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Unbroken in Time is another moment in the After Cilmeri series where we come face to face with real history in all its complexity. The old adage truth is stranger than fiction truly comes into play in this time period, and I feel at times like William shouting at the sky, “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!”
I often say that my books are as historically accurate as I can make them ... except when they’re not. In the case of Unbroken in Time, the plot is very much rooted in the genuine history of the time. King Edward I of England really did give up Aquitaine as part of his obligations to Philippe of France as the Duke of Aquitaine—and Philippe didn’t give it back. Philippe really did assassinate a pope, considering himself God’s representative in France and denying that the pope held temporal (material, earthly) power over him.
Furthermore, as part of his perpetual quest to address his financial difficulties, Philippe really did impose an increasing number of pogroms on the Jewish community of France, including the requirement to wear a yellow badge, sudden arrests, and the confiscation of their material possessions, all of which culminated in their expulsion from France in the summer of 1306.
The destruction of the Templars came only a year later, for much the same reasons: the Templars were wealthy and Philippe’s treasury was bare. In an amazingly concerted action, he sent word to his agents throughout France many weeks in advance, telling them to open their orders all on the same day: Friday, October 13, 1307.
I’m glad that with the help of David and all his family and friends, I am able to tell a different story.
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For more background to this story and the rest of my books, have a look at my video series,
Making Sense of Medieval Britain.
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Thank you for reading Unbroken in Time and for continuing this journey into the Middle Ages with me. Given that David has an adventure ahead of him, needless to say, there will be another book! If you’d like to pre-order it now, you can do so at the retailer of your choice:
https://books2read.com/outcastsintime/
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(Note, publication is set for 2021; if I finish it sooner, by pre-ordering, you’ll get it the moment it is released!)
