When the first instalment of Oliver Twist was published in February 1837, Charles Dickens was still only 25; but had already been celebrated for his hugely popular first novel, The Pickwick Papers. And yet for all the buzz that would have surrounded a new story by this rising literary star, it was not just his name alone which would have…
Category: Uncategorized
The Caravaggio Conspiracy by Alex Connor
When a young man from Palermo announces on the internet that he is a descendent of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and that he knows the whereabouts of two missing masterpieces, the art world is whipped into a frenzy. However, it’s not until two art dealer brothers are brutally tortured and murdered in their gallery in…
THE GRANDDAUGHTER QUEEN VICTORIA COULDN’T TAME
It’s difficult, looking at this photograph of Princess Ducky, to believe it was taken when she was a teenager. But of course teenagers hadn’t been invented in the 1890s and the prescribed destiny of a granddaughter of Queen Victoria was enough to make anyone look glum. They were expected to marry, preferably a suitable cousin…
All Is True: Fire At The Globe Theatre
400 years ago, the first Globe Theatre was destroyed by fire. But was it an accident? The afternoon of Tuesday 29 June 1613 was warm and sunny. Crowds crossed the Thames to see William Shakespeare’s latest play, All Is True. It was a lavish production: with expensive costumes and real cannons. These cannons were discharged…
Who was the worst President?
Having read an article by the BBC a few weeks back, I have been compelled to set a few records straight. The article basically said that James Buchanan was the worst President the United States has ever had. And well, I beg to differ! There are plenty of candidates for that title. The BBC also…
The Enchanting History of Geisha
If you are anything like me, you will have been romanticised by Geisha ever since watching the film, ‘Memoirs of A Geisha’, despite the widespread criticism of the film. But why am I so fascinated by Geisha? Well…not only are these women experts in music and dance, both of which I am really not, but…
Mistress of Rome
Jealousy. Lust. Betrayal. Passion. I mean, what more could you want from a book?! Certainly for me, ‘Mistress of Rome’ has it all…and then some! This book, which is the first part of a trilogy that I am rapidly progressing through, centres on the life of Thea; a Jewish slave girl who serves as hand-maiden to the…
History’s Top 4 Most Awesome Swords. EVER
There are three things in this world that are true. The Sun is hot. Water is wet… and swords are awesome. As I sit here in the sword wing of my Warehouse of Bizarrchaeology, I find myself gazing over racks and racks of blades and I start to consider… what of these are the Top 4…
Was The Titanic Disaster Predicted?
A hundred years after she sank with such devastating loss of life, RMS Titanic still continues to fascinate us. But as much as the facts of her untimely, tragic demise seem to captivate our imaginations, it is the myth and legend surrounding Titanic which also keeps us talking. There are the stories of passengers who…
The Countess
Although the fight for Irish independence in the early 20th Century was dominated by the men, there was a surprisingly large group of women who took up arms, carried messages and risked their lives for what they thought was right. Perhaps the most famous of all was Constance, Countess Markievicz. Who Was ‘The Countess’? I first…