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PODCAST

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure Podcast

The Historical Action and Adventure Podcast - making history come alive! Bestselling authors chat about writing action and adventure stories, diving into some of the more quirky and unusual aspects of history, with a detour through music and its role in their process. Each episode covers different exciting themes, often with brilliant guests. Get bonus episodes and more by supporting the podcast on Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast or Buy Us A Beer at -

arts books

All Episodes

01:12:26

Harry Sidebottom on Gladiators, Rome, and Those Who...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/10/10

What did it really mean to face death in the Roman arena? 🏛️In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, hosts Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill talk with historian and bestselling author Dr Harry Sidebottom about his new nonfiction book, Those Who Are About To Die: Gladiators and the Roman Mind.Drawing on archaeology, ancient texts, and years of research, Harry reveals the brutal truth behind the Roman obsession with violence — and what gladiatorial combat tells us about their society, politics, and

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01:12:16

Beth + Boyd Morrison: Medieval Thrills, Templars &...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/09/26

What happens when a medieval manuscripts scholar teams up with a bestselling thriller writer? You get The Tales of the Lawless Land — a gripping historical adventure series set in the chaos of the 14th century.In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, hosts Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill sit down with Beth and Boyd Morrison, the brother–sister duo behind the swashbuckling adventures of Gerard Fox and Willa.We talk about:⚔️ Writing medieval action with thriller pacing📜 The impact of the Black Death

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01:08:35

Tacfarinas: African Rebel Against Rome | Dr Joanne...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/09/12

🔥 Meet Tacfarinas — the forgotten African rebel who defied Rome under Emperor Tiberius.⚔️ Archaeologist Dr Joanne Ball reveals how his guerrilla war shook the empire and rivals Arminius and Spartacus.https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwordsSupport us on Patreon:⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast🍺 Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/rockpaperswordsWas Tacfarinas Rome’s forgotten rebel? In this episode of Rock Paper Swords, hosts Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill

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01:10:01

Simon Tolkien: Spanish Civil War Novels, Rings of...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/08/29

Author Simon Tolkien (grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien) joins the Rock, Paper, Swords! podcast to talk about his powerful historical novels, his research into the Spanish Civil War, and his work with Amazon’s Rings of Power.⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwordsSupport us on Patreon:⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast🍺 Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/rockpaperswordsIn this interview, Simon shares how he moved from courtroom thrillers to sweeping historical

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01:04:51

Angus Donald talks about his novel, Templar Traitor -...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/08/15

Our guest today is Angus Donald, author of the Outlaw Chronicles, about a medieval gangster called Robin Hood, a 17th-century series about an unusual but rather brilliant chap called Holcroft Blood. And writing as Angus Macallan, he has also tried his hand at fantasy with the Gates of Stone.We previously had Angus on the podcast to talk about his Fire Born series, set in 8th century Europe. His newest book, out at the end of August, is Templar Traitor, the first in a trilogy based on the true story

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01:12:26

J. C. Duncan talks Vikings, Bladesmithing, Publishing...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/08/01

Today’s guest is author, J.C. Duncan. He is the author of The Last Viking Series of novels about Harald Hardrada and the The Light of the North saga, a historical fantasy series set in a world where the Vikings clash with Christian Crusaders. As well as writing, J.C. Duncan is also a bladesmith and there can’t be much cooler than forging blades!Justin of course had a novel about Harald Hardrada, so I think this is going to be a very interesting chat!Welcome to RPS, J.C.

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00:47:18

Adam Lofthouse talks all about Ancient Rome

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/07/18

⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠ Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to https://ko-fi.com/rockpaperswords Adam Lofthouse is the author of action-packed historical fiction set in ancient Rome, such as The Path of Nemesis trilogy, and The Enemy of the Empire books. His latest series, The Shadow of Rome, starts with Eagle and the Flame, which is out soon.Welcome to RPS, Adam Lofthouse!Buy Adam's books:

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00:43:51

Three Year Anniversary Episode!

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/07/04

Rock, Paper, Swords is three years old!In this episode, Matthew and Steven take a look back at some of the highlights of the last three years and then turn to the future with a very big announcement!Don't miss this one!Link Tree:⁠⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠⁠⁠ Support us on Patreon:⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠⁠⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to⁠⁠ https://ko-fi.com/rockpaperswords

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00:44:07

Patricia Bracewell - author of the Emma of Normandy...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/06/20

Patricia Bracewell's website: https://www.patriciabracewell.com/Link Tree:⁠ ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠⁠ Support us on Patreon:⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to⁠ ⁠https://ko-fi.com/rockpaperswordsPatricia Bracewell is the author of the Emma of Normandy trilogy, which started with her first novel, Shadow on the Crown and concluded with The Steel Beneath the Silk. She served as Writer in Residence at Gladstone’s Library in

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00:49:15

Ale/beer consumption throughout history! Pete Brown...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/06/06

Pete Brown's website: https://www.petebrown.net/Link Tree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠ Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to ⁠buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswordsPete Brown is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink, especially the fun parts like beer and cider. He writes for newspapers and magazines around the world and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Food

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00:52:07

MJ Porter - Vikings, Saxons, swearing in historical...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/05/23

M.J. Porter is an author of historical fiction and nonfiction. She has written about Anglo-Saxons and Vikings as well as three twentieth-century mysteries and Viking age/dragon themed fantasy. She is a prolific hybrid author, with independently published and traditionally published books.We met up with MJ at the HNS Conference last year for a quick chat, which you can listen to in a previous episode, but we knew we had to get her back on for a full episode. So welcome back to RPS, M.J.

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00:45:07

RPS NEWS! Plus Dire wolves? We chat about bringing...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/04/25

Link Tree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords⁠ Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to ⁠buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswordsBuy UPRISING, this week's sponsor from Paul Bernardi! Buy link for Paul Bernardi's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F38L728ZWe don’t have a guest today, instead Steven and I are going to talk about something that has been in the news this week and its impact on history and how we perceive the

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01:07:44

Book cover design! Oliver Bennett from MORE VISUAL...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/04/11

Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswords Our guest today has designed countless book covers, including all of Steven’s independently published books! Oliver Bennett is a graphic designer and co-founder of MoreVisual, a graphic design and digital media company based in Leicester, England. Founded in 2013, More Visual specialises in a wide range of

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01:00:07

Donovan Cook - WODEN'S SPEAR! Vikings, Norse...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/03/28

Support us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast⁠ You can buy us a beer and get a shoutout too, by heading to ⁠buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswordsDonovan Cook is the author of the Ormstunga Saga series set in the Viking world and inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. His second series, The Charlemagne's Cross Series, is published by Boldwood Books.Donovan was born in South Africa but raised in England, where his fascination with Medieval History, especially the Vikings and

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01:00:44

Edoardo Albert - History, archaeology, Warhammer,...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/03/14

Support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today’s guest is Edoardo Albert. Edoardo is a British writer of Italian and Sri Lankan descent. He writes about Britain in the early medieval period (between the Romans leaving and the Normans arriving), the 40th millennium in the Warhammer universe, and lots of other things besides. He has written several novels and also his fair share of non-fiction, so there is a lot for us to talk about.Welcome

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00:10:18

A Man Dies But Once - Matthew has a new novella OUT NOW!

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/03/07

Matthew Harffy has a brand new Western novella out NOW, and it's a prequel to his novel DARK FRONTIER. Buy it on Amazon, but first give this episode a listen, it's a good laugh.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Dies-But-Once-Frontier-ebook/dp/B0DYJV6KF1

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01:08:23

Writing for videogames/writing exciting novels - we...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/02/28

Support us on Patreon from just £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today we're going to cover a couple of subjects. One that will be of use to all aspiring writers and anyone who is interested in the mechanics of writing a page-turner. The other will be interesting to anyone who would like to see behind the scenes of the production of a high-end computer game. In this case, HOOD, the game Steven worked on a few years ago. I’ve always loved games, so I am looking

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00:03:55

Long live the King! King of Wessex is out now.

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/02/21

KING OF WESSEX is out today! You can now buy the whole trilogy in paperback or on Kindle . Steven is really excited to see what people think of the way the story ends ... UK LINKUSA LINK

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01:03:48

Elizabeth Fremantle interview - FIREBRAND book/movie...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/02/14

If you enjoy the show please support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast ELIZABETH FREMANTLE is an award winning author of historical fiction. Her most recent novel, DISOBEDIENT, about the Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, won the HWA Gold Crown 2024. Her first novel, QUEEN'S GAMBIT, about Tudor Queen Katherine Parr, was adapted as the major motion picture FIREBRAND, starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law. She has written several

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01:01:50

What other genres do historical fiction fans enjoy,...

Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and... ·

2025/01/31

Support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month for great perks: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Today we thought we’d take a look at other literary genres that fans of historical fiction particularly enjoy, and why it might be the case. Now, we haven’t completed a scientific study or even conducted a poll on readers’ habits so this is just our thoughts and opinions. Feel free to chime in here or on social media and let us know what you think! Useful

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