elegance of history blog: History geek, avid reader and art lover. Here you will find random bits of history, book reviews and musings on art, literature, manners, life, music and anything else that interests me.
Hello everyone, here are today’s reviews. Enjoy: The Rise of Thomas Cromwell: Power and Politics in the Reign of Henry VIII, 1485-1534 by Michael Everett Thomas Cromwell is often portrayed, both by historians, novelists, and film makers, as a Machiavellian politician and revolutionary evangelical who rose to power by masterminding Henry VIII’s split with Rome.
Hello everyone, what have you read recently? Here are my picks: The Death of Caesar: The Story of History’s Most Famous Assassination by Barry Strauss August 45 BC. Julius Caesar is heading towards Rome in triumph, to declare the end of the Civil War. Three men are riding with him: Decimus, Mark Antony and Octavian.
Hello everyone, today I want to share some of the best, most inspiring books I have read this month. Enjoy! Helen of Sparta by Amalia CarosellaHelen of Sparta, the face who launched a thousand ships, was the most beautiful woman in the world. But also one of the most dull. In Greek mythology, she is
There’s a lot more to food than taste, smell and appearance. Its origin, cultivation, consumption, and symbolism, can tells us a lot about the people who eat it, their status in society, and the culture they live in. That’s what Medieval Tastes: Food Cooking, And The Table is about. So, if you’re simply interested in
The French Revolution changed the history of Europe irrevocably. It challenged the social order of the ancient regime and the legitimacy of kings and all hereditary ranks, unleashed nationalism and the concept of self-determination, and allowed the rise of Napoleon. The Corsican general went on to become Emperor of the French and conquer most of
Hello everyone, ready for today’s book reviews? Let’s get started: Headlines, Headaches and the Human Condition by Steve Whiddett This book sounded very promising. In the blurb, the author argues that, although the media would have us believe that only bad people do bad things and only stupid people do stupid things, we all do
Mary Wollstonecraft died a few days after giving birth to her daughter, Mary Shelley. Yet, even from beyond the grave, she played a big part in her daughter’s upbringing and had a big influence on her beliefs and decisions. Both women made similar choices, suffered similar tragedies, and were sustained throughout all their hardships by
Hello everyone, I have some interesting history books to share with you soon, but today let’s talk about a last couple ones about self-help and business. Enjoy! Activate Your Brain: How Understanding Your Brain Can Improve Your Work – and Your Life by Scott G. Halford Would you like to harness the full power of
The Britain of the Roman Occupation is little known to us. Archaeology has turned up the remnants of cities and villages, with their monuments and temples, tools and vases, and all the small bits and bobs that their inhabitants daily used. But, when skilfully and arduously put together, they provide only fragmented insights into a
Hello everyone, today I have two book reviews for you. Enjoy! Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator by Oleg V. KhlevniukCan a biography of Stalin, one of the cruellest dictators the world has ever known, be both concise and exhaustive? I didn’t think so, but Klevniuk proved me wrong. In 408 pages (not that many
