english history

Christmas Eve and Sunny

I am currently at my parent’s house in Eastern Kentucky, where love is abundant and internet connections are sparse. Prior to that, I was frolicking throughout Florida and costal Georgia with my children and my parents. I’ll tell you more about that odyssey in a Honda Odyssey when I return to civilization, AKA: the Land… Read more Christmas Eve and Sunny

David Starkey, Bluff King Hal, UKIP, and Donald Trump

Some of the students and staff at Cambridge University suggest the school should remove famous historian David Starkey from a university promotional campaign, since Starkey keeps saying racist things. For instance, during “an appearance by the historian on BBC Newsnight in 2011 when he referred to Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech as being right… Read more David Starkey, Bluff King Hal, UKIP, and Donald Trump

Book Release!

Yesterday my first offering to the Made Global’s “History in a Nutshell” series hit the shelves and I am happy down to my toes. It’s entitled Henry VIII’s Health in a Nutshell and it’s available in paperback and ebook format. It also has a highly complimentary blurb. I really like highly complimentary blurbs. I’m needy… Read more Book Release!

Edward VI

On this day in 1537 Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII, gave birth (not by cesarean section) to a little boy who would briefly rule England as Edward VI. He became the boy-king at the age of nine when his father passed away in January of 1547, and after some squabbling for power Edward’s… Read more Edward VI

Mumpsimus

A mumpsimus is  person who clings to something even after it has been shown to be wrong, or the action of clinging to incorrect belief. For example, when someone insists on saying irregardless regardless of the fact it is NOT a word, then that person is a mumpsimus and his act of using the word… Read more Mumpsimus

I’ve been using the word “Luddite” wrong

Like most people, I have accepted the ‘given’ definition of Luddite as someone who fears technology. I even, being the word-geek that I am, knew the term originated from machine-breakers in the early ninetieth century. The reasons the Luddites broke new automated looms was because the feared and hated new devilish technology, right? Wrong. The… Read more I’ve been using the word “Luddite” wrong

The Regency Era

I am working on my next book, which is requiring me to take a deeper look into Regency Era Britain. As a long-standing Austenite and reader of modern day Regency romances (many of which are VERY well researched in terms of mores, manners, and dress) I have had the tendency to look at 1811-1820 Britain… Read more The Regency Era