INTERVIEW WITH C.W. GORTNER

Penman

     So many of my readers have told me how much they enjoyed C.W. Gortner’s The Last Queen.  I am very happy to report that he has a new novel out, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, one of history’s most controversial and little-known queens.   I was fortunate enough to read this book in galley form and I am sure that fans of The Last Queen will find it as compelling and surprising as I did.  But before reading the new book, which will be published on May 25th, you’ll want to read the following interview.   

Why did you write THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI? 

I’ve always been fascinated by Catherine de Medici. Initially, I was attracted to her because of her legend. I figured, if she has such a bad reputation there must be more to her story. I wanted to know more about who she was, to search beyond the lurid hyperbole for the person she may have been. Of Italian birth, Catherine was the last scion of her legitimate Medici blood; she dominated France in the latter half of the 16th century, a contemporary of Elizabeth I and mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots. Left a widow with small children and confronted by one of the most savage conflicts of the time, she fought to save France and her bloodline from destruction. As I researched her, I realized that, as with most dark legends, there was far more to her than popular history tells us. I thought how interesting it would be if Catherine herself could tell the story of her life. If she had the chance to explain herself, what would she say? I believe that all stories have two sides and Catherine de Medici’s is no exception.

 

What are some interesting facts you discovered about Catherine that is not widely known?

I found it amazing to discover how much she loved animals. In a time when bear baiting by dogs was a common entertainment, when hunting was a bloody pastime enjoyed by both genders and people rarely kept pets, Catherine was known for caring deeply about the welfare of her own animals and those at court. For example, she had the lion cages at Amboise completely restored, after she discovered how run-down they were; she also insisted that her bears not be used for any baiting and hired special attendants to look after them. When Catherine traveled about France, her bears were often seen lumbering behind her carriage! She also kept a menagerie of parrots, monkeys, and other exotic creatures; this was a time of plunder in Africa, New Guinea, and the Americas, with explorers capturing breeds which were often traumatized and ill equipped to survive transplant from their native habitats. Catherine tried her best to ensure those animals presented to her were treated well, not abused, exploited or killed for their parts – a very common practice in those days. The little dog she has in the book – Muet – is fictional, but represents this little-known aspect of her personality. In reality, Catherine had several lapdogs, in addition to the animals already mentioned.

 

I was also surprised to find out how religiously tolerant she was, particularly for an era of such savage intolerance and for someone of her fearsome reputation, who allegedly orchestrated a massacre to wipe out her Protestant subjects. This was a time when Catholics and Protestants were engaged in a very brutal conflict that spanned generations and divided families; popular history tends to bundle it under the titles of ‘Reformation’ and ‘Counter Reformation’ but the truth is, thousands of people lost their lives or fled their homes over the issue of faith. Catherine was the product of an ultra-Catholic upbringing; her family was intricately linked to the Vatican and her relative Clement VIII was a pope. She had every reason to fear and even despise Protestants, much as Mary Tudor did; however, Catherine showed a pragmatism toward doctrinal digressions that was actually very enlightened for her times. I do not believe she was a fanatic; I believe she honestly thought that there was a peaceful solution to the conflict tearing her son’s kingdom apart. It was her misfortune that so few around her shared her belief.

 

What kind of research did you do? Did you take any special trips?

I spent several years on this book to get it into its current form. I had written the original manuscript many years before that and it went through several re-writes before it was sold. Besides the over 40 biographies I read on Catherine and the important people in her life, as well as many other books on her era, I also read contemporary eye-witness accounts of the events that transpired under her reign, some written by her intimates. I don’t read French well and most of these accounts are not translated, so I had to enlist the help of friends who do speak the language. Catherine’s letters, too, provided invaluable insight into her thoughts; while many of these letters are formal in tone, as befits the time, a careful scrutiny of them does offer startling emotional information, such as the time when she wrote: “It is a great suffering to always be fearful.”

 

I traveled to France several times to see extant places associated with Catherine and to get a sense of the landscape. Though much has changed between now and then, I strongly believe the physical places where our characters lived offer unmatched glimpses into the past that can spark momentous changes in our work and during my first trip to Chenonceau, the chateau that Catherine embellished and loved, it happened to me. I was having trouble getting into Catherine’s “skin”, so to speak. Over half the book was written and I still felt she eluded me; there was something intrinsic missing. While touring this magnificent palace that sits on the river Cher, with its intricate gardens and honey-comb galleries, I understood what eluded me: I had made the mistake that so many of her detractors did: because she was so firmly entrenched in politics, I’d forgotten she was also a woman with a keen appreciation for beauty, a Medici to her fingertips, with all the passion that family had shown for centuries for the arts. This realization helped me immensely to re-cast her in my book, to find that flesh-and-blood person she might have been.

When combining fact with fiction, how do you balance history with story?

Very delicately! I think that as historical fiction novelists, we often walk a fine line between the facts and the fiction, in that we must adhere to the latter while staying true to the former. I always tell readers in my author’s afterword where I’ve altered or re-shaped events to fit the narrative flow; unfortunately, history can be inconvenient for a novelist, in that certain events do not match our story’s timeline and we finds ourselves confronted with editorial constraints, such as word counts, maintaining a manageable cast of characters, keeping up the pace of the story, etc. My golden rule is to never deliberately alter something if I can avoid it, and if I do alter it, make note of it so readers can know.

 

Do you think issues Catherine faced in her era still resonate today?

Absolutely. Religious divisiveness was a brutal part of life in Catherine’s world, with Catholics and Protestants willing to martyr themselves for their cause. This is something that many of us, much like Catherine, may find difficult to comprehend. Yet that very type of extreme righteousness remains very much a part of our modern landscape, as evidenced by acts of terrorism and genocide in several parts of the world. While we are in many ways a more enlightened society, we still carry vestiges of the past with us, and leaders throughout the world grapple with many of the issues that Catherine did, in terms of placating anger and restoring harmony among people whose lives have been devastated by conflict. 

 

What is one of the secrets that Catherine “confesses” in this novel?

The truth about her relationship with the Protestant leader, Coligny. I find it intriguing that so few of Catherine’s biographers have looked more closely at their enigmatic association. Coligny was at court when Catherine first arrived from Italy as a teenage bride; he was the nephew of the Constable of France, a very important man, and she and Coligny must have met long before they assumed their individual political roles. They were close to each other in age; they probably witnessed to a certain extent each other’s trials and triumphs, before circumstances arose for them to join forces. Coligny and Catherine could not have been more different, both in upbringing and outlook, yet they shared for a time a united response to the upheaval in France and a mutual desire for accord. In my novel, Catherine tells us what brought them together, and what eventually led to the definitive tragedy between them. 

 

 

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog, Sharon, and thanks to all your readers for spending this time with me. To find out more about my work, please visit: www.cwgortner.com

Thank you, C.W., for agreeing to do this interview.  I am sure that anyone who enjoys well-written historical fiction is going to be facinated by “your” Catherine de Medici.  

May 18, 2010

 

139 thoughts on “INTERVIEW WITH C.W. GORTNER”

  1. Your book sounds fascinating and I’ll be putting it on my wish list immediately. I find it quite interesting how harshly history treats some people while white washing others.
    Joan

  6. I found this a fascinating blog read. I watched The Medicis film, and found all of the episodes fascinating. It’s great to see one of the Medici women being fleshed out in such capable hands! I was especially delighted to see that even then, there were women who were nuts about animals.
    Great interview. I’m looking forward to reading this book.

  7. I’m so excited to read this book. I loved the Last Queen, so I’m positive that this book will be just as thrilling. I’ve noticed there have been several books published recently on Catherine, I’m curious if Mr. Gortner has read them and if so, his thoughts on some of them. There were several I had considered buying until I read the reviews on amazon.com. Most people didn’t seem to be that impressed. Thank you for another great interview Sharon!

  8. A very interesting interview, Sharon. You and Miss Moppet cause me no end of grief, making my anti-library and my backlog grow endlessly – but I love it.
    On other matters, Today was Shavuot, the Jewish holiday of Receiving the Torah and the holiday of reaping the wheat. It is also the traditional date of the Birth and Death of King David.
    Also, today Stephen of Blois, King Stephen’s father died.

  9. Thank you, Sharon, for this interview and thanks to all the readers who have commented so far. I see some friends here, too 🙂 I’m delighted this interview has provided some insight. Catherine was such a fascinating woman; I hope you’ll enjoy spending time with her as much as I did.
    In answer to Brenna’s question, I’ve read Jean Plaidy’s trilogy on Catherine de Medici, many years ago. However, there’s a lot of room for interpretation, so every writer can bring something different to the mix when writing about her.

  10. Greyt interview, thanx for posting it. Added to my wishlist, as with any recommendation by Sharon.
    What’s with the recent rash of beheaded book covers? Is there a guideline among publishers that historical fiction needs to have a person w/o a head on the cover? ‘-)

  13. Perhaps the headless cover phenomenon is successful because it allows the reader to view the main character as him or herself without contradiction of the supermodel face on the cover? Or maybe it’s successful because we would rather envision the face of the person as we see fit without the publisher’s preconceptions… which on the covers often contradict the author’s descriptions anyway. I can think of a couple of male examples too: The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick does sever William Marshal’s head above the jawline I believe, and though it’s not a novel, Marc Morris’ Edward I: A Great And Terrible King, treats ol’ Longshanks as Wallace would have liked to have done unto him.
    Revisiting one of our recent fave subjects from your last blog, I saw this article on msn.com about historical inaccuracy on film and couldn’t resist adding the link:
    http://entertainment.ca.msn.com/movies/galleries/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=24277309

  14. That was quite educational Blaire, thanx for that link. While movies obviously are not real history, it is amazing how much is botched. Some of these errors are quite blatant and with a little research could’ve been avoided. Perhaps the real thing wouldn’t have made good theater the powers that be thought.
    P.S.: So far Sharon’s books haven’t had lopped off characters on the cover – does an author have any say in the design of the book cover or the overall look of the book at all?

  15. just a Thought,! “did Anyone do a portrait of Elenor ??”.. or was Art Not That Good in the Medevil Days………were Paints Not Availabel

  16. Victory! Today The Royalist English Army under William Marshal defeated the French under the Count of Perche in the second Battle of Lincoln. Lincoln was then pillaged by the victorious army, in an event called the Lincoln Fair

  17. Portraut art didn’t start flourishing until the 15th century, James. We have portraits, for example, of the Yorkist kings and the Tudors. Nothing before that, though. The chroniclers didn’t even bother to note the color of Eleanor’s eyes and hair, just saying she was beautiful–not at all helpful for future historical novelists.
    Britta, it depends. I have some input with my publishers, but I certainly don’t have the final say. Some writers have veto power, those who nest regularly on the best-seller lists, and some are not even asked.
    Very interesting article, Blair. But they didn’t even mention the two worst offenders in my book, the ones tied with Braveheart for making a mishmash out of history….Becket and Kingdom of Heaven.

  18. Any idea of when the effigy on Eleanor’s tomb was made and whether or not there is reason to believe it’s at all an accurate representation? I do think there is some similarity between it and the sculpture at Chatres that’s supposed to be her.

  19. Thank-you Sharon,…….Between The Fair Rosamund!…….and Elenor “Its a pity Henry Did;nt Commission Some Artist” He Was proberly…Too Busy Eh??.

  20. Thanks for all the interesting comments. When it comes to covers, as an author I do have some say but I can’t override the creative department or the all important accounts, which decide so much. The current “half-head” or “beheaded” phenomenon started with the success of The Other Boleyn Girl and is driven by buyers. I know for example that when my book The Last Queen was picked up for a big multi-item discount retailer (the kind that can sell thousands of copies) they specifically said they liked the cover because “faces don’t sell.” Evidently, they believe consumers can more easily project their own fantasy onto a cover that does not have a full face. That said, the trend appears to be slowly fading out.
    Still, I like my semi-headless Catherine: she reminds me of Catherine Zeta-Jones and I have to say, after all the “eternally beautiful” hyperbole that the real Catherine endured concerning Diane de Poitiers, it’s nice to see her get a little fantasy touch-up herself for a change 🙂

  21. Many of you know The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale is my favorite bookshop. They are having their annual conference June 24-26; it sounds like great fun and it is free! Unfortunately I can’t attend this year, but there are some wonderful writers who’ll be there, including Diana Gabaldon, Dana Stabenow, and PF Chisholm. I am going to post the information in a separate entry. Cindy and George, I am sure you’ll want to attend! And I’d urge anyone lucky enough to live in Arizona or with some free time and a bit of extra money for travel expenses to go. I love going to The Poisoned Pen, am so sorry I’ll be missing it this year.

  22. THE ANNUAL POISONED PEN CONFERENCE
    June 24-26 2010
    Thursday and Friday events at The Poisoned Pen from 7:00 pm
    (Possible Georgette Heyer mini-conference Friday June 24 1:00-5:00 pm)
    Saturday at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa from 6:30 pm
    includes programs and at 9:30, Late Night Readings and Pajama Party
    The conference is free, no registration required (Heyer fee: $25).
    A raffle for all those buying books by attending authors—one entry per book—has a $100 Poisoned Pen Gift Certificate prize.
    Hendricks, Juliet Blackwell, Sophie Littlefield, Michael Koryta, Jeanne Matthews, Gary Phillips, Stefanie Pintoff, Zoe Sharp, Dana Stabenow, Lauren Willig…and others to be announced.
    To reserve a room at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa
    At the Poisoned Pen Rate: $89/night
    Victoria Strubbe: victorias@arizonabiltmore.com
    or 602-954-2569 | F: 602-954-2571
    Or use the Arizona Biltmore’s on-line Registration
    2726435 is Poisoned Pen’s online booking code. When you go onto the Arizona Biltmore’s website http://www.arizonabiltmore.com
    When checking availability, you will find a spot below to enter your number into field titled “Corporate Account Number.”
    GEORGETTE HEYER TEA
    Friday June 25 1:00-5:00 pm Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa
    Fee: $25. Registration required. Email will@poisonedpen.com . You
    Will not be billed until we can confirm the event. Discussions with various authors, audience participation. It will be a celebration of her Regency novels and her mysteries. We’ll vote for her best lines (Regency) so come prepared to lobby for your favorite.

  24. And today, the First Battle of Saint Albans took place, where the Yorkists under Duke Richard defeated the Lancastrians, capturing King Henry VI (VII, by my count), killing Edmund Duke of Somerset, and killing Henry Percy 2nd Earl of Northumberland and Lord Thomas Clifford during the rout.

  26. re: the “headless cover”. Those are interesting points – imagination is possibly the best course.
    That said, my original 1950’s copy of Seton’s Katherine displayed a portrait which, to a 14-yr-old girl was immensely evocative. I have traced the artist to the early 20th C portraitist, de Lazlo. But have not found that specific portrait on the Internet, alas.

  27. Thanks for a great interview, now I am even more impatient to read this. I absolutely loved “The last queen” and know this one will be just as fascinating. I pre-ordered it from the book depository and recieved word from them that it’s now on the way!! I am so excited, I’m like a child waiting for christmas! Do other readers feel like this when waiting for new books? It’s quite an enjoyable sensation that I have experienced quite a few times, and certainly every time Sharon brings out one of her wonderful books 🙂

  28. Thanks for this interview, Sharon and CW! With all the amazing historical fiction writers out there, my shelves are *very happily* groaning under the weight of the books they bear! Sounds like this is another I will be adding when it’s released! And I’m hopefully fostering a new generation of historical ficiton lovers–I read all the novels I’m reading out loud to my baby. We’ll see what she likes when she’s born! 🙂
    RE: The Poisoned Pen conference. OMG I was so excited when I saw this posted on Sharon’s FB page. And then I saw the dates and there was much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments. That is graduation weekend for the university I work at, the ONE weekend a year that I am expected to work! *wail* I hope those of you who get to go have a terrific time, though!! 🙂

  29. Michelle-
    I always feel like a child at Christmas when I’m waiting for books to arrive! Alas, I’ve requested several of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books from book depository that are sold out. I’ve added my name to some list to be alerted when it arrives, but that was 2 months ago. My feelings of wonderment and anticipation are starting to wear off.

  30. Fortunately the trend seems to be in our favor on this side of the Atlantic; that is, more of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books will be available here, too. Both her newest, To Defy a King, and A Time of Singing will be available by the end of the summer; the latter has had a title change to For a King’s Favor. Brenna, have you tried http://www.alibris.com? This is an excellent on-line bookshop based in the US, a good source for books you can’t find elsewhere. Unfortunately, they do charge a shipping fee, unlike the Book Depository, but sometimes the book’s price is a bargain even when you factor in the mailing costs.

  31. And today, David I of Scotland, Matilda’s uncle and supporter died, and the ten-year-old Lambert Simnel was crowned in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland with the name of Edward VI.

  32. Ken-
    thanks for the link.
    So funny (I love Wales and if not for healthproblems I would have been there next week), and some of the other that come up on the right hand side 😮
    Michelle-
    I have four books out there on the way, I have exactly the same antisipation as you. Well, I think this is better than Christmas.

  33. Very interesting interview, and his approach jives with yours, Sharon! I loved _The Last Queen_ – Juana’s always been such a shadowy figure – and am looking forward to reading _Confessions_ very much.
    On CW’s site, there’s a note about a trilogy on Isabella la Catolica that he’s working on – it sounds as tho’ he’s still at work on the first instalment. I’ll watch for that as well.
    Cheers – and Sharon, what’s next for you?
    Janet

  34. Hi, Janet. Yes, Christopher is working now on a novel about Juana’s mother, Isabella. He hadn’t told me it was to be a trilogy; I’ll have to find out more about that!
    I am working now on what might be called the fourth book in my trilogy about Henry and Eleanor! I realized when I finished Devil’s Brood that I wasn’t ready to part company with the Angevins yet, so the new book is Lionheart, which will pick up where DB ended, with everyone still alive at the end of that book. Wer’re looking for a 2011 publication date.

  35. Sharon, thanks for the info re Poison Pen. Unfortunately we will be on the road; we have a trip planned to Vancouver, Seattle and Portland next month.
    Ooo, I love it when I see the possiblity of a date on your books! And its only six months to 2011…. no rush, no pressure 🙂

  36. It won’t be till the autumn of 2011, Cindy–sorry! I’m sorry, too, that you’ll miss the Poisoned Pen fun, but a trip to Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland is one any of us would love to take. Have a wonderful time.

  37. Hi all,
    Thanks for the great comments! I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy The Confessions of Catherine de Medici. I share your love of books and have equally over-weighted shelves, plus random piles beside my desk which my corgi Paris delights in knocking over. I read voraciously, and of course my preferred genre is historical fiction. As a longtime fan of Sharon’s, I’m eagerly awaiting Richard the Lionheart’s tale.
    Regarding my works-in-progress, The Princess Isabella is actually a stand-alone historical novel about the youth and early reign of Isabella of Castile; it will be published by Ballantine Books (Random House). My trilogy is The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, to be published by St Martin’s Press; the first book, The Tudor Secret, will release in 2011. All of these books have been acquired by my UK publisher Hodder & Stoughton and will be available in the UK. I don;t have firm publication dates yet, but you can always check my website where I update information as soon as I have it.
    Thanks again 🙂

  38. What a great interview! Can you share more about the context of Catherine’s quote “It is a great suffering to always be fearful.”? That’s such a poignant voice from the past, I’d love to know more about the situation she was in that brought that out.

  40. And today, Malcolm ‘The Maiden’ IV of Scotland was crowned king. He was the (somewhat distant) cousin of Henry II, and is commonly said to have been knighted by him.

  41. Sharon, Not sure if you are aware that EC has just lost her new pet Jack-Jack in a road accident. You can read about it over on HFO.

  42. Hi, Ken. Yes, she contacted me about it. So sad, for Jack-jack was such a sweetheart. I think it is harder to lose a young dog, too; at least with Cody, I knew he’d had a long and happy life, but Jack-jack was cheated of so much, and so were Elizabeth and her family.

  43. Anyone with a few spare moments ought to check out Dave O’Shea’s Artistik website here. http://www.artistik.co.uk/ Dave is a brilliant photographer and my house is decorated with his wonderful photos of Wales. He also took the jacket photo for the American edition of When Christ and His Saints Slept, which we did at Dolwyddelan Castle. And yes, he does ship worldwide!

  44. I have it written here that today, Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII (VIII) was born. Also, Cecily Neville, mother to Edward IV and Richrd III died, as well as Isabelle of Angoulême, wife to John and mother to Henry III (IV).

  47. Sharon and Christopher, thank you both for the wonderful interview. I really loved this novel. I will never see Catherine the same way again…thanks for a marvelous book.

  48. Koby-
    I’m sure through the various blog postings, you’ve explained how your number of Henry’s is different than historians, but I would love it if you would share again. I also notice when you put VIII in () when talking about Henry VII and so my curiousity is getting the best of me. Please?

  49. Koby, this puzzles me. Henry I aka Beauclerc, was the son of William the Conqueror. Henry II, Henry Fitz Empress, “my” Henry. Henry III, the son of John and Isabelle d’Angouleme. Henry IV, the first Lancastrian King. Henry V, his son, aka Harry of Monmouth, victor of Agincourt. Henry VI, the Lancastrian king who died of “melancholy” according to the Yorkist kings, likely murdered according to everyone else. Henry VII, the first of the Tudor dynasty, a bleak day in English history. His son Henry VIII, a royal Bluebeard when it came to wives. This is the lineup by historians; I’ve never seen it given in any other way. At first I thought maybe you were counting Henry II’s son, the young king, Hal in my Devil’s Brood, since he was crowned. But historians don’t include him since he never ruled alone. But that would have given you an extra Henry, and you seem to be missing one 🙂 Which one of the Henrys listed above aren’t you counting?

  50. Actually, Sharon, you’re right. I do count Henry the Young King. I don’t see how historians can overlook him because he never truly ruled, but do count Edward IV’s (Ned’s) son Edward as Edward V. Edward ‘V’ was never crowned, never proclaimed as Edward V, and didn’t rule either – Richard was his Protector, and Edward was declared a bastard before he was ever crowned. So if historians count him as Edward V, I don’t see why they don’t count Henry the Young King, who was crowned.
    Anybody with a different opinion, or with a counter-arguement?

  51. I’d be okay with counting Henry’s son, Koby! From what I’ve read, historians discount him because they see his coronation as meaningless since it didn’t confer any real power on him, Henry Senior planning to rule until his last mortla breath and maybe then from the grave. But your argument about Edward IV’s son certainly makes sense. I’d guess that the young Edward was counted by the Tudors as a way of emphasizing what they saw as the illegitimacy of Richard III’s reign, and subsequent historians simply followed suit.
    Brace yourself, though–now I’ve found mention in Baha al-Din’s chronicle about the extreme heat in September 1191!

  52. Feh! It was obviously a one-time fluke, similiar to the great cold wave of ’92.

  53. Today Adèle of Champagne, Louis VII’s wife and the mother of Dieudonné, Philip Augustus died.

  54. Re. the heat: In fact, Sharon, the mere fact that Baha al-Din sees fit to mention extreme heat, when he lived in this area and was used to it, implies that the heat was greater than usual, and so worth a mention.

  55. Not really in this case, Koby–though that was imaginative! He reported that Salah al-Din had left camp while it was still dark because he was concerned for the effect of the heat on his health. He wasn’t well at this point; actually his health seems to have been deteriorating slowly. I think both he and Richard exhausted themselves physically and mentally during the war. Have you ever read Baha al-Din’s chronicle? Utterly fascinating since he was a member of Salah al-Din’s inner circle. I have two other Saracen chroncles, one by al-Ithir, who was a contemporary, and a French translation of one by Imad al-Din, who was also one of Salah al-Din’s men. But I find myself most intrigued by Baha al-Din, who had been a teacher and who lived to be 89, not bad for the MA.

  56. I am still doubtful, for soem reason. Science tells us that the past was cooler, and this spring was supposdebly the hottest in the world since people began to measure this circa 1880. And despite this, it wasn’t that hot here in Israel. I’m still going around with my long sleeved shirts! It seems weird to me that it could be so hot. Perhaps they were used to cooler weather, and so when it reached the heat of today (which isn’t that hot to us) it was very hot for them?

  57. But Koby, that wouldn’t be true of Saladin. He was more accustomed to hot weather than the crusaders from Europe, and even he talked about the heat. I think you’re tilting at windmills. And brace yourself, for when I start talking about the snow! Having such amazing sources in these chronicles from both sides has really spoiled me for future books. They even give me the names of men killed in particular battles.

  58. Aha! See? This is the proof that it was a year of wacky weather! Real Snow? In Israel other then the Hermon? An occurence that happens possibly once in 50 years.

  59. Re: Weather-
    Not completely outside the realm of possibilities when you consider the fact that 2009 was once of the coldest years on records and 2010 has been one of the hottest. Back to back years of extremes is irregular, but in the words of a character of The Little Giants “It can happen.”

  60. In other matters, I hvaeit written here that today Richard I arrived in Acre, beginning his crusade, and that George Neville, Archbishop of York and brother of Richard Neville died today.

  61. And today, Frederick I Barbarossa drowned on his way to Jerusalem. This is relevant, of course, to the Third Crusade. How it might have changed if not for that heart attack!

  63. Koby, that is so true about Frederick Barbarossa. If he’d lived to reach the Holy Land, he may have been able to keep Richard and Philippe from being at each other’s throats. As the Holy Roman Emperor and a man who’d reached a venerable age for the MA, he’d have commanded respect. Saladin was greatly relieved when he heard of Frederick’s death, for the German crusade pretty much fell apart after he died.

  67. Hello! your blog is interesting. The content is really new, but sorry i don’t like your wordpress theme, maybe you find better wordpress themes when you search on ask for “the best wordpress themes”.:)

  68. Wow, thats a very interesting blog entry for me. I like your website. Maybe you should write more articles of these type. By the way, sorry for my bad english 😉 =)

  69. I cherished up to you’ll obtain performed right here. The comic strip is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish. however, you command get bought an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following. ill for sure come further until now again as exactly the similar nearly very ceaselessly within case you protect this hike.

  72. wonderful items entirely, you merely gained a fresh reader. An amount you recommend in relation to your post that you designed a day or two in the past? Any positive?

  74. With thanks much for the significant. It really took me a while to get this excellent website. Discuss like a phony on the web when it comes to trying to find material on aol. In any case bookmarked this excellent website thus a a lot easier with regard to so when. Thanks Filthy Speak Illustrations

  75. I simply wanted to leave a simple comment to say that your web site was great. I found it on google search right after experiencing lots of other information that was not really relevant. I think I’d come across this much sooner thinking about how very good the content is.

  76. It’s really a cool and helpful piece of information. I am satisfied that you just shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.

  78. Interval training workouts are easier once you have a considerable training to assist you to. I prefer just one referred to as kettlebell routines. The idea provides call outs and keep a person determined in your schedule.

  79. Pingback: senpolia

  80. This is these kinds of an ideal resource in which you will be giving and you also present that away regarding no cost. My partner and i absolutely adore finding ınternet sites in which recognize the particular price regarding offering any good quality reference regarding cost-free. It’s the particular aged exactly what all-around happens all-around habit ..

  81. Pingback: web design greek

  83. Hello there, I found your website by way of Google whilst searching for a related subject, your site got here up, it looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  85. Hi, i feel that i noticed you visited my website so i came to ?return the desire?.I am attempting to find things to enhance my website!I suppose its good enough to use a few of your concepts!!

  87. My wife and i have been joyous when Michael could finish up his investigation using the ideas he gained out of your web pages. It’s not at all simplistic to simply find yourself freely giving guidance a number of people may have been making money from. So we fully understand we now have the writer to appreciate because of that. The most important explanations you made, the straightforward web site navigation, the friendships you make it possible to promote – it is most extraordinary, and it is making our son and the family do think this situation is amusing, which is certainly wonderfully vital. Many thanks for the whole thing!

  88. Hey do you a twitter account? I’d adore to follow you there due to the fact twitter is my favorite social internet site. If you aren’t there already you may possibly take into account it simply because that’d aid you connect with your standard readers in a far better way.

  90. Pingback: computers

  91. hi!,I really like your writing very much! share we be in contact extra about your article on AOL? I require an expert in this house to solve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Looking ahead to look you.

  92. I am excited by everythingthat Austin helps us become better designers. I started out doing local web design and now I have several employees and I love that ATX has been there with great activities for designing and art appreciation. Happy to be in Texas and I love ATX

  93. I’ll gear this critique to 2 types of people: present Zune proprietors who are thinking about an upgrade, and people trying to choose among a Zune and an iPod. (There are other gamers worth taking into consideration out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you adequate information to make an knowledgeable determination of the Zune vs people other than the iPod line as well.)

  96. Hi there, I found your website via Google whilst looking for a related matter, your site got here up, it seems good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  97. Hello my loved one! I wish to say that this post is amazing, great written and come with almost all significant infos. I would like to see extra posts like this .

  98. I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays

  100. I was looking through some of your articles on this internet site and I believe this site is very informative ! Keep posting .

  102. Hmm.. Great website however disagree with the information a person composed listed here.. We?l sure I’m only one a person who will be feeling like this right now. Call up me personally ridiculous but I imagine the overall complete opposite of that which you?re declaring lol.

  103. But a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding design. “Individuals may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.” by Benjamin Disraeli.

  104. 76.Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon.

  108. We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with valuable information to work on. You’ve done an impressive
    job and our whole community will be thankful to you.

  110. Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem together with your site in internet explorer, would test this¡K IE nonetheless is the marketplace chief and a big part of people will pass over your magnificent writing because of this problem.

  111. Thanks for such an interesting article. I came across it while I was looking online for details about kindle covers & accessories and I get a lot of useful data for me. I’ll share it on my page as a way to my family and friends use it either. Thanks again and waiting for more posts.

  112. I Unquestionably believe what you posted here. Your justification seemed to be easy to follow. The easiest thing I can do to repay you is tell my friends about your blog. I say to you, I definitely get irked when people copy content without giving credit. You managed to hit the nail upon the head and defined the whole thing without causing me confusion , people can take a page out of your book. I Will likely be back to get more. Thank you!

  115. Ralph Lauren uk Inside etiquette your loner offered on their own in order to fictional self-identification due to quite simple fact he will certainly be a loner. Becoming Gary the gadget guy Cooper from large mid-day or perhaps Robert Spade, basically think about you’re one dude, although being Put on Corleone or perhaps Rico, moreover to be able to Hitler, you should make a combined of folks that comply with and also follow you, that is significantly less probable. We recommend your rubbish, due to the quite fact he will manifest as a misconception in the ultra-individualist culture, the only real society inside bourgeois time without true pre-bourgeois origins, had been the abnormally powerful car or truck with regard to imaging ?Chemical that’s everything the majority of us obtain as soon as the consists of limitless possibilities. In order to ride alone will be significantly less implausible rather than hang with regards to until in which marshal’s baton within your knapsack becomes fact.

  116. undoubtedly like your web-site nevertheless, you have got to check the particular punctuational in a few of your content. A lot of them will be rife having punctuational issues and I realize its incredibly problematic to share with the truth then again I will undoubtedly keep coming back once again.

  117. Great – I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs and related info ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, site theme . a tones way for your client to communicate. Excellent task.

  118. Hello, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, wonderful blog!

  119. Excellent site, thanks for publishing this, I am learning to be a professional wedding planner, I am going to bookmark this site, many thanks for your efforts in writing the posts

  120. I have seen that clever real estate agents everywhere are starting to warm up to FSBO Advertising and marketing. They are noticing that it’s more than merely placing a poster in the front place. It’s really with regards to building interactions with these suppliers who later will become purchasers. So, if you give your time and energy to assisting these suppliers go it alone — the “Law associated with Reciprocity” kicks in. Good blog post.

  121. An fascinating dialogue is price comment. I think that you must write more on this subject, it won’t be a taboo topic however generally individuals are not sufficient to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers

  123. Spot on with this write-up, I truly think this web site needs far more consideration. I’ll probably be again to learn way more, thanks for that info.

  124. Dieser Handlungsprodukt, da wird mir dieser gelangweilte Vielleser derzeit schon akzeptieren, hat bis anhin nichtmal vereinen Zweckhaftigkeit, er ist wahrnehmbar sinnentleert im Übrigen hat nichtsdestotrotz sich selber ebenso wie chip eigene Bedeutungsarmut zum Inhalt, weiters nichteinmal darin meinen er, kommt auf keinen Fall in die Tüte er ist genauso vermittelst Sicherheit solcher schlechteste Lyrics, den einzelwesen jemals gelesen habe.

  125. Amazing problems totally, simply been given a brand new visitor. What might you highly recommend concerning your put up that you simply created a 7 days before? Any kind of favourable?

  126. I like this web blog very much, Its a very nice billet to read and incur information. “There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise.” by Gore Vidal.

  128. Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your site is very cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched everywhere and just could not come across. What an ideal site.

  129. You could certainly see your expertise in the work you write. The sector hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always follow your heart. “Every man serves a useful purpose A miser, for example, makes a wonderful ancestor.” by Laurence J. Peter.

  130. Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to assert that I get in fact enjoyed account your weblog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing for your feeds and even I fulfillment you get entry to consistently quickly.

  132. Blue Moon Leathers. This great site features a complete directory the various varieties of leather, from men’s coats to women’s coats along with items with vintage leather. They feature items equally for individuals. This is a onezie for adults! My first thought was of poor Ralph inside a Christmas Story who had previously been afflicted by wearing normally the one his aunt bought him. But, his experienced a tail and ears (now more likely to angle they totally missed Easter obtained care of folks). Who wears this? I own a awkward time thinking individuals do to their dorm (unless there exists a keg because room).

  133. I seriously love your blog.. Very nice colors & theme.
    Did you make this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know where you got this from or just what
    the theme is named. Many thanks!

  134. You’ll be able to certainly see your experience in the operate you publish. The entire world hopes for much more passionate writers including you who’re not afraid to mention how they believe. On a regular basis stick to your heart.

  135. Pingback: apartemen dijual di jakarta

  136. It’s perfect time to make some plans for the long run and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this put up and if I may just I want to counsel you few fascinating issues or tips. Perhaps you can write subsequent articles referring to this article. I desire to learn even more issues about it!

Comments are closed.