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The Journals of Queen Victoria by Fay Bound Alberti
In today's blog, I want to discuss a historical source unknown to many people: the journals of Queen Victoria (1819-1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and Empress of India from 1876.This...
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'Village of Secrets', by Caroline Moorhead: Sue Purkiss
In the summer of 1942, France was divided into two zones: the occupied zone, ruled by the Nazis from Paris, and the unoccupied zone, ruled (purportedly) from Vichy by Marshal Petain.The Germans had...
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FROM FICTION TOWARDS FACT: NOTRE DAME DE PARIS by Penny Dolan
What can one post about today? There's only one image in my mind: the beautiful Notre Dame de Paris, wrapped in that gigantic cage of flame, and then the fall of that delicate spire. I visited the...
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Reflections on Notre Dame - Celia Rees
I am following Penny Dolan and posting about Notre Dame. On Monday evening, we all watched in horror as catastrophic and seemingly unstoppable fire tore through Notre Dame. We were one with the people...
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The Curious Roman By L.J. Trafford
Given that my last two History Girls posts have concerned the very bloody assassinations of Roman emperors, I thought that this month I might tackle a more cheery subject. If only for my Mum who...
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Inspirational homes (2) by Carolyn Hughes
“Inspirational homes” might suggest a strapline blazoned across the front of a glossy décor magazine. But the sort of inspiration I’m talking about here is where real-life ancient buildings “inspire”...
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The Elusive Search for Dionysus
My two great passions are writing and history. Melding them together provides me with an opportunity to escape from the worries of the everyday while venturing into the ancient societies of the Romans,...
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Living Memorials: Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp by Catherine Hokin
And I know one thing more - that the Europe of the future cannot exist without commemorating all those, regardless of nationality, who were killed at that time with complete contempt and hate......
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Beyond Bedlam - by Judith Allnatt
The word ‘bedlam’ conjures up images of chaos and madness. This is hardly surprising since the word is derived from ‘Bethlem’, after London’s Bethlem hospital, notorious for most of its 600 year...
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HONOURING WILLIAM MARSHAL by Elizabeth Chadwick
The face of William Marshal's tomb effigyTemple Church, London. Next month, May 14th marks the 800th anniversary of the death of the great William Marshal, one of the most iconic figures of the Middle...
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Thomas Chatterton by Miranda Miller
This painting by the pre- raphaelite Henry Wallis created a sensation when it was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1856, nearly ninety years after Chatterton’s death, accompanied by the...
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A French Corner of Paradise, Carol Drinkwater
We are less than three weeks away from the publication of THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF. These days are always a little nerve-racking, because I am agitating about the book's future success. Will...
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May Day by Janie Hampton
'Bringing in branches at Maytime', from A Book of Hours by Jean Poyer, 1500The first of May has been important in our family ever since my grandmother Rachel Gurney was born on that day in 1886. Two...
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Beaches and Bombers - by Ruth Downie
North Devon's 'Pages of the Sea' event, Saunton Sands, 2018Pages of the Sea was a chain of gatherings on beaches across the UK to commemorate the end of the First World War. This summer we’ll see more...
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Blood on the Stone by Jake Lynch
Our guest for March is one of our rare "History Boys," Jake Lynch.Photo credit: The University of SydneyThis is what Jake says of himself:Jake Lynch is Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies...
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April Competition
To win a copy of Jake Lynch's Blood on the Stone (see yesterday's guest post) just answer the following question in Comments:“What howlers, anachronisms such as the ones Jake avoided, have you found in...
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Shakespeare's Dark Lady by Mary Hoffman
"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;Coral is far more red than her lips' red;If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.I have seen roses...
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Exploring a beautiful book (part one), by Gillian Polack
Right now, caught up in the rather interesting Australian elections, I feel as if we’re in the middle of history. Some years are more significant than others for story purposes and for interpreting...
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A Fine Song of Love - Katherine Langrish
The past is a different country which requires a great deal of research and imaginative effort to recreate in its multilayered richness of sights, sounds, smells, textures and tastes. Visiting the...
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Ancient Egyptian Gallery - Joan Lennon
This month marks the 200th anniversary of the National Museum of Scotland (then the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland*) acquiring its very first ancient Egyptian artefact.** So it is fitting that...
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