La Garde Ecossaise Historical Fiction and Early Modern Studies Newsletter

Welcome

A warm welcome to the La Garde Ecossaise Historical Fiction and Early Modern Studies newsletter this is your fortnightly update on the novel series and early modern studies. 

New Releases and News From La Garde Ecossaise

Chapter 1 of the audio guide is now released. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

In this episode I introduce myself. 

Quote

‘Whomever has found this journal you will find within the illustrious history of the personages and providences of La Garde Ecossaise whom by God’s providence and fortune preserved the life of the blessed and anointed King of France Louis XIV from his divine coronation, until his solemn death in 1715’.

Robert Meldrum

December 1715.

(Front pages – La Garde Ecossaise Book 1).

Early Modern Digest

Reviving the etiquette of the Sun King. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/the-etiquette-expert-reviving-the-versailles-art-of-good-manners-f6vbh853k

Why the palace of Versailles left me speechless https://www.journee-mondiale.com/en/uncover-the-hidden-wonders-of-versailles-my-journey-through-2300-rooms-of-royal-opulence-and-why-it-left-me-speechless/#google_vignette

Incredible details about 17^th century life revealed in tax records https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy9qj7n23r0o

Masterpiece 17^th century atlas at Blickling Hall goes on display https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8xpm527p4o

17^th century tower opens to the public https://museumsandheritage.com/advisor/posts/17th-century-royal-tower-opens-public-after-300-years/

16^th century hidden passageway used by the Medici family open after 450 years https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/florence-s-hidden-16th-century-passageway-built-for-medici-family-opens-for-first-time-7355936 

16^th century prisoner graffiti decoded with the use of technology https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/dec/01/16th-century-graffiti-of-tower-of-london-prisoners-decoded-for-first-time

Did You Know?

Dr Kirsteen MacKenzie’s five times great uncle served in the bodyguard of King Louis XVIII of France and another direct ancestor George Gordon 2^nd Marquis of Huntly raised a unit of gendarmes for King Louis XIII of France. 

Feature

Why Write a Historical Fiction Novel and Not a Textbook?

If I wanted to introduce students to early modern history and early modern studies why did I not write a textbook? This was a very fair and valid question asked by one of my academic colleagues. Indeed, as an academic who has taught at universities in the UK a textbook is seen as a far more acceptable and orthodox way to introduce students to the subject, so then why did I choose to introduce early modern studies through historical fiction? 

The Lockdown Project

The truth is that I didn’t plan to write the historical fiction novel let alone turn it into an educational resource to introduce students to early modern studies. Instead, it was a lockdown project to force me to continue writing. There is an adage ‘use it or lose it’. I was in the middle of an academic project which was limping along due to Covid restrictions and fully aware that I had a very large editing job on my hands post lockdown, so I had to keep going somehow. I could not get into any libraries and archives. Academic research was in limbo, there but not there, doing it with one hand tied behind our backs but fully aware that our ability to conduct our work to the best of our ability was restricted. It would have been much harder to edit the academic project if I had done little during lockdown. Historical fiction was ideal because research could be conducted remotely. 

An Accessible Educational Resource

I also participated in online conferences and seminars during this period, and I met a person with visual impairments who pointed out that very few books on the Wars of the Three Kingdoms were accessible for people with disabilities. As someone with a disability myself I thought about this deeply and began thinking about ways to make history more accessible. With the rise of the digital technologies such as podcasts and YouTube where subtitles can be easily added to videos, I realised that there was very little excuse for the inaccessibility of educational materials. I therefore decided to turn La Garde Ecossaise into a broad introduction to early modern history with podcasts which are openly available to be downloaded by students and enthusiasts alike. In recent months this has included developing a literary guide for students studying English or those who are drawn to the story rather than the history. 

Why Historical Fiction? 

I have not answered the main question so far. What advantages would a historical fiction novel have over a student textbook? Conversely what disadvantages would a historical fiction novel have compared to a textbook?

It was clear to me when teaching a university course on Jacobitism that historical fiction had brought the 1745 rebellion to life. My course on Jacobitism was filled with dedicated young historians and non-historians alike. Outlander had caught their imagination. I don’t have to justify this here, it obvious given the worldwide phenomenon that Outlander has become. This in turn has led to a meteoric rise in the interest in Scotland and its history.

We should reflect why this is the case. Historical figures and those characters which are a product of the author’s imagination are often multidimensional and complicated but in a relatable way. Historical fiction is often written to connect directly with readers and as such, it is written, with a view to events and emotions that we can all relate to, death of a loved one, the joy of children and marital strains. Historical textbooks in contrast deal with the reality of large events or people and are embedded in the facts and are straight to the point. They do not connect with readers in the same way. However, what if we could combine the two? This is what I’m attempting to do with La Garde Ecossaise. Indeed, this will be a subject of a future newsletter. 

The key problem with historical fiction and why it is not often used as a teaching tool is that despite its recent popularity there is the problem in distinguishing between fact and fiction. Indeed, my academic colleague asked how my students would know the difference in my own books. My own approach was to use footnotes and references as well as staying true to real events as much as possible. Dumas when writing the three musketeers took real soldiers and often put them in fictious events. Whereas I have done the opposite, I have created fictious soldiers and put them in events that actually happened or experiences that individuals living in the seventeenth century went through that are documented in primary sources. Indeed, as the series goes forward the footnoting will become more intense and comprehensive. However, not all historical fiction authors take this approach, and this is not a criticism, rather those writing historical fiction can choose to add elements of fantasy and time travel. After all, most historical fiction books are written to entertain, not to educate and that is absolutely fine. 

 I hope you have enjoyed this feature. \If you have any questions, please e-mail me at: [email protected] or if you are reading this newsletter on the web please leave a comment below.