Tag Archives: History

The Ides of March

March 15 is remembered as the Ides of March because of the assassination of Roman ruler Julius Caesar. In B.C. 49 a power struggle divided the Roman Senate. Two influential leaders controlled military forces: Julius Caesar and a man by … Continue reading

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Charles Dickens 203

Let us take a moment to remember Charles Dickens today, his 203rd Birthday. When you read novels by Charles Dickens, and then read true accounts of mid-1800s London and look at photographs of the period, you’ll find his descriptions match … Continue reading

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Poe 206

Edgar Allan Poe is not considered a top literary figure by many critics. He was considered even less during his lifetime. He was a critic himself, and his creative works did not earn him much of a living.

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Book Review of Henry Adams’ Mont Saint Michel and Chartres

Book Review Title: Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres Author: Henry Adams Publisher: Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (June 3, 1986). Originally published 1904. Henry Adams toured French mediæval gothic architecture, and apparently took a lot of notes, focusing on the Grande Cathedrals of … Continue reading

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Shakespeare 450

William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday is today, born 23 April 1564. Or at least it is traditionally celebrated on 4/23. He was baptized 4/26 so his birth date would be a few days earlier. Being born 450 years ago today adds … Continue reading

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Book Review of Brian Murphy’s Root of the Wild Madder

Book Review Title: The Root of the Wild Madder Author: Brian Murphy Publisher: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, 2005 There are plenty of dry histories of Persian carpet making, and sterile picture books of Persian carpets, but too often … Continue reading

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The Albert Effect

People have all kinds of mentors and role models. Here is a good one from the nineteenth century.

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Book Review of Michael Holroyd’s Revised Biography of Lytton Strachey

Lytton Strachey: The New Biography By Michael Holroyd Illustrated. 780 pages. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Also available in paperback from Farrar, Straus & Giroux’s Noonday Press. Holroyd has at least two good reasons for rewriting Strachey’s biography. (The … Continue reading

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