BY JEFF GUINN If you’d asked me before I’d picked up this book just what Bonnie and Clyde’s story was, I would have said ‘Weren’t they just two outlaws looking for trouble?’ Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong. Granted they were both trouble makers, and yes they didn’t stay on the right side…
Month: April 2013
Historical Honey » Shot In Her Coffin; Lady Van Dorth
On May 7th 1747, Johanna Magdalena Catharina Judith Van Dorth was baptized in the small church of a village named Warnsveld, in the east of the Netherlands. She died in 1799 after a most remarkable life, after literally being shot in the coffin that became her final resting place. There is not much certainty about Johanna’s…
Historical Honey » EXCLUSIVE: A few words with Cheryl Bolen
Cheryl Bolen is an American author, who has a particular passion for the English Regency Period. She lives in Texas with her husband, who is a professor. Cheryl has enjoyed great success; her books have been translated into eleven languages, she is a regular contributor to The Regency Plum and The Regency Reader, and she…
Historical Honey » The Bloody Elizabeth Báthory
Forget Twilight. Forget True Blood and the Vampire Diaries. You can even disregard Nosferatu and the Hammer classics. Hungarian noblewoman, Elizabeth Báthory was one crazy, blood-loving gal. Allow me to set the scene…As with many a zany character in history, Lizzie was royal; her Uncle Stephen was the King of Hungary, and she herself a Countess married…
Historical Honey » Night at the Museum
I’m a Classicist; a lover of all things Greek and Roman. And I’m also a hypocrite. I’ve spent my entire life (well, from the age of about 16 or-so) whining about the British Museum’s hoarding of the Parthenon sculptures and here I am, about to go ahead and commend them. So, putting Lord Elgin aside…
Historical Honey » Ken Follett, The Century Trilogy…so far!
I was first introduced to the master of epic storytelling four years ago…however, it took me a whole year to actually pick up the recommended read; ‘The Pillars of The Earth’. Why did I wait so long I hear you ask? Well, to be honest, I wasn’t convinced that the building of a medieval church was something I wanted to commit…
Historical Honey » Weird and Wonderful Thoughts on Lady Parts
Once a month, women have to deal with the unpleasant sensation that is akin to having their insides dug out with a rusty spoon, (that’s right men folk, this is largely an article about vaginas). For women, as inconvenient as this week is, we understand that it is a perfectly healthy, normal, bodily function (albeit…
Historical Honey » The Triumphant Claude, Duke of Guise
In reading about Mary of Guise (mother of Marie, Queen of Scots), I came across a touching story concerning her father Claude, Duke of Guise. Claude was cousin to Louise of Savoy, better known as the mother of King Francis I of France’s. Family trees aside, Duke Claude and King Francis were very close friends….
Historical Honey » Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men
Museum of London, Ends: 14th April First things first, I do have one or two morbid curiosities; the grim trade of bodies for dissection being one of them. Naturally, the ‘Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men’ exhibition was catnip for my brain! The context behind the exhibition is the 2006 archaeological dig around the Royal London Hospital in…
Historical Honey » DELILAH
BY ELEANOR DE JONG First things first, this is the story of Samson and Delilah who are both biblical characters. Regardless of how much you want to dispute its historical credentials, I still think this book is worthy of our first review. As a ballpark I’d say 30% of this book is based on real…