I had a great haul of books in my Christmas stocking. Here’s a list of what I got from family and friends and will be reading over the next few months. Some of them are for general interest, some work, and some just for fun. First of all, I was given Mark Ormrod’s Edward III, one […]
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On the Anniversary of Turner’s Death: A Giveaway
It’s a week of anniversaries and art. JMW Turner (1775-1851) died 160 years ago today. “I never miss an accident” he once said, and true to his word, he was out on the night of the fire at Westminster in 1834. Armed with his two notebooks he spent hours absorbing the colour and drama of the scene, both on land […]
Albert and the Armada
At 11pm on 14 December 1861 at Windsor – 150 years ago today – Queen Victoria declared beside the sickbed of the Prince Consort, ‘Oh, yes, this is death!’. Her husband of 21 years, was gone, aged only 42. For many years it was believed that Prince Albert (1819-1861) had died of typhoid, as written on the death certificate […]
Albert and the Armada
At 11pm on 14 December 1861 at Windsor – 150 years ago today – Queen Victoria declared beside the sickbed of the Prince Consort, ‘Oh, yes, this is death!’. Her husband of 21 years, was gone, aged only 42. For many years it was believed that Prince Albert (1819-1861) had died of typhoid, as written […]
The Good History Book Checklist
If you want to choose a great read this Christmas for you or someone else, here are my top tips for finding a good ‘un (and I’m talking here about non-fiction, not historical novels): 1) Check the biog of the author on the book jacket. How do they describe themselves? What’s their platform? Do they sound credible? When was […]
A Modest Proposal
So, while I’m waiting for the OUP copyeditor to contact me about deadlines for edits to The Day Parliament Burned Down, I’m working on mini-pitches to my agent Bill for the next book. Though we’ve discussed some ideas face to face, I’m a bit diffident doing this off the top of my head and feel […]
