What History book are you reading now?
- Iolanthe
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Melting pot is too right. The problem is that the Angles and Jutes came from the same places the Vikings did, then of course the Normans were vikings too. Makes a mess of the DNA experiments. I'm a bit disappointed that he skirted round the period before the Angles and Saxons arrived - we now know the names of some of the early kings - can't remember most of them but there was Caractacus (know the song?) and of course Old King Cole. I read that they've found coins with more names of kings on. What with all the invasions I'm surprised there were any real British left! They seem to have ended up in Wales, Cornwall and Britanny - and Ireland! The Scots were originally Irish - it's all very complicated, but fascinating all the same.
I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
- Orlion
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A song, huh? Afraid not. Feel free to fill me in.Iolanthe wrote:Melting pot is too right. The problem is that the Angles and Jutes came from the same places the Vikings did, then of course the Normans were vikings too. Makes a mess of the DNA experiments. I'm a bit disappointed that he skirted round the period before the Angles and Saxons arrived - we now know the names of some of the early kings - can't remember most of them but there was Caractacus (know the song?) and of course Old King Cole. I read that they've found coins with more names of kings on. What with all the invasions I'm surprised there were any real British left! They seem to have ended up in Wales, Cornwall and Britanny - and Ireland! The Scots were originally Irish - it's all very complicated, but fascinating all the same.
It seems that Britanny was founded specifically to escape the Saxons, Jutes, and Angles.
I wonder what we know about pre-Roman Britain. It seems as if a lot of history books start around 410 when the Romans withdrew from the Isles.
'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
- Iolanthe
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=pen05GsnO6U (sung by Rolf Harris).
Britain Begins (Barry Cunliffe) starts at about 10,000 BC (I think , prehistoric anyway), interesting book. I have it on kindle and the maps and pictures are very small but I have a wonderful device - a magnifying glass with a light in it (got it in a freebie bag from Ancestry.com) - which is brilliant for looking at the illustrations with.
Britain Begins (Barry Cunliffe) starts at about 10,000 BC (I think , prehistoric anyway), interesting book. I have it on kindle and the maps and pictures are very small but I have a wonderful device - a magnifying glass with a light in it (got it in a freebie bag from Ancestry.com) - which is brilliant for looking at the illustrations with.
I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
- Iolanthe
- The Gap Into Spam
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- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:58 pm
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I can increase the font size, but that doesn't affect the pictures - tried it. May have to borrow the book from the library to look at the colour pictures. Can't tell the red circles from the green ones or whatever. Seriously though, damn good book. Haven't finished it yet - took a couple of days off to read Interesting Times - absolutely hilarious at the end.
I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
- Orlion
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Well, finished the England book, listened to the song (it's quite a mouthful ). Overall, a very nice introductory book to English history. Kinda wish I knew how Parliament works, though... seems like they just make up procedure as they go along
After I finish a couple Hemingways, it'll be on to Death of a Revolutionary: Che Guevara's Last Mission by a Richard L. Harris.
After I finish a couple Hemingways, it'll be on to Death of a Revolutionary: Che Guevara's Last Mission by a Richard L. Harris.
'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
- Iolanthe
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 3359
- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:58 pm
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It's a bit of a change from Terry Pratchett, but now reading The Last Days of Richard III and the fate of his DNA by John Ashdown-Hill. The History Press were selling it at a discount across the aisle from us at Olympia the other weekend. It traces what Richard did during the last 150 days of his life, and makes the very good point that he didn't know he was going to die so he carried on as normal, which may seem obvious, but colours a lot of other writing about him. This is the 2nd edition that includes the Leicester dig etc.
I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
- Iolanthe
- The Gap Into Spam
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- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:58 pm
- Location: Lincolnshire, England
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A wonderful book I got for Christmas (well, I ordered it and when it came gave it to C to wrap up for me). The Anglo-Saxon World by Nichiolas J. Higham and Martin J. Ryan. It is a very thorough, but very readable book with fantastic illustrations, and it's very heavy! I do prefer the kindle, but the maps and illustrations would have been lost. Thoroughly recommended.
I didn't quite finish reading Edward III on the Kindle, but I'll go back to it when I've finished this one. I mentioned Edward III in the "general literature" thread but it should really have gone in here.
I didn't quite finish reading Edward III on the Kindle, but I'll go back to it when I've finished this one. I mentioned Edward III in the "general literature" thread but it should really have gone in here.
I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
- Iolanthe
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 3359
- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:58 pm
- Location: Lincolnshire, England
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Oh, wow! That's something I've always wanted to do - take part in a dig. Unfortunately these days if I stayed in one crouched position for too long I'd never get up again! Even gardening is a pain - literally.
I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
- Iolanthe
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 3359
- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:58 pm
- Location: Lincolnshire, England
- Contact:
I just finished Britains and Anglo-Saxons Lincolnshire AD400-650 by Thomas Green. A bit heavy going. Now reading the new Lincoln Record Society book The Country Justice and the Case of the Blackamoor's Head - The Practice of the Law in Lincolnshire, 1787-1838 Absolutely fascinating and very readable. About the Quarter Sessions and a country magistrate. I use Quarter Sessions records at the Archives once a week, in the 1770s at the moment. The Blackamoor's Head was a beer house, by the way.
I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."
"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."