Dante
On the 27th of January, 1302, Dante Alighieri was condemned in absentia and exiled from Florence. Dante Alighieri (c. 1265–1321) is one of the towering figures of Western literature, a poet whose life of political turmoil, exile, and intellectual ambition gave rise to...
Battle of Ula
The Battle of Ula was fought on the 26th of January, 1564, between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and (guess who) Russia. Guess who won, (spoiler alert) Lithuania. It was one of the most important Lithuanian victories over Tsardom of Muscovy in the sixteenth century....
Nellie Bly
On the 25th of January, 1890, Nellie Bly completed her round-the-world journey in 72 days. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne was published in 1872, and Nellie was trying to emulate the hero, Phileas Fogg. I have posted about Sir Francis Drake’s...
History
It can’t have escaped the attention of visitors to my website that I write historical fiction. Since discovering my ancestor, the Elizabethan spy, Sir Anthony Standen, I have become a bit of an amateur historian. My formal education in history ended after the third...
King Henry VIII
I have posted about the Tudor period many times, not least anything concerning my ancestor, the Elizabethan spy Sir Anthony Standen. I have written about a few of his wives: Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Catherine of Aragon, and Catherine Parr, but I have not, until now,...
Rorke’s Drift
On the 23rd of January, 1879, the Battle of Rorke’s Drift ended. It is depicted in the classic 1964 film Zulu, directed by Cy Endfield, and starring Michael Cane, Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobssen and many others. The Battle of Rorke’s Drift, fought on the...
Tobruk
On the 22nd of January, 1941, Tobruk was captured from the Italians by British and Commonwealth forces during the Western Desert campaign of World War Two. Although Tobruk features on my father’s battle honours, that was the 1942 battle in which we retook it from the...
RMS Tayleur
On the 21st of January, 1854, RMS Tayleur sank on her maiden voyage near Lambey Island on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Australia. The RMS Tayleur was a British iron-hulled sailing ship whose disastrous maiden voyage in January 1854 resulted in one of the worst...
Charles I
On the 20th of January, 1649, proceedings began in the High Court of Justice in the trial of King Charles I. Charles was not born to be king, but his elder brother Henry Frederick died of typhoid, at the age of 18, in 1612. In addition to succeeding Henry as king,...
Dante
On the 27th of January, 1302, Dante Alighieri was condemned in absentia and exiled from Florence. Dante Alighieri (c. 1265–1321) is one of the towering figures of Western literature, a poet whose life of political turmoil, exile, and intellectual ambition gave rise to...
Battle of Ula
The Battle of Ula was fought on the 26th of January, 1564, between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and (guess who) Russia. Guess who won, (spoiler alert) Lithuania. It was one of the most important Lithuanian victories over Tsardom of Muscovy in the sixteenth century....
Nellie Bly
On the 25th of January, 1890, Nellie Bly completed her round-the-world journey in 72 days. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne was published in 1872, and Nellie was trying to emulate the hero, Phileas Fogg. I have posted about Sir Francis Drake’s...
History
It can’t have escaped the attention of visitors to my website that I write historical fiction. Since discovering my ancestor, the Elizabethan spy, Sir Anthony Standen, I have become a bit of an amateur historian. My formal education in history ended after the third...
King Henry VIII
I have posted about the Tudor period many times, not least anything concerning my ancestor, the Elizabethan spy Sir Anthony Standen. I have written about a few of his wives: Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Catherine of Aragon, and Catherine Parr, but I have not, until now,...
Rorke’s Drift
On the 23rd of January, 1879, the Battle of Rorke’s Drift ended. It is depicted in the classic 1964 film Zulu, directed by Cy Endfield, and starring Michael Cane, Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobssen and many others. The Battle of Rorke’s Drift, fought on the...
Tobruk
On the 22nd of January, 1941, Tobruk was captured from the Italians by British and Commonwealth forces during the Western Desert campaign of World War Two. Although Tobruk features on my father’s battle honours, that was the 1942 battle in which we retook it from the...
RMS Tayleur
On the 21st of January, 1854, RMS Tayleur sank on her maiden voyage near Lambey Island on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Australia. The RMS Tayleur was a British iron-hulled sailing ship whose disastrous maiden voyage in January 1854 resulted in one of the worst...
Charles I
On the 20th of January, 1649, proceedings began in the High Court of Justice in the trial of King Charles I. Charles was not born to be king, but his elder brother Henry Frederick died of typhoid, at the age of 18, in 1612. In addition to succeeding Henry as king,...