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What to Expect When You're Dead - review
Posted on: 12 October 2025
The Greek Historian Herodotus reports that the Egyptians carried a painted corpse made of wood inside a coffin into their drinking parties. The host then displayed the corpse to each of the guests in...
β β β β β (2025)
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New history books in September 2025
Posted on: 3 October 2025
A focus on the history of Britain this month with half of the books peering back at the history of this island, and more precisely the English bit of it. The rest of the world is not totally neglected...
new books
Scandal in Konigsberg - review
Posted on: 26 September 2025
How best to attract your attention? Tales of sexual debauchery: a priest encouraging his flock to disrobe and cavort about in the nude? Or perverse initiation rites involving brain-washed aristocratic...
β β β β β (2025)
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New history books in August 2025
Posted on: 11 September 2025
This seems to be a month of big ideas, judging by the new history books (in the UK, hardback). Many are spanning the whole of human history, and the entirelty of the world. There are a few different...
new books
Captives and Companions - review
Posted on: 5 September 2025
I said to myself βThis king would be worth 30 dinars in Oman in the [slave] marketplace, and the seven [companions] 160 dinars, and they have clothes worth 20 dinars, so that would bring us at least...
β β β β β (2025)
review
I said to myself βThis king would be worth 30 dinars in Oman in the [slave] marketplace, and the seven [companions] 160 dinars, and they have clothes worth 20 dinars, so that would bring us at least 3,000 dirhams without any risk attached.β
Review of Justin Marozzi, Captives and Companions
New history books in July 2025
Posted on: 25 August 2025
After my self awarded summer break I am a little late this month, but better late than never. An unusually high proportion dealing with the subject of slavery, coming at it from a few different...
new books
Counting - review
Posted on: 24 August 2025
Do you really understand the number 13? Or the number 24? I would argue - and Benjamin Wardhaugh, author of Counting: Humans, History and the Infinite Lives of Numbers might cautiously back me up here...
β β β β β (2024)
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New history books in June 2025
Posted on: 1 July 2025
The latest monthly roundup: new history books published in June in the UK (hardback). A bit less politics and a bit more in the way of ideas this month... A couple that I have my eye on...
new books
Summer of Fire and Blood - review
Posted on: 27 June 2025
If there are any English Literature students out there looking for a subject for their dissertation, may I suggest: βWhy Harry Potter is an allegory of the Reformation with Harry Potter himself...
β β β ββ (2025)
review
The ideas of winter gave way to a period of action in early spring 1525 that was far more widespread and wide-ranging in its targets than anything that would be seen in western Europe before the French Revolution.
Review of Lyndal Roper, Summer of Fire and Blood
New history books in May 2025
Posted on: 1 June 2025
New history books from last month in the UK, published in hardback. Something for everyone this time: witches, WW1, orchids, death and tequila! A couple that I have my eye on are: When We Ruled: The...
new books
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