Most people have probably long since done their Christmas shopping. If you are like me and haven't, though, here is a nice idea: Christmas at the History Bookshop.
"On our home page you'll find sixteen diverse titles including Marking the Hours, Eamon Duffy's beautifully illustrated book on the English at prayer, The English Year, a lavish celebration of festivals and customs, John Julius Norwich's history of the Mediterranean, The Middle Sea, and the intriguing Dancing into Battle, A Social History of the Battle of Waterloo. There are more titles on page two of our Christmas selection, and throughout all our department pages. All titles are discounted by as much as 30%."
The website features some excellent resources: timelines, articles, themes and something called "year view". You type in a year, choose AD or BC, and learn something about that year. I tried some random dates:
1244: Henry III is again refused a new tax at a council of the clergy and barons (December).
1867: Dominion of Canada established by the British North America Act. Four provinces are united within a federal system (1 July).
900 BC: Sparta is founded at "about this time".
500 AD: In Britain, Battle of Mons Badonicus: a victory for King Arthur? In Europe, Clovis defeats the Burgundians. Rest of world, blank.
Each of these entries is a link which takes you to a more detailed account. The notable event of the year in which I was born was the publication of Lord of the Flies by William Golding. No, I am not writing down which year it was.
While in my year Fidel Castro had a bit of a coup.
Interesting site - could have done with that today - searching through Amazon was much less effective.
Posted by: Clare | 14 December 2006 at 22:02
Thanks Maxine it is an interesting site.I must return now to see if anything happened the year after the Lord of the Flies was published:)
Posted by: Steve Clackson | 15 December 2006 at 10:45
Maxine, there are just too many interesting titles on that site.
Have some mercy for the bank balances of those of us with children, who have just finished university, and have not yet got a permanent job.
Posted by: Norm alias Uriah Robinson | 15 December 2006 at 20:53
Norm, you are nothing if not young at heart ;-)
Posted by: Maxine | 15 December 2006 at 21:16
Looks like a great site. Thanks, Maxine.
Posted by: Marie | 16 December 2006 at 12:31