In Memorium: The Coup Attempt against Hitler on July 20, 1944 was far more than a "general's plot" -- and it was not motivated by impending defeat. hpschrader.substack.com/p/german-res...

History proves that dictators do not act alone. Discover how authoritarian regimes rely on a compliant civil service and the indifference of ordinary citizens. Read about the Complicity of the Passive at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/dictatorsh...

Today's History Nugget: A trip back to February 1942 and a British Merchant Ship just back from taking a cargo through sub-zero temperatures to Murmansk. Join me at: www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

Historical fiction can be more than entertainment or even literature. It can be a supplement to history, a means of explaining and teaching history using the language of the heart. See: hpschrader.substack.com/p/historical...

When we think of the Crusader States, we usually think of castles, sieges, and knights. But beneath the warfare was a booming, high-tech industrial powerhouse. Find out more at: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-...

History is full of ironies. One of my favourite is how a great military genius (Napoleon) lost a major strategic asset to his worst enemy (England), and the victorious troops of Revolutionary France were humiliated by a revolutionary mob. Here’s the story: hpschrader.substack.com/p/malta-upri...

"That was a total cock-up! We're going to have to do better than that. A lot better than that!" An excerpt from "Voices on the Wind" www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

Like most authors, I hate marketing, but I've learned that if my books are my children, I need to give them the best possible start in life. Read more at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/why-author...

Think "all-inclusive package deals" are a modern invention? Think again. Long before the word "tourism" even existed, the 12th-century Kingdom of Jerusalem was running a massive, highly sophisticated mass-tourism industry. Read more: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-...

Trump knows that even when his own lies are silenced, the monuments he has built will continue to lie about him for as long as they remain standing. There's a historical precedent for that going back to Ancient Greece. Find out more at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/how-monume...

"I've found just the man for you, sir!" An excerpt from my latest release "Voices on the Wind": www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

"Is that all you are? An imitator? A form of intelligence trained on the writing of Authors X, Y, and Z?" Today I reflect on who authors write for and how our audience shapes us. Join me at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/novelists-...

Today's history nugget: In less than a hundred years, the Franks had transformed an underpopulated region threatened by desertification into a flourishing landscape with excess agricultural produce. Find out how at: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-...

The United States has turned against NATO and Europe to pursue patently imperialistic and aggressive goals. Memories of a better America are almost embarrassing -- for all parties. Yet there are still relevant lessons to be learned from the past. Join me at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/resisting-...

The men who manned the merchantships that brought Britain food, fuel and raw materials during WWII are largely forgotten today. Yet their chances of survival were hardly better than that of men flying for Bomber Command. Today's excerpt highlights the Merchant Navy: www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

"The literary world is fostering prose that disguises rather than clarifies the content." Reflections on literary trends. Read more at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/ai-writing...

Napoleon was a vehicle for taking the ideas of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity beyond the borders of France. Yet he also exhibited many of the odious characteristics of egomaniacs. Today substack post looks at Napoleon's brief sojourn in Malta. Read here: hpschrader.substack.com/p/napoleon-m...

"I’d like to think that by sharing their stories, more people will likewise be inspired to be a little better than they might otherwise have been. " Read full essay at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/keeping-co...

From February to May, Malta — an island just 14 miles long and 9 miles wide — sustained more bombing than all of London had during the Blitz or all of Germany endured in the entire year of 1942. But it didn't surrender! Join me at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/suez-to-ho...

When Compassion Becomes Rebellion. Read the article at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/compassion...

Today's history nugget: A 12th-Century Byzantine emperor described Latin Christians as: ‘Barbarian peoples whose way of life is entirely incompatible with our own.' Read about the relationship between the Crusader States and the Byzantines at: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/03/dipl...

"Chillingly, I was told by the victims of modern torture that this novel captures the psychological state of survivors of torture. And that is the point: the greed, the cruelty, the cold-blooded use of terror and torture continues today." hpschrader.substack.com/p/greed-tyra...

In THE TALE OF THE ENGLISH TEMPLAR, Helena Schrader presents readers with a powerful story about vows kept and vows broken; faith in the face of torture, persecution, and corruption; and love that triumphs against all odds. www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

The first volume of my World War Two novel, Voices on the Wind, is officially available to order on all major platforms! You get a 50% “Early-Bird” Discount on the ebook edition if you purchase before July. Here's the Amazon link: www.amazon.com/Voices-Wind-...

Because the Crusader States were weaker than their neighbours, they became masters of diplomacy. Today, I look at their relationship with the Western Powers that gave them birth. Note: these states were never "colonies." defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/03/dipl...

In war, human beings make the difference between victory and defeat. Neither the finest aircraft, nor the greatest courage of the pilots, nor the dedication of the crews could have saved Britain in the Summer of 1940 if Keith Park had blundered. Read more at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/battle-of-...

Should a book cost less than a Big Mac? Explore why the current pricing model for books is failing creators and what a book should actually cost based on minimum wage at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/book-vs-bi...

Today's history nugget is on the militant orders and their role in the crusader states. John France goes so far as to describe these institutions as ‘the greatest military innovations of the Latins’.[i] Read more at: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/03/defe...

Britain had a secret weapon in the summer of 1940. Read about the men who kept Churchill's "Few" flying at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/battle-of-...

Not all danger comes from the enemy when flying an old, beat-up Lancaster against the Tirpitz with a navigator whose nerves are going. An excerpt from award-winning "Moral Fibre." www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

In America today, corruption is rewarded instead of honesty, might defeats right, and cruelty crushes generosity. It seems like there is nothing I can do. Except — as a novelist — I can push back against the injustice around me — at least emotionally. hpschrader.substack.com/p/poetic-jus...

Today's history nugget: Mobile Defence in the Crusader States: During the first century of Frankish presence in the Holy Land, the field army rather than its castles had been the Frank’s greatest military asset. Find out more at: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/02/defe...

We can learn from history. Join me at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/theres-no-...

" ...when reading the memoirs of women in the Second World War, what struck me was the enthusiasm and excitement they felt for being allowed to do so much." Writing good historical fiction requires seeing the world through their eyes rather than our own. open.substack.com/pub/hpschrad...

Contrary to popular belief, the Kingdom of Jerusalem offers one of the most intriguing examples of a sophisticated judicial regime designed to curb the abuse of power. Find out more at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/worse-than...

An excerpt from award-winning "Where Eagles Never Flew." Praised by veterans of the Battle of Britain for its authenticity and critics for its realism, this is serious Historical Fiction -- but it still has a couple of love-stories, and one of them starts like this: www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

It takes me seven drafts to complete a manuscript. The first draft is like eating my favourite dessert, and the second is more like fresh-baked bread, but by the third.... Join me for the feast at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/the-author...

With the wisdom of hindsight, it is easy to dismiss the crusader states as inherently ‘indefensible’. Yet, in the nearly 200 years of their existence, the crusader states were more often on the offensive than the defense. Find out more: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/02/defe...

A nugget of history to help us remember that we can make a difference even if we aren’t cabinet ministers, judges or generals. Join me on Substack for a post about a forgotten hero who changed the course of history: open.substack.com/pub/hpschrad...

Charlotte, a victim of gang rape, wanted to testify. Her defence attorney feared that the infamous ex-Nazi prosecutor would do to her on the stand. Yet this was her chance to tell her side of the story. An excerpt from "Cold Victory." www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

Today roughly 11,000 new titles will be released in the US. I'm still going to write novels. Find out why at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/historical...

There's nothing certain in this life except death and taxes. The way states raise money, however, need not be oppressive. Today I take a look at the innovative means by which the crusader states raised revenue. Find out more at: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/02/sour...

Halvorsen, the Berlin Candy Bomber, had a greater influence on German perceptions of America in the post-war era than anyone else. Yet he acted on his own initiative and expected to get in trouble for it. Find out more about the Berlin Candy Bomber at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/the-little...

Cross Seas Press is pleased to announce that "The Tale of the English Templar" won First Place in the 2025 Chaucer Awards. Find out more and read review excerpts at: www.helenapschrader.com/english-temp...

The future? “Eating [MAGA] shit for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” This week’s excerpt from "Cold War: A Novel of the Berlin Airlift" highlights political disillusionment — something I’ve heard Trump voters are now experiencing. Just a rumor, of course. Read here: www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

"Doing the Impossible" isn't just about using Air Forces for good rather than evil. It's about how a stopgap measure delivered a victory over tyranny -- and established the positive image of the US that the current administration is shredding.: hpschrader.substack.com/p/doing-the-...

When a government fails to deliver justice, it loses its legitimacy. It then becomes tyrannical or disintegrates into anarchy. Read this surprising case study on navigating legal legitimacy in a multicultural state: defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2023/01/cour...

Dictators like to manufacture crises. An excerpt from award-winning "Cold Peace" highlights a historical example. www.bublish.com/bubble/strea...

A good editor isn't just a proofreader; they are your first fan, your harshest critic, and your best defense against "author blindness." They can make the difference between success and failure as an author. Find out more at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/why-no-one...

From dictator's favourite to condemned war criminal: Hermann Goering helped put Hitler in power, destroy democracy and commit war crimes — but he ultimately faced justice. Find out more at: hpschrader.substack.com/p/hermann-go...