Having spent the last few months deep in the quagmires of finishing my third book, I haven’t had much time for anything apart from working and writing. So, when the opportunity came for me to read for pleasure again, I was glad to already have a book sitting and waiting on my bookshelf. It was […]
Historical Objects: The Bees of Childeric I
Objects made in previous centuries hold great power over us today. Whether it is admiring the stunning craftsmanship of people who lived long ago in much harsher times but still wanted to create something beautiful, or forging a connection between people whose lives were so different to our own and yet used the same everyday […]
A Brief Moment of History: When Napoleon Took on Rabbits
If you are familiar with my “brief moment of history” series, then you may have read about the time the Australian army fought a war against emus (and lost). When looking at history, it seems that great military men losing fights against animals is not so unique. This brings us to Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte is […]
Monthly Round-Up: History in the News, January 2021
As the long month of January ends, and 2021 is firmly here, I thought it was a good time to have another round-up of historical and archaeological news that came out of January. From 3,000-year-old purple fabric, to a Victorian bath house, to an ancient pet dog, there have been plenty of exciting announcements! A […]
The Biggest Party Ever? The Field of the Cloth of Gold
In 1509, Henry VIII – one of England’s most famous monarchs – ascended the throne, ensuring the Tudor succession after his father, Henry VII, won the throne from Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. After almost a decade of rule, the young King agreed to follow the advice of his close advisor, Cardinal Wolsey, […]
Royal People: Emperor Charlemagne, King of the Franks
It has been said that if you are of vaguely European descent, you are almost certainly related to Charlemagne. In fact, due to maths calculations, you are probably related to pretty much anyone alive in ninth century Europe who left descendants. As this week’s blog post was delayed because I took a trip to Germany, […]