[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Welcome to my new favorite reminder that humans have always been a disaster. This book is basically a medieval “Darwin Awards: Special Edition,” except with more chainmail, questionable hygiene, and approximately 400% more death-by-cheese. And yes, I absolutely cackled my way through every single page like the respectful little gremlin I am. This was the perfect blend of grim history, unhinged humor, and “wow, our ancestors really said YOLO but in Latin.” The stories range from monarchs who died in ways that could only be described as “unfit for the throne and the toilet,” to doctors whose medical advice was essentially, “have you tried bleeding about it?” Every chapter had me alternating between horrified fascination and laughing like an absolute menace. And somehow, despite the chaos, it still manages to be respectful to the real people involved(which I appreciate because I may be feral but I’m not heartless). If you love learning, laughing,.. Read more
NetGalley, Courtney Aldrich
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Welcome to my new favorite reminder that humans have always been a disaster. This book is basically a medieval “Darwin Awards: Special Edition,” except with more chainmail, questionable hygiene, and approximately 400% more death-by-cheese. And yes, I absolutely cackled my way through every single page like the respectful little gremlin I am. This was the perfect blend of grim history, unhinged humor, and “wow, our ancestors really said YOLO but in Latin.” The stories range from monarchs who died in ways that could only be described as “unfit for the throne and the toilet,” to doctors whose medical advice was essentially, “have you tried bleeding about it?” Every chapter had me alternating between horrified fascination and laughing like an absolute menace. And somehow, despite the chaos, it still manages to be respectful to the real people involved(which I appreciate because I may be feral but I’m not heartless). If you love learning, laughing,.. Read more
NetGalley, Courtney Aldrich
In [i]Prince Rupert of the Rhine[/i], Mark Turnbull offers an impressively detailed and long-overdue reappraisal of one of the most fascinating figures of the English Civil Wars. Drawing on a vast array of primary sources, including fascinating newly-discovered research of his own, Turnbull presents a richly nuanced portrait of Prince Rupert. His biography cuts through centuries of myth-making, political propaganda, and selective misquotation to challenge the enduring image of Rupert as merely a swashbuckling cavalier. Turnbull’s achievement brings fresh clarity and scholarly balance to Rupert’s life and career. Far from the one-dimensional Royalist warlord of popular legend, Turnbull’s Rupert emerges as a complex, often contradictory figure: intellectually curious, scientifically minded, loyal to a fault, and yet frequently at odds with his own cause. This is no hagiography, though the author’s sympathies are occasionally evident. Rather, it is a scrupulously researched and persuasive.. Read more
Elizabeth St.John, Author - The Lydiard Chronicles
In [i]Prince Rupert of the Rhine[/i], Mark Turnbull offers an impressively detailed and long-overdue reappraisal of one of the most fascinating figures of the English Civil Wars. Drawing on a vast array of primary sources, including fascinating newly-discovered research of his own, Turnbull presents a richly nuanced portrait of Prince Rupert. His biography cuts through centuries of myth-making, political propaganda, and selective misquotation to challenge the enduring image of Rupert as merely a swashbuckling cavalier. Turnbull’s achievement brings fresh clarity and scholarly balance to Rupert’s life and career. Far from the one-dimensional Royalist warlord of popular legend, Turnbull’s Rupert emerges as a complex, often contradictory figure: intellectually curious, scientifically minded, loyal to a fault, and yet frequently at odds with his own cause. This is no hagiography, though the author’s sympathies are occasionally evident. Rather, it is a scrupulously researched and persuasive.. Read more
Elizabeth St.John, Author - The Lydiard Chronicles
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Kathryn Warner’s account of the Black Death is a compelling and often upsetting read. She brings the unimaginable reality onto stark life with reference to real families and the tragedies they suffered. Given that there are very few written records of the time, I can only imagine that her research has been both challenging and extensive. I’ve enjoyed her approach to this heartbreaking story. The scene is initially set pre plague in the first months of 1348. Edward III is monarch and Britain is at war with France. Chaucer was a child and the detail about a select few individuals gives real texture to the setting. The rest of the book considers the plague county by county with family stories recounted in convincing and, I’m sure, authentic detail. As awful as it was, it’s the first time I’ve read a book about the Black Death that really hits home. I felt as if I got to know some of those affected and shared their distress and sense of fear as the.. Read more
NetGalley, Anita Wallas
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars Kathryn Warner’s account of the Black Death is a compelling and often upsetting read. She brings the unimaginable reality onto stark life with reference to real families and the tragedies they suffered. Given that there are very few written records of the time, I can only imagine that her research has been both challenging and extensive. I’ve enjoyed her approach to this heartbreaking story. The scene is initially set pre plague in the first months of 1348. Edward III is monarch and Britain is at war with France. Chaucer was a child and the detail about a select few individuals gives real texture to the setting. The rest of the book considers the plague county by county with family stories recounted in convincing and, I’m sure, authentic detail. As awful as it was, it’s the first time I’ve read a book about the Black Death that really hits home. I felt as if I got to know some of those affected and shared their distress and sense of fear as the.. Read more
NetGalley, Anita Wallas
"This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the LRDG, packed with rare photographs. The bulk of the book looks at the detail of clothing, vehicles, signals, supplies, weapons and the vital subject of navigation. It is only the last 3 chapters than cover Road Watch, Enemy Encounters and finally the Libyan Taxi service, another name for guiding other forces like the SAS to their objectives. The statement that the LRDG tried to avoid enemy action could be challenged by an earlier refence to their “hit and run” tactics and the fact that a typical raid would require 40,000 rounds of small arms ammunition! A must read for anyone interested in special forces."
Brian Smyth - York Model Engineers Newsletter
"This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the LRDG, packed with rare photographs. The bulk of the book looks at the detail of clothing, vehicles, signals, supplies, weapons and the vital subject of navigation. It is only the last 3 chapters than cover Road Watch, Enemy Encounters and finally the Libyan Taxi service, another name for guiding other forces like the SAS to their objectives. The statement that the LRDG tried to avoid enemy action could be challenged by an earlier refence to their “hit and run” tactics and the fact that a typical raid would require 40,000 rounds of small arms ammunition! A must read for anyone interested in special forces."
Brian Smyth - York Model Engineers Newsletter
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars
The fascinating look at the real women who were the wives and daughters of the men who ruled Wessex, from Alfred on. Anyone who is a fan of Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories will love to see the real characters behind the books and Netflix series.
NetGalley, Caroline Palmer
[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars
The fascinating look at the real women who were the wives and daughters of the men who ruled Wessex, from Alfred on. Anyone who is a fan of Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories will love to see the real characters behind the books and Netflix series.
NetGalley, Caroline Palmer
