“Where Manhood Perished Not”: The Surviving Men of the Titanic

On April 18th 1912, the RMS Carpathia arrived in New York City to disembark seven hundred passengers. The seven hundred were not their own. They were survivors of the RMS Titanic which had sunk six days earlier after striking an iceberg during its maiden crossing to New York. The sinking had generated incredible media coverage… Read More “Where Manhood Perished Not”: The Surviving Men of the Titanic

Everything wrong with The Greatest Showman (Historically at least)

The Greatest Showman (2017) is a musical presenting the fantastical life of Phineas Taylor Barnum, best known as the creator of the three-ringed circus. Set in the mid-nineteenth century we have a rags to riches story where Barnum transforms himself from homeless orphan to the richest and most successful purveyor of entertainment in America. After… Read More Everything wrong with The Greatest Showman (Historically at least)

The many abdications and occasional depositions of the Kings of Norway

In 872 various Scandinavian petty kingdoms unified in what would eventually become the kingdom of Norway under their first king, Harald Fairhair. As with many unifications, the first hundred years of their history is littered with depositions and internal conflicts. However, whereas most countries settle into their history, Norway’s line of kings is a rollercoaster… Read More The many abdications and occasional depositions of the Kings of Norway

“More dirty than queenly”: The Marriages of Mary Tudor

Elizabeth of York and Henry VII had the very model of a courtly marriage. Their marriage was not only stable but actually affectionate. I’ve speculated in the past that it was because of their genuine feeling for each other that their own children went on to have such tumultuous experiences with marriage, possibly seeking the… Read More “More dirty than queenly”: The Marriages of Mary Tudor

Creepy History: The Donner Party, Deaths and Diagrams

“It’s not Christmas until I’ve talked about the Donner Party.” – Me, Christmas Day 2019. It turns out that trivia of how the ill-fated Donner Party saw in the Christmas of 1846 may not be entirely appropriate conversation for Christmas Dinner, especially when there are children present. Luckily for you, my musings have to go… Read More Creepy History: The Donner Party, Deaths and Diagrams