Sir Ernest Shackleton: “What the ice gets, the ice keeps”

  “For scientific discovery give me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel give me Amundsen; but when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.”                                                    —Antarctic explorer Sir Raymond Priestly For those new to Shackleton, it might seem counterintuitive to celebrate the leader of a failed…

Rumi, the Persian Poet

I grew up under the tutelage of an amateur historian father, one who both dissected past events and also generously passed along a wide range of historical snippets. Perhaps he had a limited knowledge of this event, or I forgot most details about that one. Whatever the reason for the more modest lessons, or memories,…

Book Review: How to Survive in Medieval England by Toni Mount

This useful guide is a vital accessory when you next visit the Middle Ages. How will you manage without your mobile phone, internet or social media? When transport means walking or, for the better off, horse-back, how will you know where you are or where to go? Where will you live and what should you…

1066 Remembered

Nearly 1,000 years have passed… In October 2016 I began a series of posts in memory of 1066, arguably the most important year in the history of England. Interestingly enough, while I enjoyed history, this era was not always my favored, as it once seemed so complicated and intimidating; my memories of studying it in school were…

Image of the Month: Edward, the Black Prince

Today marks the 691st anniversary of the birth of Edward of Woodstock, eldest son of Edward III and Philippa of Hainault. Born June 15, 1330, Edward was made Duke of Cornwall in 1337 and, at age twelve, became Prince of Wales. He was a founding knight in his father’s creation of the Order of the…

My Tottering TBR: The Black Prince by Michael Jones

On this day in 1376, “the strenuous and warlike Prince departed to God. He died on Trinity Sunday, during the Great Parliament, and may God protect him, for he was the very flower of chivalry, without peer in this world.” — from the personal tribute to the Prince by military surgeon John Arderne* Our current…

Cover Crush: The Flower of Chivalry by Georges Duby

  In previous years, Lisl took part in conversations with other bloggers and writers about book covers, regarding their importance and appeal. From these discussions the Cover Crush evolved amongst several participants, who began recording their thoughts on images that, for various reasons, caught and kept their attention. Today, Lisl shares her most recent Crush,…

Book Review: Distant Echoes: Richard III Speaks!

Distant Echoes: Richard III Speaks! by Joanne R. Larner In the time following the discovery, beneath a Leicester parking lot, of the remains of Richard III, the last English king to die in battle, the medieval monarch has indeed gained a wider audience as we learn more details of the find. For example, it was…

Coming Upon the King: My Accidental Path Toward Becoming a Ricardian

I’ll be perfectly honest with you: I was never really that interested in Richard Plantagenet, later Richard III. In school I had avoided the Anglo-Saxons like the plague, and Richard, well, perhaps like a round of the flu. He wasn’t quite as intimidating, despite the double-murder allegation lodged, and I got away with not having…

Music Review: Richard III

Richard III by Ian Churchward and The Legendary Ten Seconds Track Titles Sheriff Hutton Richard Liveth Yet Written At Rising Act III, Scene IV The Year of Three Kings Hollow Crown Remember My Name Lord Lovell’s Lullaby Requiem Royal Title Ambion Hill Additional narrative notes are also provided (see below). Having read the Legendary Ten…