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For 700 years it was a hanging crime to speak his name. Believed to be the Angel of the Apocalypse, launching the millennium that would see the disintegration of nations in a single world-order, and the withering away of the Church as each soul is filled with the Holy Spirit – Simon de Montfort founded England’s Parliament and brought modern democracy into being. Few could have been a less like champion of the common man – or considered an angel. Brought up as companion to King Louis IX of France (Saint Louis), Simon was befriended by King Henry III of England, married the king’s sister, who was a nun, and probably was the queen’s lover and father of the heir to the throne, Edward I. Offered the Crowns of three nations, tried twice for treason, repeatedly excommunicated, Simon, as Earl of Leicester, enforced an elected government upon his king in 1258. And the government he brought into being has been the model for most modern nations. “Montfort”, a speculative history in the form of a novel, with extensive research notes in an Historical Context section appended to each of the four volumes, follows 13th century documentation to probe how these things may have happened in the day-to-day living of Montfort’s life.
Montfort is available from Amazon in soft-cover or e-book form, or can be ordered at your bookstore.
Reviews:“In a tale crammed with romance, deceit,
rampant ambition, failures and triumphs galore, readers will get all they hoped for in this deeply researched
and well-told historical narrative.” “Katherine Ashe has written a detailed,
action-packed, insightful historical novel. A marvelous work of literature and a great story.” “Ashe's richly imagined details draw the reader into the splendors of 13th
century English and French court life. Her meticulously researched portrait tells the story of Montfort's life and
times, his loves, his military prowess, and the machinations of his enemies and followers alike." “The finest work I know on the thirteenth century.“ Katherine's forthcoming book is a complete departure, a fantasy; “The Fairy Garden”, a work about the interface between spirit and reality, and yes, actually about fairies. It was inspired by her 1976 meeting with Stephen Tennant at his home, Wilmsford Manor. Later she discovered she was not the only one to find inspiration in Stephen, As a child he was the model for Colin in The Secret Garden, and later, Sebastian in Brideshead Revisited. 
Beneath the sundial, as Stephen discovers, there is a world of spirit beings beyond time, from imps to the infant Queen of the Fairies, Gwathawil, Medieval sorcery, Albigensians, Parliament, Fibonacci numbers, a hero who dresses in costumes from the opera and enters the fairies' world through a miniscule dictionary, and the exquisite golden fairy Pipogen are the stuff of this allegory that actually preceded Montfort in the writing. Television13-hour series, THE WASHINGTONS, on the life of our nation’s first couple, commissioned by Celeste Holm for PBS. Two-hour video-drama, THE TREASURE: the story of a young nun during the Nazi occupation of France. Commissioned by Transfiguration Monastery. Two-hour video drama: NELLY, LUCIE AND TWEETS, three generations of Irish/Mohawk women, from sweatshop worker to fashionable Boston medicine woman. Created and produced WORLD VIEW, half-hour news interview of international press on current world issues hosted by Anton Foek and Lisa Champeau, produced WVIA Public Television. Created and developed "Glorious Gardens" half hour gardening show at WVIA Public Television. Stage
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SUPPER WITH THE POPE, one act play on Cesare Borgia and Christian versus Islamic imperialism. Produced at the Expanded Arts Theater, now offered with a companion one-act BURTON IN AFRICA on issues of humanism and exploitation in 19th century Africa.
• THE MEDICINE MAN: an alienated Mohawk medicine man searches for his daughter, finds her in an orphanage and teaches her his ancient healing skills.
• MARTHA SPEAKS UP: half-hour monologue on Martha Washington for Celeste Holm. Performed at The Boston Historical Society.
• THE FAIRY GARDEN fantasy feature film script. There is a world of fairies under the sundial of the East Deanery Garden of Eastbourne Cathedral. Two lonely children come to share that world, its magical powers and spiritual perceptions.
• MONTFORT: epic feature film script on the 13th century:
He was King Henry III's closest friend. But right after the Queen's first Confession since conceiving the throne's heir — a Confession she made to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon's implacable enemy — the King turns upon Simon, forcing him to flee for his life into exile.
King Henry raves before his entire Court - having learned that the infant, thought to be a miraculous conception by the intercession of Saint Edward, was no miracle at all.
Katherine Ashe brings the 13th century brilliantly to life in all its scope — from jousts and battle scenes to the pageantry of royal progresses and glorious feasts, from medieval international banking to Crusade, troubadours and the Court of Love.
Purchase Volumes I - IV now at Amazon.com
He conquered England and founded Parliament.
THE RICHEST WOMAN IN THE WESTERN WORLD: 7-part epic series starring Kathleen Widdoes. True story of a woman, born in a brothel in 1776, who went on to corner the New York City real estate market. She married Aaron Burr, nearly rescued Napoleon after Waterloo, and in her 90’s raised her own army to make herself Empress of Mexico. Broadcast nationally.
BEING MURIETTA: 4-part series on a genuine Zorro in Gold Rush California. Broadcast WJFF Public Radio.
VRIESLAND: 4-part series on the Dutch massacre of Lenape Indians in 1644, from the memoirs of a Dutch settler married to a Lenape woman. Produced at WVIA Public Radio. Broadcast nationally, and was an all-day special feature with discussion by scholars and representatives of the Lenape Tribe at WBAI Public Radio, New York.
THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL: THE LITTLE FIR TREE: NPR Christmas show 1995 and 1996, adapted from two short stories by Peter Wynne.
MONEY RADIO: half-hour comedy on Public Radio fund raising. Produced and broadcast at WJFF Public Radio.
is a writer of books, stage plays and screen and radio plays on historical subjects.
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