Beethoven and George Smiley
On the 13th of September, 1807, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Opus 86, premiered. It was commissioned by Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy. I am drawn to this topic for two reasons. I was interviewed by John Suchet at the 2024 Dartmouth Book Festival, and John is the great...
Battle of Marathon
The accepted date of the Battle of Marathon is the 12th of September, 490 BCE. On that day, on a sun-drenched plain near the small town of Marathon, an event unfolded that would echo through the corridors of history. It was a time when the mighty Persian Empire, under...
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest
On the 11th of September, 9CE, The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was fought. I’ve written about a few Roman Emperors, Caesar, Nero and Commodius, but not Augustus. It’s time to put that right. The Battle of Teutoburg Forest, also known as the Varian Disaster, was a...
Thomas Wolsey
On the 10th of September, 1515, Thomas Wolsey was invested as a Cardinal. Thomas Wolsey (c. 1473 – 29 November 1530) was a prominent English churchman, statesman, and cardinal who rose to become one of the most powerful figures in the court of King Henry VIII. His...
Battle of Flodden
On the 9th of September, 1513, King James IV of Scotland was killed during the Battle of Flodden. King James IV of Scotland: A Renaissance Monarch King James IV ascended to the Scottish throne in 1488 following the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of...
Jerusalem
On the 8th of September, 70 A.D., Herod’s palace was captured and Jerusalem was plundered by Titus Caesar Vespasianus. I’ve written about a few Roman Emperors, such as Nero and Commodus, so let’s take a look at Titus. Titus Caesar Vespasianus, commonly known as Titus,...
Ridolfi Plot
On the 7th of September, 1571, Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk was arrested for his role in the Ridolfi Plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. The Ridolfi Plot, emerging in 1571, was a significant conspiracy during the...
Magellan
I have written about Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation, but of course he wasn’t the first. On the 6th of September, 1522, the Victoria returned to Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain. It was the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition and the first ship...
Nicholas Fouquet
On the 5th of September, 1661, Nicholas Fouquet, Louis XIV’s Superintendant of Finances was arrested in Nantes by D’Artanagnan, captain of the king’s musketeers. Nicholas Fouquet, born on January 27th, 1615, in Paris, was a significant figure in 17th-century France,...
Beethoven and George Smiley
On the 13th of September, 1807, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Opus 86, premiered. It was commissioned by Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy. I am drawn to this topic for two reasons. I was interviewed by John Suchet at the 2024 Dartmouth Book Festival, and John is the great...
Battle of Marathon
The accepted date of the Battle of Marathon is the 12th of September, 490 BCE. On that day, on a sun-drenched plain near the small town of Marathon, an event unfolded that would echo through the corridors of history. It was a time when the mighty Persian Empire, under...
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest
On the 11th of September, 9CE, The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was fought. I’ve written about a few Roman Emperors, Caesar, Nero and Commodius, but not Augustus. It’s time to put that right. The Battle of Teutoburg Forest, also known as the Varian Disaster, was a...
Thomas Wolsey
On the 10th of September, 1515, Thomas Wolsey was invested as a Cardinal. Thomas Wolsey (c. 1473 – 29 November 1530) was a prominent English churchman, statesman, and cardinal who rose to become one of the most powerful figures in the court of King Henry VIII. His...
Battle of Flodden
On the 9th of September, 1513, King James IV of Scotland was killed during the Battle of Flodden. King James IV of Scotland: A Renaissance Monarch King James IV ascended to the Scottish throne in 1488 following the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of...
Jerusalem
On the 8th of September, 70 A.D., Herod’s palace was captured and Jerusalem was plundered by Titus Caesar Vespasianus. I’ve written about a few Roman Emperors, such as Nero and Commodus, so let’s take a look at Titus. Titus Caesar Vespasianus, commonly known as Titus,...
Ridolfi Plot
On the 7th of September, 1571, Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk was arrested for his role in the Ridolfi Plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. The Ridolfi Plot, emerging in 1571, was a significant conspiracy during the...
Magellan
I have written about Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation, but of course he wasn’t the first. On the 6th of September, 1522, the Victoria returned to Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain. It was the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition and the first ship...
Nicholas Fouquet
On the 5th of September, 1661, Nicholas Fouquet, Louis XIV’s Superintendant of Finances was arrested in Nantes by D’Artanagnan, captain of the king’s musketeers. Nicholas Fouquet, born on January 27th, 1615, in Paris, was a significant figure in 17th-century France,...