The Thirty Nine Steps is one of the most familiar books of the twentieth century. I first came across it as a set book in English classes at school. But it has also had several film and television versions. It is in a way quite sobering to realise that it is now very nearly a

I wrote this review of the Cash Nexus a long time ago before Niall Ferguson was all that famous.  I wasn’t very good at writing reviews  back then.  But to be fair, he wasn’t all that great at writing them either. Have you got a friend who is interesting and intelligent, and is well worth

What is your view of the medieval world? A quaint world of trhttp://historybooksreview.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/multiethnic-team-using-green-screen-tablet-to-over-MVKF9J9.jpgion and custom? A low tech stable society where everyone knew their place? I don’t know about you but I for a long time wasn’t all that interested in the Middle Ages. It just seemed like a sort of hiatus between the civilisation

Flaubert is most famous for Madame Bovary. Despite now being regarded as one of the all time classics of literature Madame Bovary at the time got Flaubert into a lot of trouble, and he ended up in court accused of corrupting the nation’s morals. Quite an achievement when the country in question is France. The

  There is something very satisfying in reading history written by contemporaries in the original text version. It has that feeling that you are getting it as it is – and you can also pick up on what things seemed important at the time without the benefit of hindsight.

I am now actively working on this project again. The easy bit has been rereading the book – I am half way through volume 3 and enjoying it immensely. My current ambition is to record a 10-15 minute podcast for every chapter, which taken together would give a feel for what the book is about.