3rd June 2017
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on The Badass Librarians of Timbuktu
by Joshua Hammer. The Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu tells two stories: one about thousands of ancient manuscripts – on such subjects as history, science, Islamic law, conflict resolution, and poetry – and the librarians who sought to first preserve, then … Continue reading
26th May 2017
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on The Great Explosion
by Brian Dillon. Brian Dillon’s “The Great Explosion” takes us on exploration of the north Kent marshes, through the site and history of a munitions accident that killed 108 people in 1916. In the middle of WWI, weapons manufacture was … Continue reading
24th May 2017
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on The Surgeon of Crowthorne: a Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
by Simon Winchester. Simon Winchester introduces us to two of the most important characters in the making of the Oxford English Dictionary: the then editor, James Murray, and one of his most prolific volunteer contributors, a retired US army surgeon … Continue reading
22nd May 2017
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on Restoration: 1666, a Year in Britain
by Alexander Larman. Restoration details the day-to-day, the politics, culture, and dangers of English life in the mid 1660s. Charles II has retaken his father’s throne after 12 gruelling years of Cromwellian rule. His lavish lifestyle delights many (after the … Continue reading
15th March 2017
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on The Shetland Bus
by David Howarth. David Howarth’s The Shetland Bus tells of a dangerous and tenuous sea-link forged between Shetland and Norway during the war. Initially based in Lunna (later Scalloway) in the UK’s most northerly island-group, a discreet fleet of “fishing vessels” was … Continue reading
15th January 2017
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded
by Simon Winchester. The events surrounding the cataclysmic 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, a island in the Sunda Strait, make for fascinating reading. It might seem impossible to convey the immensity of the forces required to blow a 2,600’ mountain to … Continue reading
25th September 2016
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story
by Michael Rosen. Michael Rosen takes the reader, letter by letter, through the alphabet, introducing the history, usage, and relevance of each as he goes. Each chapter begins with an brief history of each letter’s original form, and how it … Continue reading
4th September 2016
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on Glencoe: The Infamous Massacre 1692
by John Sadler. As promised, John Sadler’s account of Glencoe is packed full of information. It covers some history of the clan system in general, a recount of the civil war, and the more detailed events surrounding the massacre itself. … Continue reading
2nd September 2016
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on The Secret Life of the Georgian Garden
by Dr Kate Feluś. The Secret Life of the Georgian Garden follows the course of a typical day as it might be enjoyed by the landed gentry in the years from 1714 to 1837. It’s a fabulous book, which drew … Continue reading
4th May 2016
by Leigh Forbes
Comments Off on Mercator: the Man who Mapped the Planet
by Nicholas Crane. A fascinating and incredibly detailed biography of the man who gave us the Mercator projection – the method still used to reproduce the 3D world on a 2D world-map. The last two pages of the epilogue tell … Continue reading
