About
Judith W. Richards spent her career in the world of economics, finance, and real estate development. She is the author of Fundamentals of Development Finance: A Practitioner’s Guide (1983 by Praeger, later under Greenwood Press and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), which for over twenty years was a highly respected handbook for financing risky projects in urban areas and was also used as a text book at prestigious universities.
Now, the author has turned her sights to fiction and her first love, history. Her debut novel, Amsterdam Ascendant: A novel of rebellion, faith, and daring enterprise that launch a Golden Age, will be published by Aries Books on November 30, 2023. It is available for pre-order as a book and e-book at bookstores and on Amazon.
Judy and her novelist husband, D. Manning Richards, live in the Washington DC area and periodically reside in Australia and France.
Featured Work
Amsterdam Ascendant: A novel of rebellion, faith, and daring enterprise that launch a Golden Age
In 1572 the Netherlands is in open revolt against its ruler Spain, and Calvinist sea captain Maarten van der Voort and his ragtag rebel fleet are fighting brutal battles with Spain's navy. In Amsterdam, his Calvinist and Catholic family are trying to stay alive, as an Inquisition persecutes Protestants and starvation lurks. When Amsterdam is finally freed from the Spanish yoke, the family is reunited. Together they struggle to rebuild their shattered lives, restart their trading business, and pursue perilous new trade routes, all while Amsterdam lurches toward its 1600s Golden Age.
“A well-researched historical novel with a very human core . . . this well-told tale leaves the reader eager for further chapters.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The vivid ‘you are here’ feel of the story brings the times to life.” – Midwest Book Review
“. . . a rich, compelling work . . . easy to lose track of time and become immersed in its historical world.” – Manhattan Book Review
