The Domesday Book, (No, Not That One)

by Howard of Warwick

Special tie-in edition...now available in paper with words and everything. The time in Hastings, England is 1066 precisely. Duke William of Normandy may have just won the most recent battle in the area but he has mislaid something precious; something so precious no one must even know it is missing. He carefully assembles a team for a secret mission of recovery, (the assembly is careful, not the team), and he sends them forth to the north. But his secret is already out and another band has the treasure in their sights. In a race across a savage land, against the clock and against one another, two forces hurtle towards a finale of cataclysmic proportions; all in 29 concise and entertaining chapters. Find out what the treasure is. Find out who gets it first. Find out what happens to everyone afterwards. Find out some other stuff. Containing several facts and a brief appearance by a monk; it could have happened, it might have happened... but probably didn't. Out of the Scriptorium comes an extraordinary history. A book so epic it has a map. The author of the world's best selling medieval crime comedy series has done something he has written another book. International best selling, prize winning author, Howard of Warwick, has taken the Battle of Hastings and added meticulous fabrication to weave an explosive, controversial and hilarious tale which will have historians up and down the country throwing their slide rules at the radio. And now there's volume II The Domesday Book (Still Not That One). Some people just don't know when to give up... Now with slips of the quill removed by Betty.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Humor, Historical, Fiction

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 7, 2013

About the author

Howard of Warwick is but a humble chronicler with the blind luck to stumble upon manuscripts which describe the goings-on of Brother Hermitage and his companion Wat the weaver.

His work has been heard, seen and read, most of it accompanied by laughter and some of it by money. His peers have even seen fit to recognize his unworthy efforts with a prize for making up stories.

There are now eighteen - make that twenty - novels of Brother Hermitage, the most medieval of detectives, loose on the world and they have found considerable success with the buying public.

The most recent outpouring from the scriptorium is The King's Investigator Part II.

Tales of Hermitage continue to flow forth with few checks for accuracy. There are even short stories available for free.

There is a dedicated web page, HowardofWarwick.com.

Messages can be left care of Howard@howardofwarwick.com and Howardofwarwick can be followed on Twitter


There is even tweeting @HowardofWarwick

Reviews

[Italo Italophiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully creative and funny. Excellent book to savor and enjoy, especially for history lovers, and fans of Monty Python.

[giveusaclue · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise of the book is that Harold is not dead, so William sends a motley crew northwards to find him This consists of a psychopathic one-eyed Norman noble, a cowardly Norman noble, a very infuriating no-it-all Norman administrator, ostensibly creating a survey of the land, plus one very reluctant Saxon. Heading the other way from Stamford Bridge in search of said Harold are three equally psychopathic Vikings fresh from battle and another reluctant Saxon. There are running jokes, hapless folk and plenty of sarcastic wit which, particularly at beginning, do make you chuckle. Is this enough to sustain the book over 335 pages including three epilogues? I don't believe so, the plot is very thin and it all tends to become very repetitive. Cutting the book by around 100 pages may have helped.

[Rex Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on a turning point

And Howard decides to play fast and loose with the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings. Not too badly, either, if you are a Brother Hermitage fan. Reading much like the math problem about the fly going between two bicycles heading toward one another, Howard lets us readers in on the madness of William the Conqueror, the sociopathy of Le Pedvin, the simplicity of Vikings and the wet countryside that was 11th Century England. All in all an interesting read, though it didn't really give me any insights on The Domesday Book, though I find I'm not really surprised.

[Pierre Chevalier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an outright belly laugh, but the book does draw quite a few chuckles indeed. I met Howard Matthews at the London Book Fair and was very happy to read his book. At times, this reads a bit like Stephen Clarke's 1000 Years of Annoying the French, but there's even more humor to it, and the character depictions go deeper. There's a lot more detail and research, too. Howard Matthews has single handedly created the medieval crime comedy genre, so how about expanding it to the historical event comedy genre? A very entertaining read.

[Kyle Maschmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some editing problems in the Kindle edition of this. But I enjoy fanciful, humourous fiction about this era, so if that's what you like, you'll like this. It's a quite a bit like Conrad Monk's The Great Heathen Army. I was looking for something like The Long Ships, by Frans Bengtsson. The Domesday Book and The Great Heathen Army are not as good as The Long Ships (which I highly recommend) but at least they're in the same vein.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably not the best book I’ve ever read but had Terry Prachett vibes, great dry humor, and quite a cast of characters. Bonus points for teaching me about English history in an amusing way and allowing me to answer a trivia question on a airplane game correctly

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
" a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read and it kept me chuckling "
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs

[Mary Alaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read.
1066, the Monty Python edition.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite Monty Python, but really a good point about history not always moving as linearly as we are told.

[Pat Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the Brother Hermitage books are wonderful!

[Maria Maria1954 · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to learn about history, but laugh your self through the book. I love all these books and should be given to children of secondary school age to read. Highly recommended

[A.K. Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book with one of the best post battle scene I have read to date. Like all Howard of Warwick's books it is written with a lot of humour.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read but not as plot worthy as the author's first two.

[Gab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant!
My one criticism is that sometimes -in my opinion- the pace is a bit slow.
But if you love history and humour like I do, this is a must read.

[Dave Packard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um, maybe I know more history now?

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ebook

[Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Of Warwick has not disappointed me yet. I don't know how he manages to make the stench and despair of a lost battle so amusing at yet he does.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I got some funny looks when sitting in a cafe chuckling away to myself. On to the next.

[Janette Button · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very smirkable !

[Tifa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I thought it was hilarious but also really witty and sly about some of its observations, particularly about war and life in general. I've read some reviews that criticized it for not being a historically dramatic novel, but I didn't expect that going in so I was free to love it for what it is--a smart and funny adventure story with some characters that come alive...well, as alive as those who have been dead since the 1000s can be. The writing style suited me perfectly, and the author's sense of humor is so close to my own that I lost count of the times I guffawed out loud. My only quibble isn't the author's fault, but the Kindle version I got is dreadfully formatted. There are punctuation errors and weird spacing all over the place, but they are only a momentary distraction. I'm giving this book just about the highest praise I can--I'm going to buy the rest of the author's similar novels and enjoy all the laughs.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story opens north of Hastings, Britain, October 14, 1066 moments after the Norman victory over the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings and Willam discovers that Harold’s, Saxon king, body has not been found on the battle field. This is the start of a very tongue-in-cheek humorous tale playing fast and loose with history of three Normans with a Saxon guide being dispatched in secret to move northward in search of Harold at the same time a band of three Vikings with a Saxon guide are making their way south from Lincoln in search of Harold to rescue him. The narrative alternately follows the stumbling bumbling adventures of the two bands.

[Joanna McDarby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Howard, I love the way he writes and his characters are so engaging, even when they are being annoying. This is not a murder mystery so much as a story about a chase, and even Hermitage makes a cameo. It was a very funny book and I loved every minute. I can't wait for the next one.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun easy read, sort of a farce on historical fiction. Shot in the thigh, not shot in the eye... but the tapestry is already finished! That's the kind of humor you get... Some things really made me laugh out loud, but you have to really be an English history nerd to appreciate it.
Might have to check out some others by this "author".

[Julie Lovett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This humorous story is from an unusual viewpoint. I enjoyed it to start with. However, when a breed of deer I believe was not present in that place in that time period popped up, I kind of got sidetracked. I expect other readers will be less easily distracted by such a minor research mistake, in which case they can expect an entertaining and interesting read.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off well, in a sort of Terry Pratchett/Tom Holt style, but then rather lost its' way. Shame.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazon recco in The King's Hounds

[Elizabeth Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just hilarious. I love Howard of Warwick's books. They are crazy, and a little in the line of Pratchett. Good fun, ridiculous and meant to be so. Loved the take on the Battle of Hastings.

[Lisa Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! Can't wait to read the rest of the series. If you love reading Terry Pratchett you'll love this book.

[Faith Hignight · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual these books a worth a chuckle if not an outright belly laugh. If you aren't a fan you should be.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed it! Looking to read others by the author!