Non-Fiction Books
Both Edward II and his wife Isabella were powerful political players in Anglo-French relations, but their lives represent a real conflict between a disinterested and reluctant king whose extra-marital relationships sealed his fate at the hands of Isabella, and an honorouble queen and devoted wife turned `she-wolf' who took the ultimate revenge on her husband and his favourites. This book begins with Edward I in power and sets the historical and political scene for Edward II's accession, marriage and reign. Paul Doherty explores the relationships between Edward II and Isabella, Edward and his favourites Gaveston and de Spencer, and between these two figures and the queen, within the context of the breakdown and collapse of the royal marriage leading to conspiracy and death. The `murder mystery' element of the book concerns the events of the death and burial of the king. Doherty cites evidence to suggest that Edward II escaped death at the hands of scorned Isabella and that the queen was deceived, just as England was, about his fate which means that `the corpse in the lead coffin beneath the beautiful Purbeck marble sarcophagus in St Peter's at Gloucester is not Edward II's'. This book proves that sometimes history can be better than fiction.
In May 323 BC Alexander of Macedonia fell ill in Babylon. Within ten days he was dead. A military genius who raged through the Persian empire, Alexander believed he was the son of God, with a desire for everlasting glory and an urge to march and conquer the world. The Death of Alexander the Great critically analyzes this extraordinary conqueror who achieved so much before he died at the early age of 33. Alexander was a man who wanted to be a God, a Greek who wanted to be a Persian, a defender of liberties who spent most of his life taking away the liberties of others, and a king who could be compassionate to the lowliest yet ruthlessly wipe out an ancient city like Tyre and crucify 3,000 of its defenders. Doherty scrutinizes the circumstances surrounding Alexander’s death as he lay sweating beside a swimming pool in the summer palace of the Persian kings. Did Alexander die of alcoholism, a hideous bout of malaria, or were other factors involved? Alexander had been warned not to enter Babylon, so he surrounded himself with outstanding captains of war. This book is a dramatic reassessment of the leader’s mysterious final days.
Many people know of Colonel Blood's attempt to steal the Crown Jewels during the reign of Charles II (1660-1685). However, Blood's conspiracy wasn't the first, and certainly not the most successful. In 1303, while Edward I of England was north of the Scottish border trying to crush William Wallace, he'd stashed his treasure safely in Westminster Abbey—behind iron-bound doors, in a place of sanctity which housed Christ's body, not to mention pious Benedictine monks. Enter Richard Puddlicott, a former merchant who had been arrested in the Low Countries because of Edward I's debts. This charming dissolute rogue infiltrated the Abbey's inner circle (entertaining them on the proceeds of their own silver) and, before long, had helped himself to a good part of the treasure. The King's fury knew no bounds, but Puddlicott ran his men a merry dance before eventually being captured and sent—along with forty monks—to his death in the Tower. This compelling work is an exhilarating tale of cunning deceit, lechery, feisty villains, meddling monks, greedy goldsmiths, and devious pimps and prostitutes. It takes the lid off both the medieval underworld and the assumed piousness of the monastic community.
In 1100, King William II died in a tragic accident... or was it murder? In The Death of the Red King , acclaimed historian Paul Doherty investigates the suspicious death of William II in a masterful 'faction' - a mix of both fact and fiction. Concentrating on both old and new evidence, Paul Doherty explores the highly suspicious elements surrounding the death of King William II of England, nicknamed "Rufus the Red King". Through the eyes of the great philosopher Anselm, a secret admirer of the Red King, a far more chilling interpretation of his death is put forward that challenges everything we think we know. What readers are saying about Paul Doherty: 'An interesting look at a little known real-life mystery ' 'The book is interesting , well written , fact and fiction coming easily together to form a well-argued case' ' Doherty proves that he is a scholar as well as a writer of novels'
A gleefully gruesome look at the actual science behind the most outlandish, cartoonish, and impossible deaths you can imagine. What would happen if you took a swim outside a deep-sea submarine wearing only a swimsuit? How long could you last if you stood on the surface of the sun? How far could you actually get in digging a hole to China? Paul Doherty, senior staff scientist at San Francisco's famed Exploratorium Museum, and writer Cody Cassidy explore the real science behind these and other fantastical scenarios, offering insights into physics, astronomy, anatomy, and more along the way. Is slipping on a banana peel really as hazardous to your health as the cartoons imply? Answer: yes. Banana peels ooze a gel that turns out to be extremely slippery. Your foot and body weight provide the pressure. The gel provides the humor (and resulting head trauma). Can you die by shaking someone's hand? Answer: yes. That's because, due to atomic repulsion, you've never actually touched another person's hand. If you could, the results would be as disastrous as a medium-sized hydrogen bomb. If you were Cookie Monster, just how many cookies could you actually eat in one sitting? Answer: Most stomachs can hold up to 60 cookies, or around four liters. If you eat or drink more than that, you're approaching the point at which the cookies would break through the lesser curvature of your stomach, and then you'd better call an ambulance to Sesame Street.