Emperor Norton I of the United States of America
It seems fitting to follow yesterday’s post on the Old Pretender with Emperor Norton I of the United States of America. On the 17th of September, 1859, Joshua Abraham Norton hand-delivered the following letter declaring himself "Emperor of these United States" to the...
Writing Progress
I’m almost ready to publish Serpent’s Teeth, the fifth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. I recently posted about the editorial reviews, and I am now just waiting for the cover designs from the talented Jacqueline Abromeit. I have prepared the paperback and...
Old Pretender
On the 16th of September, 1701, James Frances Edward Stuart, known as the Old Pretender, became the Jacobite claimant to the thrones of England and Scotland on the death of his father, James II. James Francis Edward Stuart, known to his supporters as James III and...
AI scam
I received an email yesterday claiming to be from Jane von Mehren, senior partner, literary agent, at Aevitas Creative Management. It was gushing with praise for Called to Account, the fourth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. However, said gushing praise...
Battle of Boxtel
The Battle of Boxtel, fought on the 14th and 15th of September, 1794, was a relatively small but significant engagement during the Flanders Campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars. Although overshadowed by larger battles such as Fleurus, Boxtel marked another step...
Elizabeth Ann Seton
I have written about a number of saints: Saint Francis, Saint Crispin, and Saint Edmund, amongst others. But they were all men. So it’s high time for a female saint. On the 14th of September, 1975, Elizabeth Ann Seton became the first person born in what would become...
Henry Hudson
On the 13th of September, 1609, Henry Hudson reached the river that would later be named after him. Hudson was around in Sir Anthony Standen’s time, and I’ve written about other explorers of that age, such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. So let’s look...
Lascoux Cave Paintings
Scrolling through the list of events for the 12th of September, I got quite excited by the Battle of Marathon, but I’d done it. Simon de Montfort, I’d also done him. However I haven’t written about the Lascoux Cave paintings, discovered on this day in 1940. They are...
Salvadore Allende
On the 11th of September, 1973, a coup led by General Augusto Pinochet replaced the government of Salvadore Allende in Chile. We visited Chile in 2019 and loved the country and the people, but you could still sense the relief that the democracy that returned in 1990...
Emperor Norton I of the United States of America
It seems fitting to follow yesterday’s post on the Old Pretender with Emperor Norton I of the United States of America. On the 17th of September, 1859, Joshua Abraham Norton hand-delivered the following letter declaring himself "Emperor of these United States" to the...
Writing Progress
I’m almost ready to publish Serpent’s Teeth, the fifth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. I recently posted about the editorial reviews, and I am now just waiting for the cover designs from the talented Jacqueline Abromeit. I have prepared the paperback and...
Old Pretender
On the 16th of September, 1701, James Frances Edward Stuart, known as the Old Pretender, became the Jacobite claimant to the thrones of England and Scotland on the death of his father, James II. James Francis Edward Stuart, known to his supporters as James III and...
AI scam
I received an email yesterday claiming to be from Jane von Mehren, senior partner, literary agent, at Aevitas Creative Management. It was gushing with praise for Called to Account, the fourth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. However, said gushing praise...
Battle of Boxtel
The Battle of Boxtel, fought on the 14th and 15th of September, 1794, was a relatively small but significant engagement during the Flanders Campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars. Although overshadowed by larger battles such as Fleurus, Boxtel marked another step...
Elizabeth Ann Seton
I have written about a number of saints: Saint Francis, Saint Crispin, and Saint Edmund, amongst others. But they were all men. So it’s high time for a female saint. On the 14th of September, 1975, Elizabeth Ann Seton became the first person born in what would become...
Henry Hudson
On the 13th of September, 1609, Henry Hudson reached the river that would later be named after him. Hudson was around in Sir Anthony Standen’s time, and I’ve written about other explorers of that age, such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. So let’s look...
Lascoux Cave Paintings
Scrolling through the list of events for the 12th of September, I got quite excited by the Battle of Marathon, but I’d done it. Simon de Montfort, I’d also done him. However I haven’t written about the Lascoux Cave paintings, discovered on this day in 1940. They are...
Salvadore Allende
On the 11th of September, 1973, a coup led by General Augusto Pinochet replaced the government of Salvadore Allende in Chile. We visited Chile in 2019 and loved the country and the people, but you could still sense the relief that the democracy that returned in 1990...






