It is 1544. Henry VIII's battle for supremacy over the Church is fought and won. Four young men are brought together by their differences and find themselves fighting the king's war in Scotland. Through their actions there, they find themselves a powerful protector, and realise their dreams of serving their country through its most important figures. But, as religion threatens to tear them apart, can they unite against a common enemy? Join James Longshawe, William Pike, Edward Strelley and George de Winter as they begin the adventures that see them shape history as we know it.
About the Author: Andrew Richardson came late to fiction. After being educated in Sheffield and Cambridge, he began reading classic adventure stories by the likes of Alexandre Dumas and Walter Scott, as well as the more literary landscape of Umberto Eco and Jorge Luis Borges. An idea formed that eventually became This Matter of Faith. That idea was to write about the characters who shape the historical past, who interact with the great names we all know and shape history as we know it. The desire to write about the mid-Tudor period in detail and with as much historical accuracy as possible whilst still being exciting led him to engage in thorough research, studying both primary records of the time and the secondary literature, including fictional works by eminent historians. During this time, he also had a pair of short stories published in the occasional journal Uroborus. His short fiction is often based on questions in philosophy, a subject dear to his heart after his undergraduate degree. His day job is as a Physics teacher, which keeps him honest enough and allows him to engage with the young people who will be his future readers. This Matter of Faith is his debut novel. Set in the time of the English Reformation, it begins in 1544 before the death of King Henry VIII, and tells the story of four young men whose lives become woven into the fabric of history. This Matter is a reaction to the standard fare of historical fiction. Instead of merely fictionalising historical events, the true historical story is told from the point of view of four young men who are drawn together first by their differences. The events surrounding the end of the life of Henry VIII form its backbone, and it shows how the end of that reign shaped the next, and the five hundred subsequent years. It shows what it was like for the people who lived through those times, offering glimpses of the historical characters who frame the story of the four main characters. It is written in the present tense, focusing on the dialogue to tell the story. Rather than leading the reader by the hand, the scenes show us the development of our heroes through their adventures in war and their intrigues at court. Battles, plots and a secret passage all figure. This Matter is approximately 100000 words long. Written with respect for the historical record, it imagines how it might have been but tells the story 'wie es eigentlich gewesen'.