Women’s Suffrage and New Zealand
The governor of New Zealand, Lord Glasgow, signed an act into law on 19th September 1893. The Electoral Act gave women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Prior to this historic moment, women in New Zealand, like many other parts of the world, were...
James Bond & Hoagy Carmichael
Younger readers will be wondering who on earth Hoagy Carmichael is. He was a musician, composer, songwriter, actor, and lawyer. He was born in Bloomington Indiana on 22nd November 1899 and died in California aged 82. He wrote the music for over a hundred songs, of...
Kirkus Review Comparisons
I’m looking forward to attending a talk in Chippenham Library on Monday titled “Writing, Publishing, and the Secret of Success”. I’ve done a little research myself by comparing my book reviews in Kirkus with those of a Booker Prize winning novelist, Hilary Mantel....
Flight of the Earls
In September 1607 Hugh O’Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O’Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, sailed from Ireland to Europe together with around ninety followers. The Flight of the Earls was a response to the English Crown's increasing dominance and efforts to...
Marathon
According to onthisday,com the Battle of Marathon was fought on 12th September 490 BC. Wikipedia has it as 10th September. Either way, the Battle of Marathon is a defining moment in ancient history. The battle not only showcased the bravery and military prowess of the...
Innovation vs. Tried & Trusted
My directors demanded innovation. Innovate or die was the mantra. Faster! Cheaper! Lighter! Stronger! You get the picture. And there is a place for it. I’d rather cross the Atlantic in a modern airliner than a Zeppelin. I’d rather be treated by a modern surgeon than a...
Battle of Britain – Facts & Turning Point
On 7th September 1940 there was a turning point in the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe switched from attacking RAF Fighter Command airfields, to bombing London. The Blitz as it was known, was devastating for London, but a huge relief to Fighter Command. Although the...
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu became Cardinal Richelieu on 5th September 1622, in the reign of Louis XIII. The assassination of Louis’s father, Henry IV in 1610 is the subject of The Suggested Assassin, the third book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures....
RAAC and AI
Reinforced-Autoclaved-Aerated-Concrete (RAAC) is very much in the news in the UK. More than a hundred schools have been forced to close because of the risk of classrooms collapsing. I’m a retired civil engineer and have designed and built numerous concrete structures....
Women’s Suffrage and New Zealand
The governor of New Zealand, Lord Glasgow, signed an act into law on 19th September 1893. The Electoral Act gave women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Prior to this historic moment, women in New Zealand, like many other parts of the world, were...
James Bond & Hoagy Carmichael
Younger readers will be wondering who on earth Hoagy Carmichael is. He was a musician, composer, songwriter, actor, and lawyer. He was born in Bloomington Indiana on 22nd November 1899 and died in California aged 82. He wrote the music for over a hundred songs, of...
Kirkus Review Comparisons
I’m looking forward to attending a talk in Chippenham Library on Monday titled “Writing, Publishing, and the Secret of Success”. I’ve done a little research myself by comparing my book reviews in Kirkus with those of a Booker Prize winning novelist, Hilary Mantel....
Flight of the Earls
In September 1607 Hugh O’Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O’Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, sailed from Ireland to Europe together with around ninety followers. The Flight of the Earls was a response to the English Crown's increasing dominance and efforts to...
Marathon
According to onthisday,com the Battle of Marathon was fought on 12th September 490 BC. Wikipedia has it as 10th September. Either way, the Battle of Marathon is a defining moment in ancient history. The battle not only showcased the bravery and military prowess of the...
Innovation vs. Tried & Trusted
My directors demanded innovation. Innovate or die was the mantra. Faster! Cheaper! Lighter! Stronger! You get the picture. And there is a place for it. I’d rather cross the Atlantic in a modern airliner than a Zeppelin. I’d rather be treated by a modern surgeon than a...
Battle of Britain – Facts & Turning Point
On 7th September 1940 there was a turning point in the Battle of Britain. The Luftwaffe switched from attacking RAF Fighter Command airfields, to bombing London. The Blitz as it was known, was devastating for London, but a huge relief to Fighter Command. Although the...
Cardinal Richelieu
Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu became Cardinal Richelieu on 5th September 1622, in the reign of Louis XIII. The assassination of Louis’s father, Henry IV in 1610 is the subject of The Suggested Assassin, the third book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures....
RAAC and AI
Reinforced-Autoclaved-Aerated-Concrete (RAAC) is very much in the news in the UK. More than a hundred schools have been forced to close because of the risk of classrooms collapsing. I’m a retired civil engineer and have designed and built numerous concrete structures....