberation to Jerusalem in 1229.
• The Earl (1971) -- Fulk, the Anglo-Norman Earl of Stafford, carries out his political and family schemes but manages to maintain his loyalties during The Anarchy that followed the death of Henry I of England, c.1140. [Published in the UK as A Hammer for Princes.]
• The Death of Attila (1973) -- Tacs, a young, ne'er-do-well Hunnish warrior, becomes unlikely friends with Dietric, son of a subject king, in the harsh world of 453.
• Great Maria (1974) -- Maria is the daughter of a Norman robber baron in Southern Italy in the late 11th century, forced to marry her father's choice, the young and ambitious Richard d'Alene, though she prefers his brother, Roger. She must struggle to maintain her independence and identity during the Norman conquest of Sicily. This is often described as Holland's first "feminist" novel.
• Two Ravens (1977) -- Bjarni Hoskuldsson, a pagan Icelander trying to maintain the old values in an increasing Christian world of the early 12th century, leaves the family's Icelandic farm in search of adventure in the Kingdom of England of William II Rufus, but finally returns to Iceland to finally make his presence felt. A very modern sort of saga.
• Valley of the Kings (1977) [as Elizabeth Eliot Carter] -- Structured as two independent narratives, one about the last years and death of Tutankhamen, the other about Howard Carter's search for the pharaoh's tomb in the 1920s. Generally regarded as one of Holland's weaker novels.
• City of God (1979) -- Nicholas Dawson, brilliant, subtle, reclusive, and homosexual, is the ambitious secretary to Florence's embassy to the Roman Borgias in the early 16th century, and finds himself drawn into the ruthless and scheming competition for power between the lay aristocracy and the papacy.
• The Sea Beggars (1982) -- A young Dutchman joins the revolt by the Netherlands in the 1590s (led by pirates) against their Spanish overlords and the Inquisition.
• The Belt of Gold (1984) -- Hagen, an unsophisticated Frankish pilgrim in Constantinople at the beginning of the 9th century, blunders into politics at the court of the Empress Irene, where nothing has value but power. Holland herself does not consider this a particularly successful work, "maybe because it didn't take long enough to grow."
• Pillar of the Sky (1985) - The charismatic and visionary Moloquin -- "the unwanted" -- leads The People to erect the stone circle at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, and to defend it from their enemies.
• The Lords of Vaumartin (1988) -- Everard de Vaumartin, a young, orphaned French aristocrat driven from his home, decides to immerse himself in books rather than continuing his knightly training, and experiences the turmoil of Paris of the mid-14th century, including chivalry vs. political realism, the Black Death, and the First Commune.
• The Bear Flag (1990) -- After her husband's death on the trek across the Great Plains, Catherine "Cat" Reilly finds a home in the new state of California in the 1850s, in a world driven by the forces of Manifest Destiny.
• Pacific Street (1992) - Mitya, a taciturn American Indian man, and Frances Hardheart, a sharp-tongued and manipulative escaped slave, come together with other lost souls and make their way in San Francisco during the first years of the California Gold Rush.
• Jerusalem (1996) -- Beginning with the Christian victory at the Battle of Ascalon, English Templar Sir Rannulf Fitzwilliam struggles to maintain his personal values (which serve him better in war than in diplomacy) while trying to survive the politics of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, all of which come to an end at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. (Holland considers this her best novel.)
• Railroad Schemes (1997) -- Irish American outlaw "King" Callahan and the young orphaned Lily Viner from the Virginia City mining camps battle the railroad barons in Los Angeles (new terminus of the Southern Pacific Railroad) during the 1870s. (Holland considers this her second-best novel.)
• Lily Nevada (1999) -- Sequel to Railroad Schemes. The twenty-year-old Lily Viner, escaping her shattered past, becomes an actress in San Francisco and leads a double life in trying to deal with the return of the railroad detective who killed both her outlaw father and Callahan, her foster-father -- and also tries to find her mother, who disappeared when Lily was an infant.
• The Angel and the Sword (2000) -- The young Princess Ragny of Spain, having escaped from her disreputable father, disguises and transforms herself into the bold and fearless warrior, Roderick, seeking revenge for her mother's murder and saving Paris from Viking assault in 861. Based on the medieval fabliau of Roderick the Beardless, and not generally regarded as one of Holland's better efforts.
• The Soul Thief (2002) -- The first in a series of five novels set in the world of the real Vikings over a period of some fifty years. This one takes place in the mid-10th century in the Norse kingdom of Jorvik (York) and focuses on the struggles of Corban Loosestrife and his twin sister, kidnapped from Ireland.
• Witches' Kitchen (2004) -- Sequel to Soul Thief. Fifteen years after killing Erik Blódøx (English, Bloodaxe), Norse King of York, the renegade Corban Loosestrife is living thinly but idyllically with his family on the coast of Vinland, until warfare among the local tribes and trouble from back home force him to return to Denmark, where he again becomes embroiled in politics.

1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times Western Europe was largely defined by the Cold War, with the Iron Curtain separating it from Eastern Europe (Warsaw Pact countries). ... A mercenary is a soldier who fights, or engages in warfare primarily for private gain, usually with little regard for ideological, national or political considerations. ... The Normans (adapted from the name Northmen or Norsemen) were a mixture of the indigenous people of France and the Viking invaders under the leadership of Hrolf Ganger, who adopted the French name Rollo and swore allegiance to the king of France (Charles the Simple). ... Combatants Normans, supported by Bretons & Flemings Anglo-Saxons and Danish mercenaries Commanders William of Normandy, Odo of Bayeux Harold Godwinson† Strength 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Casualties Unknown, thought to be around 2,000 killed and wounded Unknown, but significantly more than the Normans The Battle of... Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned List of monarchs September 29 - William of Normandy lands in England at Pevensey. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (the Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Sogut (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), Ä°stanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanlı Dynasty... Events January 14 - Treaty of Madrid. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Battle of Clontarf took place on Good Friday in 1014 (April 23) between the forces of Brian Boru, the king of Munster and High King of Ireland, and forces led primarily by Vikings from Dublin and the Orkney Islands, as well as the King of Leinster. ... Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Current division of Europe into five (or more) regions: one definition of Eastern Europe is marked in orange Eastern Europe as a region has several alternative definitions, whereby it can denote: the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Central Europe and Russia. ... Genghis Khan (c. ... Events Batu Khan and the Golden Horde sack the Ruthenian city of Kyiv Births Pope Benedict XI Deaths April 11 - Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, also known as Llywelyn The Great Prince of Gwynedd Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Castile... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Frederick II (December 26, 1194 – December 13, 1250), Holy Roman Emperor of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212, unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 until his death in 1250. ... Arms of the Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen were a dynasty of Kings of Germany, many of whom were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor and Dukes of Swabia. ... Jerusalem (31°46′N 35°14′E; Hebrew: (help· info) Yerushalayim; Arabic: (help· info) al-Quds), Greek Ιεροσόλυμα, the capital city of Israel, is an ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of 650-840 meters. ... Events March 18 - Sixth Crusade of Emperor Frederick II ends in truce with Sultan al-Kamil and coronation of Frederick as King of Jerusalem. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... The Anarchy in English history commonly names the period of civil war and unsettled government that occurred during the reign (1135–1154) of King Stephen of England. ... Henry I of England (c. ... Events Henry Jasomirgott was made count palatine of the Rhine. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1973 calendar). ... The Huns were a confederation of Eurasian tribes, most likely of diverse origin with a Turkic-speaking aristocracy, who appeared in Europe in the 4th century. ... Events Theodoric II succeeds his brother Thorismund as king of the Visigoths. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... Southern Italy, often referred to in Italian as the Mezzogiorno (a term first used in 19th century in comparison with French Midi ) encompasses six of the countrys 20 regions: Basilicata Campania Calabria Puglia Sicilia Sardinia Sicilia although it is geographically and administratively included in Insular Italy, it has a... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ... Feminism is a diverse, competing, and often opposing collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women, especially in terms of their social, political, and economic inequalities. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... The Flag of England The Kingdom of England was a kingdom located in Western Europe, in the southern part of the island of Great Britain. ... William II (called Rufus, perhaps because of his red-faced appearance) (c. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Tutankhamun (alternate transcription Tutankhamen), named Tutankhaten early in his life, was Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (1334 BC/1333 BC - 1323 BC), during the period known as the New Kingdom. ... Plate LXXA shows detail on a ceremonial walking staff found buried with Tutankhamun; it depicts the two foes, or the Northern and Southern enemies of Egypt. ... Pharaoh (Arabic فرعون ) (Hebrew פַּרְעֹה ); is a title used to refer to the kings (of godly status) in ancient Egypt. ... It has been suggested that Roaring Twenties be merged into this article or section. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Founded 59 BC as Florentia Region Tuscany Mayor Leonardo Domenici (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  102 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 356,000 almost 500,000 3,453/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 43°47 N 11°15 E www. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Left-Wing Democrats) Area  - City Proper  1285 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,553,873 almost 4,300,000 1. ... It has been suggested that List of Borgias be merged into this article or section. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... -1... The coat of arms of the Holy See The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes, lit. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events 1590 March 14 - Battle of Ivry - Henry IV of France again defeats the forces of the Catholic League under the Duc de Mayenne. ... Look up pirate and piracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Representation of an Auto de fe, (1475). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Franks (disambiguation). ... Pilgrims Going to Church by George Henry Boughton (1867) The Pilgrims were a group of English religious separatists who sailed from Europe to North America in the early 17th century, in search of a home where they could freely practice their style of religion. ... Map of Constantinople. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... This solidus struck under Irene reports the legend bASILISSH, Basilissa. ... This article is about the year. ... Stonehenge Stonehenge is a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument located near Avebury in the English county of Wiltshire, about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Salisbury. ... This article is about the plateau in southern England; Salisbury Plain is also an area on South Georgia Island. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world Paris is Frances capital and largest city, straddling the river Seine in the north central part of the country. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... See also order of chivalry Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene. ... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411). ... This article is about the year. ... The Great Plains is the broad expanse of prairie which lies east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States of America and Canada, covering all or parts of the U.S. states of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota and the... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... // Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward the theory of evolution... This painting (circa 1872) by John Gast called American Progress is an allegorical representation of Manifest Destiny. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... An Atsina named Assiniboin Boy Native Americans in the United States (also known as Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are the indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States and their descendants in... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The California Gold Rush was a period in American history marked by great world-wide interest concerning a gold discovery in Northern California. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Battle of Ascalon took place on August 12, 1099, and is often considered the last action of the First Crusade. ... Knights Templar may refer to: Knights Templar (military order) Knights Templar in England Knights Templar (Freemason degree) Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Official language Latin, French, Italian, and other western languages; Greek and Arabic also widely spoken Capital Jerusalem, later Acre Constitution Various laws, so-called Assizes of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 by the First Crusade. ... Combatants Ayyubids Kingdom of Jerusalem Commanders Saladin Guy of Lusignan Raymond III of Tripoli Strength About 65-70,000 About 58,000 Casualties Unknown Unknown; very heavy {{{notes}}} The Battle of Hattin took place on Saturday, July 4, 1187, between the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the forces of the... // Events May 1 - Battle of Cresson - Saladin defeats the crusaders July 4 - Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, at the Battle of Hattin. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Irish Americans are residents or citizens of the United States who claim Irish ancestry. ... Butch Cassidy, a famous Western American outlaw An outlaw, a person living the lifestyle of outlawry, meaning literally outside of the law. ... Virginia City is a city located in Storey County, Nevada. ... Nickname: City of Angels Official website: http://www. ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark SP) was an American railroad. ... // Events and Trends Technology The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The name Viking is a loanword from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. ... Events Carloman revolts against his father Louis the German. ... The fabliau (plural fabliaux) is a comic, usually anonymous tale written by jongleurs in northeast France circa the 13th Century. ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... Norsemen (the Norse) is the indigenous or ancient name for the people of Scandinavia, including (but not limited to) the Vikings. ... Jorvik was the Viking name for the English city of York and the kingdom centered there. ... York is a city in northern England, at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... Eirik Bloodaxe (Old Norse:Eiríkr blóðöx, Icelandic:Eiríkur blóðöx, Norwegian:Eirik Blodøks) (circa 885 – 954), was the second king of Norway (930-934) and the eldest son of his father Harald Fairhair. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Vinland was the name given to a part of North America by the Icelandic Norseman Leif Eiríksson, about the year (AD)1000. ...

Modern Novels

Home Ground (1981) -- A band of post-1960s hippies, searching for a haven where they can recover and work out what to do with their changed lives, struggles to revive a failing commune in Northern California during the 1980s. A contemporary novel when it was written, it has now become almost as "historical" as most of her other works. 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ...

Science Fiction

Floating Worlds (1975) -- Paula Mendoza climbs from unemployed obscurity to become a diplomat trying to keep the peace (with startling and unconventional methods) between Earth, the Mars colonists, and the mutant Styths from the outer planets of the solar system. 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... An artists impression of the Martians from The War of the Worlds. ...

Children's Fiction

Ghost on the Steppe (1969) -- Spun off from Until the Sun Falls, this is the story of a young Mongol boy tracking down a mysterious killer on the steppe. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China, particularly Inner Mongolia. ...

The King's Road (1970) -- Spun off from Antichrist, this tells of the young Frederick Hohenstaufen, on the run from assassins in Sicily, discovering his true identity. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Frederick II (December 26, 1194 – December 13, 1250), Holy Roman Emperor of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212, unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 until his death in 1250. ... Arms of the Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen were a dynasty of Kings of Germany, many of whom were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor and Dukes of Swabia. ... Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ...

Non-Fiction

The Story of Anna and the King (1999) -- Published as a companion book to the Jodie Foster film, Anna and the King (1999), it includes (in addition to notes on and photographs of the making of the film itself) material on the real Anna Leonowens and the real King Mongkut, with sections on Siamese history, religion, and culture. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Foster in Panic Room (2002) Jodie Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an Oscar-winning American actress, director, and producer. ... Anna and the King is a 1999 motion picture loosely based on the true story of Anna Leonowens, who was an English schoolteacher in Siam, now Thailand, in the 19th_century. ... Anna Leonowens (November, 1831 - January 19, 1915) is chiefly famous for being the British governess portrayed in the musical The King and I. The play, based on adaptations of her factually slipshod memoirs, provides a fictionalised look at her life in the royal court of Siam (present-day Thailand). ... King Mongkut (Rama IV), (October 18, 1804 – October 18, 1868) was king of Thailand from 1851 to 1868. ... Motto: none Anthem: Phleng Chat Capital Bangkok Largest city Bangkok Official language(s) Thai Government King Prime Minister Constitutional monarchy Bhumibol Adulyadej Thaksin Shinawatra Independence • Sukhothai kingdom • Ayutthaya kingdom • Taksin • Chakri dynasty from Khmer Empire 1238–1368 1350–1767 1767–April 7, 1782 April 7, 1782–present Area  â€¢ Total  â€¢ Water...

An Ordinary Woman (1999) -- A fictionalized biography of Nancy Kelsey, the first American woman to reach California by crossing the Sierras. She arrived in 1841 after a six-month trek -- on foot, pregnant, carrying her two-year-old daughter, and only nineteen years old. She later contributed the petticoats from which the original Bear Flag of the Republic of California was made. Nancy lived until 1896 and Holland relies strongly on her letters and on archival material. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This article does not give much verifiable information about the subject. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that is almost entirely in eastern California. ... take you to calendar). ... The modern Bear Flag of California The flag of California was first flown during the Bear Flag Revolt and was adopted by the California state legislature in 1911. ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Other Writings

"The Death That Saved Europe: The Mongols Turn Back", in What If?: The World's Foremost Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been, edited by Robert Cowley. (2000) This article is about the year 2000. ...

"Repulse at Hastings, October 14, 1066", in What If? 2: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been, edited by Robert Cowley. (2001) 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

"The Revolution of 1877", in What Ifs? of American History, edited by Robert Cowley. (2003) 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The author's own web site
• Interview, Historical Novel Society