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“So it was that in early 327 B.C. one-half of Alexander’s army marched through the Khyber Pass . . . at the narrow confine by Ali Masjid, where the Khyber closes to just feet in width, the army would have squeezed through, two or three abreast, looking up warily at the steep heights immediately above them; unknown creatures might inhabit these mountains, for assuredly Indian was full of wonders.”

The Khyber Pass - the name alone is filled with a palpable sense of danger. This steep gorge separating Afghanistan from Pakistan and the northern states of Indian, the pass extends 30 miles through the White Mountains from Afghanistan to the plains of Peshawar in the east. This new book, The Khyber Pass: A History of Empire & Invasion, by Paddy Docherty (who traveled extensively through the pass in 2003) combines the close observations of the sympathetic traveler with the analysis of the engaged historian.

Using historic documents, Docherty traces the history of the pass from the campaigns of the Persian emperors Cyrus and Darius to Alexander the Great, to the days of the British Raj, and modern Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Highly recommended.

The winter of 1944 was the most dangerous time to be a combant airman in the RAF Bomber Command.  The chances of surviving a tour were as low as one in five. Morale was rock bottom.

The daily heroism of those fighters come to life in this comprehensive and compelling history of that year, encompassing the most dangerous periods of the Battle of Berlin and the unparalleled losses over Magdeburg, Leipzig, and Nuremberg.

Men of Air includes personal accounts of how ordinary men coped with the constant pressure of flying, the loss of their buddies, and the constant threat of death or capture. By exploring famous events such as the Great Escape and D-Day, the reader finally learns how the Men of Air turned the tide against the Germans.

Highly recommended.

The seasoned killers of Hitler’s 27th Panzer Regiment fight their most savage battles yet, in bestselling author Sven Hassell’s continuation of his wartime saga, The Bloody Road to Death (Cassell Military Paperbacks)

Hassell’s novels have already sold 52 million copies worldwide . . . and his fans are eager to discover what happens with this band of misfit soldiers.

Now veterans of the trenches and seasoned front liners, the soldiers of the regimen find themselves in a deadly cactus forest crawling with snakes, scorpions and giant ants! This place definitely reeks of danger and death, and when their water rations run out, they come close to madness and murder!

Historical fiction author Bob O’Connor explores the story of a man who might have saved a nation from post-Civil War division, in his novel, The Virginian Who Might Have Saved Lincoln.

President Lincoln’s trusted friend, former law partner and heavily armed bodyguard, Ward Hill Lamon, is the subject of this new historical novel. Lamon snuck Lincoln into Washington prior to the Inauguration when detective Allan Pinkerton uncovered a plot to assassinate Lincoln when his train passed through Baltimore.

Lamon was in charge of the dedication of the national cemetery at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863. Many nights he slept on the floor outside the Lincoln bedroom in the White House to protect the president.

Unfortunately, Lamon was not at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865, the night the president was shot by John Wilkes Booth. If Lamon had been present, would Lincoln have been saved?

About the Author
Bob O’Connor lives in Charles Town, West Virginia, close to most of the sites of his books. O’Connor has always collected books on two historical characters — John Wilkes Booth and John Brown. As he says “Imagine my surprise when I ended up living in Charles Town, West Virginia — a place they both had visited in late 1859. Thus, the inspiration for the first novel “The Perfect Steel Trap Harpers Ferry 1859”. The book has been named a Finalist in the 2006 Best Book Awards by USA Book News.”

The inspiration for O’Connor’s second novel “The Virginian Who Might Have Saved Lincoln” was the intrigue of finding a man, Ward Hill Lamon, who was so close to Abraham Lincoln, yet most people he talked to had never heard about him. In fact, he is mentioned in most non-fiction books about Lincoln (there are 44,781 listed on Amazon.com), but no book has ever been written about him.”

O’Connor’s next book will most likely be called “Catesby-Eye Witness to the Civil War.” It is about an African American blacksmith who was captured by John Brown and released when Brown was captured at Harpers Ferry. The book follows his struggle to become a free man, as he witnesses events at Antietam Creek, Gettysburg, the Battle of Olustee (FL) and Andersonville Prison.

Learn more at Bob O’Connor Books

Thank you to author Sandra Wilson for providing this excerpt from her new book Taj.

Although Nur Jahan had always been determined to have her own way, Khurram was only now fully aware of his stepmother’s fierce intention to have everything as she wanted. 

Because she no longer needed to weave her web of charm around him, Nur Jahan met him with a straightforward stance.  Momentarily stunned by the force she emitted, Khurram took a deep breath and prepared himself for a verbal battle with his father’s wife.  He knew he had to wrest himself from the security of her support if he were to sit comfortably on the throne as he intended.

Nur Jahan raised her eyebrows slightly, waiting for his response to her initial words.  At exactly the same moment, Khurram swept his arm to offer her his place on the stone bench.  She did not move.  Rather, she folded her hands together at her waist, looked at him, and frowned.

“As Your Majesty pleases”, remarked Khurram smoothly, accepting  that their conversation would take place between standing participants. Continue reading »

Well-known psychologist, author and speaker Anne Newton Walther’s passion for history led to the writing of her first book A Time for Treason: An Novel of the American Revolution. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Anne grew up in Virginia and now lives in San Francisco with her husband.

She has been on national talk shows, local television and radio and is head of a psychological counseling firm. Now she has written Loss of Innocence: A Novel of the French Revolution

Ms. Walther has taken her very colorful character the French Countess Eugenie Devereux (that she introduced in A Time for Treason: An Novel of the American Revolution) on another adventure through history. This time, however, the beautiful Madam Devereux is back in France and is in the midst of the French Revolution. Continue reading »

When I visited India some ten years ago, I encountered a world so different from what I was used to that I needed quite some time to sort out my feelings about it. There were sights so gruesome that I still have nightmares about them, and others so sublime that I still feel absolutely in awe that I was fortunate enough to witness them. Seeing Taj Mahal was definitely in the latter category.

There really are no words fluid and shimmering enough to describe the wonder of Taj, and no words large enough to describe the impact it had on me. While there I learned about the great love between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and I promised myself that upon my return home I would delve deeper into that fascinating story.

Well, life has a funny way of interfering with even the best of plans. I returned home and although I often thought of Taj Mahal, I never managed to look deeper into the story of the two people so essential to the creation of the incomparable Taj Mahal.

When Sandra Wilson’s book “Taj The Woman and the Wonder” landed on my desk, I looked at the deceptively slim volume and said to myself that there was no way anybody could write about Taj in a mere 300 pages. Well, I was utterly and absolutely wrong. This is a monumental book. Yes, it looks quite slim, but in its own way it is larger than life, just like Taj Mahal itself. And just like Taj Mahal there are many sides to it. Continue reading »

Anne Walther has another hit in Loss of Innocence: A Novel of the French Revolution.

In spite of her noble heritage, French countess Eugénie Devereux avidly embraces the stirrings of social change and revolution in France. A beautiful woman in her prime, with a sharp mind and an adventurous spirit, Eugénie adroitly manages her tranquil Bordeaux valley estate and vineyards while maintaining a network of agents to keep her informed of events beyond château’s walls.

Already disturbed by news of the monarchy under seige at Versailles, and the growing anarchy in the streets of Paris and throughout France, she receives a surprising and cryptic invitation from Queen Marie Antoinette. Eugénie suspects that the royal family is in danger and hurries to Versailles just as a lavish banquet for the Royal Guard incites the women of Paris to march on the palace in a rage.

As one disatrous event follows another, Eugénie risks her reputation and her life to undertake a bold secret mission. Joining her is American shipper Bridger Goodrich, who won her heart when she visited Virginia at the onset of the American Revolution.

Their passion for one another deepens as they plunge into a little-known historical plot by French nobles and courageous Americans to rescue the queen from her prison in France and spirit her across the Atlantic to the banks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Will Eugénie carry out the plan in time? Continue reading »

Part love story, part history lesson, and part introduction to the culture of India in the 1600s during the Great Mughal Empire, Sandra Wilson has done a fine job of weaving all of these elements into Taj - The Woman and the Wonder. While the novel is rooted in historical fact, Sandra adds her own layer fleshing out the personalities and frictions that are well documented historically, but obviously are without the actual dialog.

As you might have guessed from the title, this book at least in part concerns one of the great wonders of the world , the Taj Mahal, and the lady that inspired it’s construction.

Taj - The Woman And The Wonder follows the fortunes of Shah Jahan and his very beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal from their not so humble beginnings. It is told through the thoughts of Shah Jahan on his deathbed. As first son of Emperor Jahangir, Prince Khurram’s future seemed assured, he is almost guaranteed to eventually wear the ‘Royal Turban’ and be the next Grand Mughal. Unfortunately the current Empress has different ideas. Although the power of the empire eminates from the Emperor, the real power comes from the woman behind the scenes, Nur Jahan, and she is unwilling to relinquish her control over India. Continue reading »

Taj reveals the human, cultural and political influences that surrounded the creation of India’s most famous icon. It’s all there–the love story, wicked stepmother, court intrigue, harems, battles and tragedy.

This work of historical fiction describes the turbulent reality, true love story, and the high drama behind the serene Taj Mahal. 

Readers can 

*explore the forbidden Royal Zenana (city of women)

*share the frustration, betrayal and rebellion that preceded the building of the Taj Mahal.

*”listen in” as design decisions are made for the Taj Mahal.

Taj provides the magic carpet that takes you to a faraway time and place and reveals the back story of the Taj Mahal.

About the Author
Sandra Wilson lived and taught in India for four years. While there she became fascinated with the Taj Mahal and curious about its background. Her curiosity led to library research, a university course, a return trip to India and finally putting it all together in this historical fiction.