Dear Bernard, one of the main reasons why I love historical novels is because the author has put a depth of research into them. A good historical novel abducts the reader and carries them back to the time in question, so that they can see and smell and hear and almost live the story being described. I think you achieve this beautifully. It’s a wonderful feeling, for a reader like me to feel that they are running alongside Richard Sharpe or Horatio Hornblower or Sean Courtney or whomever. My question is: how do you manage the research? I would find it quite daunting. The general history of any period could be had from books or the internet, but what about the finer details? Things like, what people wore on their feet in such a time, how much a horse cost in such a time, what was considered good food in such a time, or bad food, or good music, or good taste in furniture, or what type of wood made the finest bow. The list goes on. There must be a million such details. It seems to me to be a monumental task, for someone starting afresh on a new book. Where on earth do you begin???
Paul Reid