Michael Wood: Conquistadors – The Spanish explorers and the discovery of the New World. Continue reading “Book Review: Conquistadors by Michael Wood.”
Versatile Blogger Award 2013.
I am proud to announce that fellow blogger’s think so highly of Historyland that they have nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. It is an honour to be included in a very fun way of promoting the blogs you enjoy. So according to the rules I want to thank Viking Lady Aine (already nominated) for her kind Nomination, and post a link to her excellent blog.
http://vikingladyaine.wordpress.com/
I also cannot thank Gemma Bagshaw enough for nominating me a second time, her fun and informative site is in my list below, “GemmaHist” and I’m sure you all will like it.
Like a good boy I have done what the VBA’s website say’s to do and nominated some of my favourite blogs, (I would have put the suggested 15 but I really don’t know that many people who have blogs, there is one guy out there who put his top 3). In this list you will find the cream of the Historyland Blogroll, for in essence this is a wider extension of it.
http://cavalrytales.wordpress.com/
https://gemmahistory.wordpress.com/
http://hehasawifeyouknow.tumblr.com/
http://pompei79.wordpress.com/
http://readinggivesmewings.wordpress.com/
http://thisiswarblog.wordpress.com/
http://marksimner.me.uk/
As the website say’s http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/ if you get nominated then you have been awarded the VBA end of story.
To finish I hereby list 7 inane and yet penetrating things about myself.
1: I am fascinated by History.
2: I love to read.
3: I like to experiment with ways to present History.
4: I like to paint, sketch and draw, mostly historical subjects.
5: I write, sometimes fiction sometimes history.
6: I know a guy who has the key to Atlantis.
7: I have Long Joh Silver’s Treasure Map under my bed,
Or you could just read the About page.
Josh.
Sweetheart of the Legions
How one extraordinary woman saved a Roman army from destruction.
In A Roman Country Garden.
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Marcus Tullius Cicero.
It’s almost beginning to look like Spring outside. And with any luck we will soon have Daffodils on the verge’s and Poppy’s in the hedgerow’s, and since Daffodils are thought to be one of our most famous Roman imports, and this thought happened to coincide with my reading Pliny the Younger’s Garden Letters, I thought; “Why not do a post about Pliny’s Garden.” but let him tell you in his own words. Continue reading “In A Roman Country Garden.”
Dinner at Pliny’s.
Ever wonder what a well off Roman might dine on during the 1st Century AD?
In one of his many letters Pliny the Younger details a rather high end dinner, while at the same time ticking off a friend for not appearing to eat it. Bad show! Since Pliny had gone to some expense to provide food and entertainment for the dinner party, no small feat, for Pliny was not a man who enjoyed excesses, the least Septitius Clarus could have done was put in an appearance. Continue reading “Dinner at Pliny’s.”
Book Review: The Time Travellers Guide To Medieval England.
See Historyland’s review for this book by Ian Mortimer. Continue reading “Book Review: The Time Travellers Guide To Medieval England.”
Battlefields on Google Maps.
Battlefields on Google Maps.
One of the most fun aspects of the technology afforded us by Google maps is its street view ability. It’s very useful for planning trips, and many other things besides, because of Street view I was able to give accurate directions through a major city because I have a more than passing acquaintance with the layout of the roads from the Belgian border from Charleoi to Brussels I was able to drive (within the parameters of Street View’s roaming) around the battlefield of Waterloo.
Now I’m not saying that this cyber walk replaces actual feet on the ground investigation but for those who want a basic look at terrain and contour, even colour and weather to a point, this is could be the best gadget to come into a History enthusiast’s hands since you put down your last book, all you need is a map from a history book and an interent connection, so here’s a post that will tell you how I used it recently.
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A road to iSandlwana
Research is something I do. Sometimes for no reason. And that is the best way I can explain the following post. If you are interested in the Anglo Zulu War of 1879 then I’m sure you will be interested. If you’ve never heard of it, you will likley have more questions to ask than are answered. Continue reading “A road to iSandlwana”
Book Review: Zulu Rising by Ian Knight.
This is my first book review. Continue reading “Book Review: Zulu Rising by Ian Knight.”
An excerpt about the Boers from Conan Doyle’s History.
Great Quote by the writer of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about the Boers, the bit at the bottom is priceless.
“Take a community of Dutchmen of the type of those who defended themselves for fifty years against all the power of Spain at a time when Spain was the greatest power in the world. Intermix with them a strain of those inflexible French Huguenots who gave up home and fortune and left their country for ever at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The product must obviously be one of the most rugged, virile, unconquerable races ever seen upon earth. Take this formidable people and train them for seven generations in constant warfare against savage men and ferocious beasts, in circumstances under which no weakling could survive, place them so that they acquire exceptional skill with weapons and in horsemanship, give them a country which is eminently suited to the tactics of the huntsman, the marksman, and the rider. Then, finally, put a finer temper upon their military qualities by a dour fatalistic Old Testament religion and an ardent and consuming patriotism. Combine all these qualities and all these impulses in one individual, and you have the modern Boer—the most formidable antagonist who ever crossed the path of Imperial Britain. Our military history has largely consisted in our conflicts with France, but Napoleon and all his veterans have never treated us so roughly as these hard-bitten farmers with their ancient theology and their inconveniently modern rifles.”
Excerpt From: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. “The Great Boer War