Turn history on its head? Now there's a sobering eye opening potentially game changing exercise for all! And it's exactly what Bernardine Evaristo has done in her novel Blonde Roots. What would history look like if the perpetrator became victim, the violent meek, the abuser abusee, the hostile peace loving....? All the hate would shift …
Tag: history
Residual debris
stultification of ideas atrophied body of work the query of each generation For our time please select from drop down menu what to do with all this information and non across space and time whilst history keeps repeating Title photo by Pixabay
The Bookseller’s Tale by Martin Latham
Where can you find Paolo Sarpi and Mick Jagger, the earliest book peddlers and Nazi's, comfort reads and medieval marginalia, bouqinistes and UNESCO bookstalls, shy nerds and arrogant pedants? The answer is...in Martin Latham's book. Not only is the subject matter varied, but so too is the wide variety of characters you meet along the …
Arabisms
The seventh century is a very important time for the future of Italy, for it marks the beginning of the Islamic expansion; an expansion which will have specific and positive repercussions throughout Italy in the areas of study, technology, lexicon and commerce. Italy is conquered by way of Spain and Sicily. For the most part, …
Chineasy by SHAOLAN
Back to basics Characters representing words placed on an associated pictorial (see cover page drawing where feet and a head were added to the two black strokes representing person). That is how SHAOLAN proposes to teach us the basics of the Chinese language. Intriguing. The author/artist/businesswoman came up with the concept while teaching her own …
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
This book was recommended to me by a friend. Do your friend(s) a kindness and do the same because it is worth it. Written in a genteel manner, this elegant read is part history lesson and love story, part etiquette manual and cuisinay guide, part class study and artistic/literary essay. You will find yourself in …
Wine, War and more
For history buffs, wine lovers and those who just like a good old fashioned mystery, I need to share the following reads. Wine and War by Don and Petie Kladstrup. This book was gifted to me years ago and although I initially thought it would be somewhat dry, I couldn't have been more wrong. It …
Un omp (An immigrant)
On a wall, tucked in a corner, there is a poem entitled, A Man. It is primarily born from the sadness and mixed emotions of a daughter losing her father. However, it is also a tale of the immigrant experience. My hope is that it will act as food for thought for all those who …
I love New York
History and Family Saga If you want to get a good smattering of New York's history under your belt without having to endure a dry read, may I suggest Edward Rutherford's New York. It is a chunky volume (981 pages) that covers the 1600's through to 2001. New York is a fantastic read (think Gone …
Manu writes 