Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin is supposed to be of a Dutch background, participating in Naval service until it became clear that piracy was a more lucrative and interesting career choice. His book serves as one of the few known first hand accounts of the activities in the Caribbean during the age of Captain Henry Morgan and […]
Tag: history
In the early twentieth century, a new element was introduced as a cure all and a wonder paint: Radium. Turned into pills, tonic waters, and miraculous medicine Radium had the ability to glow in the dark, inspiring various firms to open up as radium dial painting factories. Teenage girls and young women, with nimble and […]
Hi there book bees! To start with, I’ll explain what it is I mean by my title. I’m discussing historical fiction novels that focus on real events, places, and people but have a protagonist that has been invented by the author and placed into these events. These protagonists are often based on a mix of […]
Hello book bees! This discussion post is a little different, as it’ll be a brief little guide to how to more consciously engage with historical nonfiction. As an archaeologist with a background in history and historiography, I find it important to discuss critical engagement with modern texts regarding historical events. When reading historical nonfiction it’s […]
On the same night that an elephant calf is born to the royal elephants, the head elephant keeper’s wife gives birth to a baby. Knowing she is unlikely to bear more children, Anshu and her servant pass this last daughter off as a son. By the time their deception is revealed, the knowledge has spread […]
In Susan Fair’s history guidebook, she leads you through the tiniest sliver of United States history. Of course, discussions of Salem and the most infamous of witch trials in the US takes up a solid chunk of the book. But Fair even delves into modern history, and how the lingering superstitious attitudes about witches have […]
Cups and Cards and Books 