Paul Harper – författare

The iconic Ragnar Lothbrok and his five famous sons Ivar, Bjorn, Ubbe, Halfdan and Sigurd have become immortalised through Norse sagas and the hit TV show Vikings. The real life story of this warrior family from the Viking Age is just as dramatic. Sons of Ragnar led a ‘great heathen army’ to avenge their father's death according to a legendary Old Norse tale and changed the face of Britain. Drawing on numerous ancient sources, extensive archaeological findings and exciting new research, this investigation will piece together the incredible true story of Ragnar's five famous sons and how much of the iconic saga traditions were based on reality.The most notorious son was Ivar the Boneless. This book will explore his connection to the mysterious ‘Dark Foreigners’ in Ireland, his infamous executions of two Anglo Saxon kings and a spectacular raid on an impregnable fortress in modern Scotland. A giant skeleton found in the mass Viking burial at Repton has been linked to Ivar, while another legend says he was buried on the coast to scare away future invaders. Both of these fascinating claims are probed. Bjorn Ironside's notorious raid in the Mediterranean is featured as well as his links to a Swedish dynasty and a huge burial mound in Sweden. One of the most decisive battles in British history - the Battle of Cynuit - where Ubbe fought the Anglo Saxons is subject of a major investigation, while the location of the Battle of Ashdown pitting Halfdan against Alfred the Great is also revealed through new research.The captivating question of whether shield maidens and a Lagertha type character existed is also explored. The book also draws on the remarkable Norse mythology which inspired the sons of Ragnar as they left a trail of carnage across Britain, Ireland and France. Two massive Viking raids in Paris, including one potentially led by Sigurd Snake in the Eye which was documented in a remarkable poem, begin and end this incredible story.The first attack was led by the real life Ragnar Lothbrok…

As reassessment of Kennedy for the popular audience largely carries on in terms of hagiography or talebearing, some scholars are more quietly at work to fashion a dispassionate appraisal. A good sampling of research is this collection of 23 papers from a 1985 conference at Hofstra University. The topics, varied if not perfectly balanced encompass the missile crisis, fiscal policy, and other standard questions, as well as less traveled ground such Indo-American relations and the influence of William Lederer and Eugene Burdick's The Ugly American on the era. The conclusions are varied too, with Kennedy appearing neither a saint nor a scoundrel. Library JournalThe introduction looks at Kennedy as president and as politician, and establishes the two realms, myth and substance, in which the subsequent examination of Kennedy's life and career will be conducted. His presidency is then divided into the broad categories of foreign policy and domestic policy. Within these categories the suceeding chapters touch on the major controversies and conflicts of the Kennedy years in office, from the question of his religion, which clouded the candidacy, to his final days in the White House. The essays use events of the presidency as a means of reflecting on Kennedy the man, the Senator, and the candidate, as well as the President. Nothing is taken at face value, not Kennedy's liberalism, his support of minorities, nor the wisdom of his economic measure or his foreign policy decisions. All are scrutinized for the reality that often has been obscured by the popular myth. Along with the more widely noted issues, such as the communications flap over the vast wasteland reference, there are chapters on lesser known but nonetheless important issues, such as Kennedy's management of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and his handling of relations with India. A brief concluding section sets the Kennedy presidency within a frame of two others, those of Truman and Reagan, yielding insights into each.

One of Britain’s most enigmatic legendary figures is brought to life in this new account. Cerdic was a Dark Age warrior who founded the kingdom which became England, but the circumstances of his reign amid the collapse of the Western Roman Empire have been shrouded in mystery. Until now.Paul Harper tells of how Cerdic emerged from the ashes of Rome and rose to power with a warband known as the Gewisse, who offered protection to civilians from barbarians roaming the land and then fought for territory with Anglo- Saxon and Romano-British kingdoms. While other domains were conquered, the Gewisse survived and evolved into Wessex (West Saxons). During an unprecedented climate disaster, which blocked out normal sunlight for 18 months and led eventually to a plague pandemic which killed millions, Cerdic carved out a new realm that would shape Britain up to the present day.How various myths and folklore, including the King Arthur Legend, are connected to Cerdic is explored at length. The book features an in-depth investigation into the potential site of Cerdic’s burial based on an ancient charter from Edward the Elder, the son of Alfred the Great, which suggested his great ancestor had been laid to rest at a spot in Hampshire.Fascinating research leads to a former Bronze Age burial mound which was once known as Ceardices Beorg (Cerdic’s Barrow). One-by-one mysteries are solved including the identity of his shadowy son Creoda, the location of every bloody battle against rival warlords and the links to an iconic medieval poem – called the Elegy for Geraint.