The wrecking of RMS Tayleur made headlines around the world almost 60 years before the Titanic. Both ships were run by the White Star Line, both were heralded as the most splendid ships of their time – and both sank in tragic circumstances on their maiden voyages. The wrecking of RMS Tayleur. Source: Image courtesy of Gill Hoffs…
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Ron Howard’s Eye for Detail Makes for Perfect Period Films
Sometimes, it’s the little things someone does that makes them truly amazing at their profession. No matter what the field, the great ones notice the things that others gloss over. They’re adamant about righting the smallest irregularities, and the most seemingly insignificant aspects can be worked over endlessly. While they’re appreciated for their successful projects…
HISTORIC HOUSES AS INSPIRATION
Readers have asked whether Graylings, the country seat that Oliver Farraday, one of the main characters in my new novel, owns and dearly loves, was based on a particular National Trust property. I have to admit that yes, it was. Or rather, it was based not just on a particular National Trust property, but more on an amalgamation…
Annabelle
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (June 18 1901 – July 17, 1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia. She had three older sisters’ named Olga, Tatiana and… 6.5 If you are anything of a historical novel buff, then you are probably already familiar with Kate Furnivall’s ‘The Jewel of…
The Medici Mirror by Melissa Bailey
The Medici Mirror is a first novel by Melissa Bailey and is clearly a labour of love. Unfortunately, however, I found it a labour to read. While the premise of the book was initially interesting and the historical links intriguing, I was ultimately disappointed. The novel revolves around a sixteenth century mirror both its past…
But…You Said We Were To Marry!
Until 1971, English law allowed a jilted person to claim damages from the person who had offered and then refused to marry them. People who brought breach of promise claims were almost always female. If the idea of suing to win damages for a broken heart seems odd, or even distasteful, it is worth remembering…
The Road to Christianity: The British Museum On The Conversion Process
The British Museum has continually sought to highlight cultural significance through its geographically and thematically organised curatorship of objects. Its handling of the British’s gradual conversion to Christianity has always been a highpoint, despite lacking the grotesque pizazz of the Egyptian mummies or the rich contextual history of the ‘Elgin Marbles.’ The ever popular ‘Elgin…
Puy du Fou
Picture the scene, you are inside the Colosseum. The crowd’s going crazy for a gang of Christians who have just been sentenced to death by Caesar; all the while goddesses in white and gold are twirling centre stage. The floor opens up and blood flies as gladiators emerge leaping and ducking under a score of…
Hannibal: Clouds of War by Ben Kane
Ahh, ask and ye shall receive. I mentioned in my previous review that the last two books had been on a similar theme, that of Crime Fiction. I was, therefore, fully expecting my next #secretbookclub contribution to be along the same lines. That’s when the wonderful people at Historical Honey threw me a curve ball….
In the footsteps of Wilfred Owen
To commemorate the centenary of WW1 we are running a series of three posts from our recent trip to the WW1 sites of Nord de Calais. Our little tour group of bloggers, led by the infectiously bubbly Sarah from four bgb and Ellie from MyFerryLink, crossed the English Channel on Friday afternoon to drive to the charming town of Arras in Northern France. The…