Queen Magrethe I, Pt. 2

One of my favorite things about writing this blog is the conversations I have with my readers about the subjects of my posts, or in fact about history in general. This morning I got a sidebar to the life of Queen Margrethe I from textile maven Julie Holyoke, who is my cousin by marriage and…

Read More

From the Archives: The Crusades from Another Perspective

Recently* I’ve been reading Sharan Newman’s Defending The City of God: A Medieval Queen, The First Crusade And The Quest for Peace In Jerusalem. It was a perfect read for March, which was Women’s History Month.* Newman tells the story of a historical figure who was completely new to me. Melisende (1105-1161) was the first…

Read More

From the Archives: The Nile

  In Empress of the Nile, Lynn Olson referred a number of times to a book that I enjoyed in the past: Toby Wilkinson’s The Nile:A Journey Downriver Through Egypt’s Past and Present. In fact, she led me to pull it off the shelf and dip in and out. I’m pleased to report that it’s…

Read More