This year marks the 400th anniversary of the initial publication of William Shakespeare’s collected plays, and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, an independent charity devoted to studying and promoting the Bard’s life and work has announced a special exhibition to honor the occasion: “The Great Variety of Readers: Celebrating 400 Years of Shakespeare’s First Folio.” An…
Celebrating Shakespeare’s ‘First Folio’
‘The Legend of the Centuries’: A Masterwork of French Literature
The “only modern epic possible” according to Charles Baudelaire, “The Legend of the Centuries” (“La Légende des siècles”) is a masterpiece of French literature. Written by none other than Victor Hugo, this epic poem aims to depict the history of mankind from its origins until the 19th century, an epic task in itself. An Epic…
Former British PM Johnson Joins Outcry Over Censoring of Roald Dahl’s Books
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson is the latest high-profile individual disparaging the rewriting of some of Roald Dahl’s popular books for children. Johnson criticized publisher Puffin for rewriting Dahl’s stories by reciting a song by the Oompa-Loompas during a speech in London at the Global Soft Power Summit on Thursday, reported The Guardian. Johnson…
Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for March 3–9
This week, we feature a new biography of a nearly forgotten Civil War general and an absorbing history of a shipwreck that stunned Britain. Biography ‘Union General: Samuel Ryan Curtis and Victory in the West’ By William L. Shea Samuel Ryan Curtis was one of the North’s most successful generals. He never lost a battle…
Book Review: Mongol Warrior Versus European Knight: Eastern Europe 1237–42
There can hardly be a better example of a clash of civilizations than when the Mongols and Europeans met on the battlefield. The Mongols, led by the Khans, established the largest contiguous land empire in human history, stretching across approximately 9 million square miles. Stephen Turnbull’s new book “Mongol Warrior Versus European Knight: Eastern Europe…
Our English Cousin: William Shakespeare and the Shaping of America
Shakespeare. Bring up that name in conversation, and the reactions of your audience are likely to be mixed. To some of your listeners, that most famous name in all of English literature will likely arouse unpleasant memories of a dreary week or two in a high school class lost in a jumble of lords, ladies,…
Book Review: ‘A Man of the World: My Life at National Geographic’
When I was growing up, one of my favorite magazines to grace our living room coffee table was the National Geographic. When that recognizable, golden-yellow bordered publication arrived, I was lured to look inside. Designed and produced as a slim, tight volume with a rigid edge, these magazines begged to be saved, which my father…
Book Review: ‘Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester: The Shipwreck That Shocked Restoration Britain’
According to information from England’s Board of Trade, it is calculated that there have been some 500,000 shipwrecks along Britain’s coastline over the centuries. This number is conservative. Maritime historian and author Nigel Pickford’s latest narrative “Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester: The Shipwreck that Shocked Restoration Britain” concerns one. Setting sail…
Kids, Showers, Love, and Flowers: Verses for March and the Coming of Spring
Spring is the unlocking time, the greening of fields, forests, and lawns, the season of mud puddles, sunshine, and gentle rains when the last hard edges of winter melt away and the days are soft again. Spring figures in several Western religions. To the ancient Greeks, the season meant the release of Persephone, goddess of…
‘There’s No Place Like Home’: L. Frank Baum’s Short Story, ‘The Man in the Moon’
Each year, hundreds of people travel to different countries, flocking to their “bucket list” locations to meet new people and try new things. But the most important journeys begin and end with home. In his short story, “The Man in the Moon,” L. Frank Baum shows how the Man’s journey from the moon to earth…
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