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Peter D. Richards

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United Kingdom

Website

https://peterdrichards.co.uk/

Genre

Historical Fiction, Fiction, History

Influences

Bernard Cornwell, Kate Mosse

Member Since

September 2023

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Peter Richards has a home in Normandy, France. He is a dedicated historian who, after a visit to Hambye Abbey, close to his home, was inspired to investigate the possibility of studying medieval history at university as a mature student. The available syllabuses did not match his requirements, and so he decided to create his own; one that focussed on medieval history in the region. After a great deal of research and library time, he discovered that despite being an interesting subject to study, not everything was ‘going in and staying in ’, and so he decided to write a historical novel or rather a series of them. The more he researched, the more he discovered that Normandy was a treasure trove of historical fact and a perfect setting for hi Peter Richards has a home in Normandy, France. He is a dedicated historian who, after a visit to Hambye Abbey, close to his home, was inspired to investigate the possibility of studying medieval history at university as a mature student. The available syllabuses did not match his requirements, and so he decided to create his own; one that focussed on medieval history in the region. After a great deal of research and library time, he discovered that despite being an interesting subject to study, not everything was ‘going in and staying in ’, and so he decided to write a historical novel or rather a series of them. The more he researched, the more he discovered that Normandy was a treasure trove of historical fact and a perfect setting for his series of historical fiction, ‘The Leopards of Normandie’. The series focuses on the turbulent years of medieval history in Normandy seen through the collective eyes of many generations of a local family. Starting with the colonisation of the region by Viking settlers and includes the invasion of England in 1066 through the following centuries.

The author is also a keen cyclist, and the region provides memorable cycle routes along which he takes groups of touring riders to and from the objects of his research.

The Leopards of Normandie series was conceived as a work of ‘faction’ starting with two fictional characters, 10th-century Norwegian Vikings travelling through the medieval landscape of Northern Europe in pursuit of their destiny. The first book, ‘Flight of the Ravens’, introduces the Wandering Warriors of Haugesund to their audience. Three hundred years of the ‘Viking Age’ are drawing to a close, and they take to the sea to escape the dark forces that are threatening to envelop them at home. Their story is set against real events and milestones, and the writer strives to make his characters and their stories as authentic and accurate as his extensive research allows. The events, journeys and (most of) the characters are all real, and the saga of the ‘Wandering Warriors’ was one which many young men, over a thousand years ago, might have undertaken. The subsequent books continue with The Seeds of Odin and Dangerous Companions, which plot the development of Bjorn Halfdanson and Torstein Rolloson’s progeny and the effect they have on the length and breadth of medieval Europe.
“Many years ago, when I lived on the rocky west coast of Norway, I often wondered what it must have been like for the Vikings to leave their homes in seemingly frail craft to see what was on the other side of the ocean. Now, I think I am a little closer to their truth. I have always been fascinated by medieval history, and when I started to study it, specifically in Normandy, I discovered that the region was a rich source of historical fact. It has made a significant contribution to world history in the centuries since Rollo the Walker and his Viking raiders settled in 911 AD.” Peter Richards ...more

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Peter D. Richards’s books

Average rating: 4.47 · 155 ratings · 10 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	Flight of the Ravens: The Saga of Bjorn Halfdanson (The Leopards of Normandie Book 1) 4.41 avg rating — 75 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Seeds of Odin: The Leopards of Normandie Book 2 4.38 avg rating — 39 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dangerous Companions: The Leopards of Normandie: Book 3 4.58 avg rating — 31 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Bitter Harvest (The Leopards of Normandie #5) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shieldmaiden's Curse (The Leopards of Normandie #4) 4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Peter D. Richards…

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Peter D. Richards's Blog

Longships to Lances

The Inexorable Rise of the Norman War Machine Bayeux_tapestry_horses

Senlac Hill: Two Worlds Colliding

If you stood on the northern coast of Francia in 911 AD, the greatest threat came from the sea. Viking raiders would appear in sleek longships, strike swiftly, and vanish before defenders could react

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Peter’s Recent Updates

Peter D. Richards wrote a new blog post Longships to Lances The Inexorable Rise of the Norman War Machine Senlac Hill: Two World Read more of this blog post »
Oct 19, 2026 06:45AM · like
Peter D. joined the groups Free Books & Kindle & ARC & Beta Readers & Giveaway and Goodreads Librarians Group
Oct 11, 2026 02:24PM
Peter D. made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Moving All My Books Peter D Richards topic " Hi, I'm having a problem attaching two of my books, The Shieldmaiden's Curse: The Leopards of Normandie: Book 4and A Bitter Harvest: The Leopards of N ...more "
Oct 06, 2026 07:08AM
Peter D. rated a book really liked it Fairy Tale by Stephen King (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Liked it a lot - shades of the 'old' Stephen in there. ...more
Jan 23, 2025 02:34PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fairy Tale by Stephen King. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fairy Tale by Stephen King <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter D. rated a book it was amazing Beside the Ocean of Time by George Mackay Brown	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I love this book. It wanders unapologetically in the life a small pre-war Hebridian island through the eyes of a young dreamer. Readers will have to read the last line of the book for the punchline but it is well worth the effort. A lovely, rambling ...more
Jan 23, 2025 05:51AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Beside the Ocean of Time by George Mackay Brown. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Beside the Ocean of Time by George Mackay Brown <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter D. rated a book really liked it The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wonderful, visceral romp through a hostile and vindictive western landscape. You get a real feeling of the desperate nature of life on the frontier during these wild, unforgiving times. There are no hero's in this book of anti-heros and the big, bold ...more
Jan 22, 2025 01:23AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter D. rated a book really liked it Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Pretty darn terrifying in mid-town USA - you can tell where Steven King got more than a little inspiration
Nov 25, 2024 02:49PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter D. rated a book really liked it Fairy Tale by Stephen King (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Liked it a lot - shades of the 'old' Stephen in there. ...more
Nov 02, 2024 03:45PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fairy Tale by Stephen King. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fairy Tale by Stephen King <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">