
Churchill: A Booklist Part 1. 1874-1914
Most of the books listed below deal with a wider period than specified in my title, but are books I refer to when lecturing on this...

The Dickensian Workhouse
Ask the man or woman in the street what they know of Dickens or life in Victorian Britain, and many will answer 'The Workhouse'. This...

Bent Medieval Silver Pennies
Many of you reading this will know that two of my long-time interests have been numismatics and folklore. This small piece relates to...

THE KHAZARS: An Early Medieval Story from The Steppes
Little is known, and much is conjecture ( and most of that wrong). The Khazars were a Turkic people who fashioned a multi-ethnic Empire...

Synopsis for JW3 afternoon class, Thurs 11 Feb
The Fall of the city to the Ottoman Turks 1453 1 Introduction and Setting the Scene 2 The poor state of Constantinople in first half of...

Synopsis for JW3 morning zoom class, Thurs 11 Feb
Italy: A Love-in with Garibaldi - Anglo-Italian relations 1815-1919 1 Napoleon shuffles the pack 2 Italy made Napoleon, and Napoleon...

To engage with those we disagree with or not? Britain, China, and Burma.
The world doesn't stop even for a global pandemic. Last week I posted a small item about current political issues within Europe. This...

Seljuk Empire: A Postscript to Thursday's Constantinople talk for JW3
I thought it might be of interest to some folk if I wrote a small piece about the Seljuk Turks, whom we were talking about in yesterday's...

Europe: In and beyond the Pandemic
This blog is a short round up of some of the political issues within Europe at the present time. Russia still dominates European politics....

Technology during Lockdown
For many of us in the 60+ age group, (OK, I know I am well past 60, but it makes me feel good to say that!), we have been forced by...

Synopsis for JW3 Morning course, Thurs 4th February
'That Sweet Enemy, France' British feelings during The Napoleonic Wars 1815-1848 Russia - a common Anglo-French enemy Crimean War 1853-56...

Synopsis for Thurs 4th February JW3 afternoon zoom lecture
Byzantine Politics in Byzantine Empire Short Introduction A story of intrigue, love, and blinding 1067-71 Emperor Romanos A question of...

Denmark, Norway 1940: Feature Films
I know a number of readers of this blog have access to Amazon Prime Video on the internet. I have recently watched two feature films on...

Books, Books, Books
Many of us are reading more than ever as the lockdown cuts our options. So this is not a list like my earlier ones but a glimpse into my...

Bringing civilisation to medieval Scots! An historical and numismatic story from the 12th century
Until the reign of David I (1124-53), Scotland had no coinage of its own. Its economy depended on barter. Presumably for large scale...

Synopsis for Morning Class, Thurs 28th Jan
Tourists return to Europe after 1815 - This is the first of two looks at the British on holiday on the continent 1. The Grand Tour of the...

Synopsis for Afternoon course, Thurs 28th January
Constantinople, Capital of The Byzantine Empire: The Non Political Story 1. Short Recap 2. Central Role of Religion 3. The Nature of...

Synopsis for JW3 morning lecture - Thurs 21 Jan
A recalibration of Britain's relationship with Europe in the years after Waterloo Resume of events immediately prior to Waterloo 1815...

Synopsis for JW3 afternoon course: Thurs 21st Jan @ 2pm
NB Synopsis for morning course to follow shortly The Rise of Constantinople and The fall of Rome Constantine the Great (306-337)...
