The meanings of words change over time. Awful began as a shortening for 'full of awe', in other words, inspiring wonder or fear. It has mutated to now be a tired word for something unpleasant. Although changing, on occasions a word will retain something of its original meaning. Elope was first used to described a … Continue reading Words, Proverbs and Meanings
History
Hilary Mantel’s Reith Lectures 2017
In the Reith Lectures this year Hilary Mantel discusses what is at the heart of good historical fiction, our relationship with the past, and the central elements in a historical novelist's attempt to bring the past alive for us today. As Mantel herself says 'The reason you must stick by the truth is that it … Continue reading Hilary Mantel’s Reith Lectures 2017
Early Modern Women – Elizabeth Paston (1429-1488)
I have been fascinated by the 15th and 16th centuries since I studied Early Modern British history in my first year at university. In my reading over the ensuing years I have caught sight of people who had no influence on the grand scheme of things yet they brought history to life, reminding me vividly that … Continue reading Early Modern Women – Elizabeth Paston (1429-1488)
One Minute Book Review – The Beauty and the Sorrow by Peter Englund
The Beauty and the Sorrow is subtitled 'an intimate history of the First World War' and comprises a collection of letters and diary entries from twenty people who lived through the First World War. The diaries and letters are interspersed with narrative which traces the war, year by year. The individuals followed come from a … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – The Beauty and the Sorrow by Peter Englund
One Minute Book Review – The Criminal Conversation of Mrs Norton by Diane Atkinson
The starting point of The Criminal Conversation of Mrs Norton by Diane Atkinson is the legal case brought by George Norton against William Lamb, Lord Melbourne, in 1836 for compensation for illegal use of his property, Norton’s wife Caroline. Norton was, in essence, suing Melbourne for adultery. Norton lost the case, Melbourne remained as Prime … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – The Criminal Conversation of Mrs Norton by Diane Atkinson
One Minute Book Review – Australia’s Birthstain : The Startling Legacy of the Convict Era by Babette Smith
This book deals with Australia’s convict beginnings and the attempt, in the century following the ending of transportation, by both families and society, to cover up the past. Smith focuses on the convicts of six ships who are representative of the range of convict experiences and traces their lives from their conviction to freedom. Their … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – Australia’s Birthstain : The Startling Legacy of the Convict Era by Babette Smith
One Minute Book Review – Wedlock by Wendy Moore
A compelling non-fiction read which traces the marital fortunes of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Lady Strathmore (a forebear of the late Queen Mother). The book details her marriages, and her separation and ultimate divorce from the charismatic and viciously cruel Andrew Stoney as well as the nail biting tale of her abduction and escape. The book … Continue reading One Minute Book Review – Wedlock by Wendy Moore
Catherine Meyrick 