Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Author of The Founding
About the Author
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born in London in 1948. She attended the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy. She wrote her first novel while in college and won the Young Writers' Award for The Waiting Game in 1972, but did not become a show more full-time writer until 1979 with the start of the Morland Dynasty series. In 1993, she won the RNA Novel of the Year Award for Emily, the third volume of the Kirov Trilogy. She also writes the Bill Slider Mystery series and under the pen names Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Woodhouse. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
aka Elizabeth Bennett, Emma Woodhouse
Image credit: Photo by James Walker
Series
Works by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Ognisty aniol 1 copy
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Series 1 copy
Symfonia smierci 1 copy
Slepy zaulek 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia
Woodhouse, Emma
Bennett, Elizabeth - Birthdate
- 1948-08-13
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of Edinburgh
University College London - Occupations
- pensions officer (BBC London)
sales manager (Coca Cola Company ∙ Edinburgh)
novelist - Awards and honors
- Young Writers' Award (1972 for THE WAITING GAME)
RNA Novel of the Year Award (1993) - Short biography
- Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy. She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.
She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended over thirty. In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia. She is also the author of Bill Slider Mystery series, and writes under the pen names Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Woodhouse.
She currently lives in London with her husband. They had have three children, Hannah, Jane and Michael. Apart from writing, her passions are music (she plays in several amateur orchestras) horses, wine, architecture and the English countryside. - Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
- Map Location
- England, UK
- Disambiguation notice
- aka Elizabeth Bennett, Emma Woodhouse
Members
Reviews
On her website, author Cynthia Harrod Eagles writes that the original plan for the Morland Dynasty series was to cover 500 years of British history in twelve volumes, presumably fictionalising the past to make a lot of dry old dates and names more interesting. Only, the characters she created started to fill more and more of the pages, and the author admits to getting carried away with history: "For one thing, I found I wanted to include so much more than had been planned for: not just the show more kings, battles and Parliaments, but how people lived, what they wore and ate, how they gave birth and died, how they built their houses and related to their servants, how they travelled, what they believed in."
And her devotion shows. Even in the second part of the now thirty-strong Morland series, set during the reign of Henry the Eighth, Cynthia Harrod Eagles' passion for historical detail and her incredible skill for combining fact with fiction are what drive the story on, and compel the reader to stick with such a wordy novel. History is told from a human angle, and the ever-increasing Morlands are at the heart of the action. The Dark Rose begins with Paul, Eleanor's great-grandson (I must confess to being confused by the different generations, and needing to refer back to the family tree), and overlaps into the story of Nanette, Paul's half-brother's eldest daughter. (I think.) Paul is initially nothing more than a man of the age, abusing his wife and keeping a mistress, but he grows into a more sympathetic character after suffering the usual grief and hardships of life. His relationship with 'Little Bear' is touching in the extreme, and the carved symbol of his love for her is another of Cynthia Harrod Eagles' neat touches. Nanette is another Eleanor, a strong woman who holds together the family through each new generation. She becomes a close friend to both Ann Boleyn and Katherine Parr, and observes the many intrigues of Henry the Eighth's court firsthand, outliving the larger than life monarch to counsel his young daughter, Elizabeth.
I know the bare bones of Henry's reign, of course, but Cynthia Harrod Eagles really fleshed out both the man and the king for me. His portrayal is honest but fair, told in part from Anne Boleyn's point of view, but with sympathy for Henry's position. He needed male heirs to secure the royal line and prevent civil war after his death, and although he genuinely seemed to love his wives, duty to his country always came first. Fascinating.
For any lovers of historical fiction who haven't tasted Cynthia Harrod Eagles' Morland Dynasty, start now! show less
And her devotion shows. Even in the second part of the now thirty-strong Morland series, set during the reign of Henry the Eighth, Cynthia Harrod Eagles' passion for historical detail and her incredible skill for combining fact with fiction are what drive the story on, and compel the reader to stick with such a wordy novel. History is told from a human angle, and the ever-increasing Morlands are at the heart of the action. The Dark Rose begins with Paul, Eleanor's great-grandson (I must confess to being confused by the different generations, and needing to refer back to the family tree), and overlaps into the story of Nanette, Paul's half-brother's eldest daughter. (I think.) Paul is initially nothing more than a man of the age, abusing his wife and keeping a mistress, but he grows into a more sympathetic character after suffering the usual grief and hardships of life. His relationship with 'Little Bear' is touching in the extreme, and the carved symbol of his love for her is another of Cynthia Harrod Eagles' neat touches. Nanette is another Eleanor, a strong woman who holds together the family through each new generation. She becomes a close friend to both Ann Boleyn and Katherine Parr, and observes the many intrigues of Henry the Eighth's court firsthand, outliving the larger than life monarch to counsel his young daughter, Elizabeth.
I know the bare bones of Henry's reign, of course, but Cynthia Harrod Eagles really fleshed out both the man and the king for me. His portrayal is honest but fair, told in part from Anne Boleyn's point of view, but with sympathy for Henry's position. He needed male heirs to secure the royal line and prevent civil war after his death, and although he genuinely seemed to love his wives, duty to his country always came first. Fascinating.
For any lovers of historical fiction who haven't tasted Cynthia Harrod Eagles' Morland Dynasty, start now! show less
One of my favourite kinds of stories are those which follow a family through generations. The Morland Dynasty books had caught my eye more than once but I was slightly put off by the starting point (and I have to start at the beginning of a series) being set in the 1400s and around the Wars of the Roses, an era of history that I didn't know very much about and didn't think I was particularly interested in. I was wrong! Whether it was simply Harrod-Eagles' compelling writing that swayed me I show more don't know, but I loved every minute I spent reading The Founding and now have a thirst both for more knowledge about the era and the main players, and for more of the Morland family.
This book is where the now thirty-six-strong series of books begins as Robert Morland is betrothed to Eleanor Courtenay and the dynasty is born. Eleanor travels from Dorset to York to embark on her new life and soon she is the matriarch of a family whose status rises to the point where Kings and noblemen spend time at their home. I loved the setting in the north and the way in which the family's story intertwined with the royal families amidst battles through the reigns of Henry VI, Edwards IV and V, and the legendary Richard III (whose portrayal in this book I found perhaps a little unexpected given his reputation).
The family go through many trials and tribulations, much as you would expect from a time of pestilence and civil wars, but they remain united throughout under Eleanor's watchful eye. Rich detail, fascinating characters and intensive research made The Founding a brilliant read. I'm now very eager to read book two, The Dark Rose, and am excited for all the Morland books awaiting me. show less
This book is where the now thirty-six-strong series of books begins as Robert Morland is betrothed to Eleanor Courtenay and the dynasty is born. Eleanor travels from Dorset to York to embark on her new life and soon she is the matriarch of a family whose status rises to the point where Kings and noblemen spend time at their home. I loved the setting in the north and the way in which the family's story intertwined with the royal families amidst battles through the reigns of Henry VI, Edwards IV and V, and the legendary Richard III (whose portrayal in this book I found perhaps a little unexpected given his reputation).
The family go through many trials and tribulations, much as you would expect from a time of pestilence and civil wars, but they remain united throughout under Eleanor's watchful eye. Rich detail, fascinating characters and intensive research made The Founding a brilliant read. I'm now very eager to read book two, The Dark Rose, and am excited for all the Morland books awaiting me. show less
The Dark Rose is book two in a long-running series that I'm only just at the beginning of but which I am absolutely loving. This one focuses on the descendants of Robert and Eleanor Morland from the first book, The Founding, and it's their great-grandson, Paul, who is the main character, along with his niece, Nanette.
As the book is set during the reign of Henry VIII there is a great deal of turbulence in England. Nanette spends much of her time at court as one of Anne Boleyn's ladies and her show more closest confidante (and we all know what happened there!). Paul meanwhile is back in Yorkshire at the family seat of Morland Place dealing with his son's rash behaviour and his own unhappy marriage and love for another woman.
There is so much vivid and rich detail in this book and I never wanted to put it down. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles expertly merges life in the north where they are somewhat sheltered from the treachery in the south, with life in the royal court which provides the perfect contrast for the reader, taking in the major historical events of the era in a most accessible way.
This book is utter perfection in my opinion and I am hungry for more Morlands. Next up, book three - The Princeling. show less
As the book is set during the reign of Henry VIII there is a great deal of turbulence in England. Nanette spends much of her time at court as one of Anne Boleyn's ladies and her show more closest confidante (and we all know what happened there!). Paul meanwhile is back in Yorkshire at the family seat of Morland Place dealing with his son's rash behaviour and his own unhappy marriage and love for another woman.
There is so much vivid and rich detail in this book and I never wanted to put it down. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles expertly merges life in the north where they are somewhat sheltered from the treachery in the south, with life in the royal court which provides the perfect contrast for the reader, taking in the major historical events of the era in a most accessible way.
This book is utter perfection in my opinion and I am hungry for more Morlands. Next up, book three - The Princeling. show less
DCI Bill Slider and his trusty sidekick, the well-dressed DS Jim Atherton, have a case that puts them on the spot. The body found in a disused canal in a bleak and neglected industrial area turns out to be that of a police constable. Someone had bludgeoned him to death, then moved the body to a place it might go undetected, except for a dog walker and enough silt in the canal to prevent the corpse from sinking out of sight. Nobody seems to know the deceased constable well, but whenever show more someone on the Job is killed, pressure is on.
Progress is slow at first. A witness noticed a white van with dirty plates nearby, a thin lead that involves scanning hours of surveillance video to track an all-too common vehicle. Slider and Atherton meanwhile try to find out what they can about the victim, but his low-key style means even his ex-wife has little to say. They learn he had a sister with a drug habit, and that he’d recently been selling expensive gear to colleagues. Was the quiet copper disposing of his worldly belongings or dealing in stolen goods? Had he been involved in something criminal that got him killed?
This long-running procedural series has seen many changes in London policing over the years, and in this case a great deal depends on piecing together fragments from surveillance technology along with old-fashioned shoe-leather policing. It doesn’t involve high drama, but offers a familiar mix of detection, family life, and realism leavened with the author’s characteristic humor. At one point Slider tells Atherton, who is smiling widely, that he looks as though he’d “just eaten a banana sideways,” and their boss can be counted on to mangle and mix up common phrases. Descriptions can be striking, too. One character has “make-up so thick if you’d slapped her on the back of the head it would have come off in one piece like a mask.”
For those who enjoy traditional mysteries with a familiar cast of likeable characters, this series is a treat that continues to deliver. show less
Progress is slow at first. A witness noticed a white van with dirty plates nearby, a thin lead that involves scanning hours of surveillance video to track an all-too common vehicle. Slider and Atherton meanwhile try to find out what they can about the victim, but his low-key style means even his ex-wife has little to say. They learn he had a sister with a drug habit, and that he’d recently been selling expensive gear to colleagues. Was the quiet copper disposing of his worldly belongings or dealing in stolen goods? Had he been involved in something criminal that got him killed?
This long-running procedural series has seen many changes in London policing over the years, and in this case a great deal depends on piecing together fragments from surveillance technology along with old-fashioned shoe-leather policing. It doesn’t involve high drama, but offers a familiar mix of detection, family life, and realism leavened with the author’s characteristic humor. At one point Slider tells Atherton, who is smiling widely, that he looks as though he’d “just eaten a banana sideways,” and their boss can be counted on to mangle and mix up common phrases. Descriptions can be striking, too. One character has “make-up so thick if you’d slapped her on the back of the head it would have come off in one piece like a mask.”
For those who enjoy traditional mysteries with a familiar cast of likeable characters, this series is a treat that continues to deliver. show less
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