When my #SecretBookClub book landed on my doorstep last week, I did what we all do (but don’t admit to doing) and judged it by its cover. The artwork is beautiful, and the Second World War setting was great news. However, the mini content guide on the back described it as a ‘tear jerker’ and…
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Common Historical Misconceptions…CORRECTED!
Turns our you shouldn’t believe everything you hear! But not to worry, we are here (with the help of Buzzfeed) to put some common historical misconceptions to rest… 1. The Pyramids of Giza Were Built by Slaves. Source: globalpridetravel.com Contrary to popular belief, slaves were not forced to build the pyramids at Giza. Excavations at tombs near…
Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory has long been renowned as the undisputed queen of historical fiction, but her recent works have left me a little disappointed, and in my opinion don’t live up to the brilliance of her earlier novels (in particular Wideacre and The Other Boleyn Girl). Gregory’s recent foray into young adult fiction has been well acclaimed however, so…
Blood Will Tell by Kyra Cornelius Kramer
I’m going to be honest: I am interested in the theory behind this book. But in terms of reading 300+ pages exploring the medical explanations of a person’s god awful behaviour, the idea really didn’t float my boat. However, I kind of enjoyed it. The author, Kyra Cornelius Kramer, is very smart. And quite obviously passionate about…
Breach of Promise to Marry: A Dististurbing Case
The majority of breach of promise claims involved women who had suffered financially through a man’s thoughtless or selfish behaviour. They often sought to recover money wasted on preparing for a wedding that did not take place, or to recover income lost through giving up a job or disposing of a business in the expectation…
Vlad, The Last Confession By C.C Humphrey
I am a deep and passionate lover of historical fiction. Since I picked up Virgin: Prelude to the Throne by Robin Maxwell, I’ve been devouring as much of the genre as I can, and trying to expand beyond the typical ‘royal’ books that seem to dominate the shelves. I’ve always had a passion for historical…
What would the giants of history be doing today?
This is a piece we wrote last year for Ross Wittenham‘s fantastic blog, History Mine – please go and check it out for gems such as Anne Boleyn is my Spirit Animal and Night at the (British) Museum: fact and fantasy! ‘Just because you have a slick job in the city today doesn’t mean you would’ve been a high flyer…
The Spy Who Loved by Claire Mulley
If it wasn’t for Historical Honey’s #SecretBookClub, I would never have discovered this gem of a book. For, you see, I’m an armchair historian who is very firmly comfortable with a few different eras, but WWII is not usually one of them. Enter The Spy Who Loved, a biography of Christine Granville, AKA Krystyna Skarbek….
Wives & Sweethearts: Love Letters Sent During Wartime
This is the story of Peter Robinson and Dorrie Harris, taken from a collection of love letters sent during Wartime, compiled into a beautiful collection by Alastaur Massie and Frances Parton, in association with the National Army Museum. The following is an extract from ‘Wives and Sweethearts’, page 72-14. The British war effort in the First World…
Station Life In New Zealand
Don’t be misled by the tightly pulled hair and the unsmiling visage of Lady Mary Anne Barker. Beneath that demure Victorian façade beat a heart as wild and courageous as any Rider Haggard hero. Lady Barker travelled the world during her lifetime, from her native Jamaica to India, Australia, Trinidad, Madagascar and New Zealand and…