Category Archives: American History

Nigel Lewis’s “The Cover Plan Conspiracy,” a Deception Created by the Allied Forces in WWII

Posted on June 7, 2019 by

On June 5 of this week, I posted an article on Exercise Tiger, which was a tragic rehearsal for D-Day. That article brought me to the notice of Nigel Lewis, who has written extensively on the subject. Therefore, I asked him … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, book excerpts, British history, excerpt, Guest Post, history, legacy, military, real life tales, research, war, world history, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Exercise Tiger, a Tragic Rehearsal for D-Day

Posted on June 5, 2019 by

Most of us know something of D-Day. On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, British history, Great Britain, history, Living in the UK, military, war | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Using Austen as a Historical Resource, a Guest Post from Don Jacobson

Posted on May 1, 2019 by

This post originally appeared on Austen Authors on January 30, 2019. Enjoy!  One of my favorite books is Natalie Zemon Davis’ The Return of Martin Guerre (1983) which heralded the advent of a new historical school: that of subaltern history—essentially the history of sergeants … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Austen Authors, book excerpts, British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Industrial Revolution, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, peerage, political stance, reading habits, real life tales, Regency era, research, Vagary | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

The Letters and Diaries of Henrietta Liston, a Regency Lady with an Extraordinary Life, a Guest Post from Eliza Shearer

Posted on February 27, 2019 by

(This post originally appeared on the Austen Authors’ blog on November 3, 2018. Enjoy!) I recently had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the Jane Austen Society of the United Kingdom – Scottish Branch, featuring a fascinating talk by … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Austen Authors, British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, Guest Post, history, Jane Austen, marriage, publishing, reading, reading habits, real life tales, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Did Smith Brothers Cough Drops Get Its Name?

Posted on January 14, 2019 by

William (Trade) and Andrew (Mark) were the sons of James Smith, who moved his family from St. Armand, Quebec, to Poughkeepsie, New York in 1847. A carpenter by trade, Smith meant to open a restaurant, Smith’s Dining Saloon, in his … Continue reading →

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A “Christmas Eve” Tale from 1820

Posted on December 24, 2018 by

Today, I share with you a “Christmas Eve” piece from the Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. The piece comes to us from Washington Irving. The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., commonly referred to as The Sketch Book, is a collection … Continue reading →

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“Begging Letters” in History

Posted on December 5, 2018 by

We have all received those letters and emails requesting money or asking someone to invest in a scheme. Here is one of the recent ones I received, which is addressed to “Dear Sir.” OOPS!!! Obviously, my gmail account sent the … Continue reading →

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