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Austin Hernon
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The Battle For England: Women at war in Medieval England (Wars of the Magna Carta Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Austin Hernon (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 191 ratings
Medieval England is under siege… Perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, Robyn Young, Alison Weir and Anthony Riches.

The Magna Carta was supposed to bring peace. Instead, the crown is once more under threat…

England, 1216

King John has lost the English dukedoms of Normandy and Brittany, and the counties of Aquitaine, Poitou, and Anjou, to Philip of France. He has been excommunicated by Pope Innocent III and though he was been persuaded into signing the Magna Carta by his nobles, he has now reneged on his promises.

The people are in uproar and the English barons have contacted the French Prince Louis to cross over the Channel and take charge of a new ‘civil’ war in England.

Dover Castle is soon under siege, and the south of England is in revolt. Attention turns towards the Midlands, where, sitting proud on its ridge, stands the mighty citadel of Lincoln. Lincoln and its nearby supporting fortress of Laxton are in the hands of two redoubtable women: Nicholaa of Lincoln, and Matilda of Laxton, both hereditary Keepers of the King’s Forest.

Nicholaa and Matilda must hold firm: the central defence of England rests upon their shoulders…

The Battle For England is the first book in the WARS OF THE MAGNA CARTA series, a thrilling fictionalised saga of pre-Tudor England: a war & military historical saga bringing medieval England to life.

THE WARS OF THE MAGNA CARTA SERIES
Book One: The Battle For England
Book Two: A Contest of Wills
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Wars of the Magna Carta
  2. Print length
    247 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    November 29, 2018
  5. File size
    2.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
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  7. Word Wise
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07HMJJ3DW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books (November 29, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 29, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.8 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 247 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 191 ratings

About the author

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Austin Hernon

Austin Hernon

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Born in the midst of WWII it was no surprise to anyone when Austin took an interest in the military. First the Sea Cadets, then the Royal Marine Reserve. It was during his time with the Marines that Austin engaged in parachuting and became a diver, qualified at the Royal Naval Diving establishment of HMS VERNON in Portsmouth. A readily transferable skill which was put to good use when he transferred into the regular army and became a Recovery Mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Worldwide postings followed, seeing service with the Royal Engineers, and, three years back with the Royal Marines at sea in Combined Operations specialising in underwater recovery. Returning to army life he qualified as a Combat Engineer Diver and then a Diving Supervisor.

One of his postings was to the Outer Hebrides where he witnessed the effects of the Highland Clearances. Curious as to how this social disaster took place, in the 19th century, he followed the trail of land ownership back to 1066, and the Norman invasion. There he came across the grossly under-reported, Robert. The eldest son of William the Conqueror, which led to Austin's first series, 'The Wayward Prince.' He is now hot on the trail of all victims of historical propaganda and false reporting, hence his latest series, The Wars of the Magna Carta, where victims of the murk of history are exhumed for further detailed examination - in the nicest possible way, of course. Enjoy his work, and see how much has changed in society since 1066.

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4.1 out of 5 stars
191 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • John R. Sheehan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book 1 in A Series
    Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The history is pretty good - the picture of life inside a castle of the age is fairly accurate and the characters are interestingly drawn. The author shifts the central character, so the "speaker" changes and provides a rich tapestry of the experiences.

    Of course, as will be the case in a book in a series, while one plot settles, the plot leaves open several other plotlines - so if you want to see how the plot goes on, you have to buy the next book, or books. If you are willing to buy into the series - or content to let the unsolved ambiguities lie - this is an interesting and entertaining work.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Awesome Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars What did the women do while the men were at war?
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2018
    The Battle For England: Women at War in Medieval England (Wars of the Magna Carta Book 1), by Austin Hernon, was received direct from the publisher.  I agreed to read this book in the hopes of possible reading about some of my ancestors and/or reading about what women did during the battles, as you don't generally see or hear much about them, unless they are commanding dragons and the like.  Mr Hernon has written several historical books, none of which I had previously read but will seek out, I would call historical fiction, in that they are based on true events but he adds some flair to them.  This particular book was mostly action packed but, at times, bogged down, causing me to skim.  With that being said, if you, or someone you buy gifts for, likes to read historical British fiction that is action packed and sets up a sequel, please grab this book. 

    3.5 stars rounded up to 4
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  • Pamela Hurl Doughton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Go Ladies!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A wonderful story of perseverance and commitment to people and lives they lead. Thank you for writing this novel. It’s fascinating to read of the journey of two strong women.
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  • John K. Brown
    3.0 out of 5 stars Castle under siege
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2018
    Thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an impartial review. The book is set in England of 1216. King John has reneged on his promises in the Magna Carta. The common people are in an uproar over the King’s heavy taxes and some rebel barons have appealed to the French Prince Louis to invade England and lead a war to overthrow the King. Soon Dover Castle is under siege and England is in revolt. The French forces march into the Midlands which are guarded by the mighty fortress of Lincoln. Lincoln and its nearby supporting fortress of Laxton are in the hands of two women loyal to the king, Nicholaa of Lincoln and Matilda of Laxton, both hereditary keepers of the King’s lands and forests. Neither woman is fond of the obnoxious King John, but loyal to England and swear to never let it fall to the French invaders. The story of the Siege of Lincoln is told in alternating points of view including Nicholaa, Matilda, Father Barnard, and others. My favorite, and the most frequently used, is the priest, Father Barnard, confidant of Nicholaa of Lincoln. It provides a fascinating look at the times and people of on that era. I only have two complaints. One was the use of certain terms of that period without explanation to the modern reader. I had to Google on a number of occasions to find descriptions. The other was that I felt that the author failed to adequately build the drama of the siege and the growing desperation of the castle’s inhabitants. This is a great book for anyone interested in English or Medieval history, and could have so much better with just a little more flair for the dramatic.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Annarella
    4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2018
    A good historical fiction, I found this book entertaining and engaging.
    It's quite fast paced, well researched and sometimes it's like reading a history book more than fiction.
    I liked the characters and the plot.
    I look forward to reading next instalment in this series.
    Recommended!
    Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC
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  • anthony philo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2019
    Interesting book about Britain after Magna Carta. The main characters are well developed and I enjoyed the plot. Good historical fiction.
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  • Stephanie
    3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Action, Little Character Development
    Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2018
    I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sapere Books in order for an honest review.

    I kind if went back and forth on this book. There were some sections that were definitely more engaging than others. I, for one, found the Father Bernard chapters the most engaging because I liked his voice the best. The chapters told from Nicolaa and Maud's views seemed to get a little more bogged down in the details. Yes, this is definitely a book about war, but I would have liked it to read a little more like fiction than history. I picked up the book because I thought it would present keen insight into castle life during a siege and it did, but the two female characters weren't developed well enough for me.

    There were times when I had to leave off in the middle of a chapter and it took me a moment to determine whose voice it was in that chapter, when I returned to the book.

    So, if you are more interested in historical action than character development, this would be a good read for you. The ending of this first book sets the reader up for the next book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Brenda
    3.0 out of 5 stars Women triumph in the 1200s
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2019
    It's 1215; King John sits on the throne of England. The barons have invited the French to unseat him after reneging on the Magna Carta. But there are still those nobles who hold out for king and country. Two are the courageous women: Lady Nicholaa and Lady Matilda, who rule in their own right. The biggest issue I had with the book was actually my own fault. I'd get so involved in the storyline that when the next chapter would start I'd forget to look up to see whose POV I'd be reading, which led to some confusion. I was impressed that Hernon chose to use two heroines to represent the English during this time period. I adore strong female characters. These two however were still feminine. It was also good to see that although there was a serious siege taking place the author reminded us that life carried on-prayer services, engagements, births, burials, feasts. Hernon leaves the door wide open for a sequel. There was a ton of upheaval during this time period. I'd like to see where this leads.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • William McA
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good read.
    Reviewed in Canada on July 20, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    A well written story full of action and intrigue. I found it difficult to put my reader away at night becalmed the next chapter seemed to be begging to be read.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first book I have read by this author found it to be very interesting had never heard of the two women mentioned in this book looking forward to reading next in the series which I'm about to start now would definitely recommend this book to everyone who is interested in history
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  • Maureen Jaeche
    5.0 out of 5 stars Right up my alley!
    Reviewed in Australia on September 15, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I very much liked the storyline in this book, very different. An older woman, over sixty years, organising and leading the defence of her castle and land rights against insurgent French nationals, abetted by treasonous lords. Recommended to all who enjoy historical yarns. Magna Carta features well, giving insight in to the real importance of that document and usefulness at that time.
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  • Michael Bully
    4.0 out of 5 stars Took a while but began to really get drawn into this book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Got a little confused by the book, and had to re-read parts of it. The story is told by different characters so obviously there are shifting points of view.
    Essentially two Medieval ladies, Nicholaa of Lincoln and Matilda of Laxton, are determined to aid King John, and his young son Henry III, as rebel barons and their French allies are determined to seize the realm. They become castle defenders and decision makers in this relatively unknown English civil war culminating in the 1217 battle of Lincoln.
    First I was concerned that this novel would be an awkward attempt to find a Medieval version of Brilliana Harley ( at Brampton Bryan) and Lady Banks ( Corfe Castle) during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s, but over time started to appreciate this book. Felt that the tragedy of civil war, the desperate courage and the cruelty that appears at such times , were well portrayed.
    There are a couple of clangers . One of the ladies goes on about an army marching on its stomach ( attributed to Napoleon) and King John's body gets taken to Winchester rather than Worcester. But I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
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  • Bill Harvey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enthrawling plot
    Reviewed in Australia on August 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The story is rapidly moving with credible scenarios. Vivid descriptions. Difficult to put down.
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