Writing historical fiction in the age of mass media manipulation of the facts gives one pause as to what in history is real and what was the “spin” of the time of time period. This is further complicated by authors, usually in attempts to fill in gaps, adding details that are not based on facts or for which there is only weak evidence.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines historical novels as “those having as its setting a period of history and usually introducing some historical personages and events”. There are numerous variations of this definition but there is strong agreement that the genre tells a story that is set in the past, with an emphasis on rendering the time period as accurately as possible in terms of customs and attitudes.
People who have read my books have repeatedly ask me questions about what is real and what I made up. Generally, people are surprised by what is real. As such, I think it might be interesting to explore some of the surprising realities from the past in blog type format. The first two entries follow.