I am very happy to reveal here the book jacket for Lionheart, which I think is truly spectacular. I haven’t always been able to say that about past books, but I think this one is as close to perfect as mortal man can get. The publication date for Lionheart will be October in the United States, and November at the latest in Australia; I still don’t know when my new British publisher plans to publish it in the United Kingdom, but I will let you know as soon as I do. And yes, it will definitely be available on Kindle and Nook and in other e-book formats, both in the US and the UK. 
I hope you all like it as much as I do!
April 23, 2011
211 thoughts on “LIONHEART COVER”
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I love the cover, Sharon. Even though I own a Kindle, I will always buy the hard cover of your books.
I think my preference will always be for “real” books, Susan. But I can see the advantages of a Kindle–for travel, to avoid being overwhelmed by a house filled with books, and for the larger font-size option. So I am about to buy one for myelf. I would truly hate to think that tangible books would ever disappear, though; hopefully the market will accommodate both.
Gorgeous. I am a confirmed Kindle user, but I have every one of your hardcover books and this one will be no exception.
I have it already on pre-order from Amazon.
Can’t wait,
Deborah
Congratulations on the beautiful cover, and more so, on the fabulous TEXT inside. I’ll pre-order, too, as I have in the past.
On the e-reader subject, right now I can’t afford one. But it’s not even in my top 25 desires if I could. I’m no dinosaur or luddite, but digital formats come and go too fast to keep up. There are jpegs stored on Costco CDs that can only be played on my 1997 Macintosh, but can’t be played on my 2006 Windows XP that’s pretty much a dinosaur now, too. I’d have to reassemble the Mac, play the CDs, copy the jpegs to a USB thumb drive, and copy again to my external hard drive. Oy!! In the music realm, I purchase CDs (not downloaded tunes) to rip to my mp3 player, so I have backup when the mp3 (or laptop) blows up or is obsolete. Paper/print books need no backup or updates. Yay for renaissance technology of paper and ink (even if it’s digitized and not movable lead type).
Write on, Sharon. You’ll always have an audience. 🙂
This surely is my favorite bookcover! I’m soon to get a Kindle, too, just like I got VHS and DVD players when they came out. The movie industry was worried that these “portable” home units would destroy theatre attendance, but it did just the opposite. I think this will be true for books as well. People will buy the Kindle version, and if they truly love the book, they’ll get the print version. As one of my students once said when he came to visit me in my classroom after returning from Afghanistan: “I love the way this room smells. It smells of books and great stories.” The tactile and olfactory senses are most yearned for, and slowest to fade.
I LOVE the cover, Sharon! You know, the spooky thing is, I feel sure that I’ve seen it already! Just like that, with the big shield in such a bright red colour… Did I imagine that or did I have a very spookily predictive dream?!
I’ve always been too afraid to speak up before now because so many seem to praise Kindle to high heaven… but I can’t stand it! It seems like the height of pointless frivolity to me. I mean, firstly, it’s a brand, so it won’t even read all the ebooks out there… just the format specifically made for Kindle. Then, I’ve seen it advertised on television and it costs so much! It seems like it just wants to get me to spend a ridiculously extortionate amount of money on buying the flipping device, before I can even start buying ebooks for it… and of course, I’d have to replace all my paper books on it with ebook versions on my new Kindle… Geez, for all that amount of money I could literally start building a second Tower-of-Pisa pile of books in my house. And the other arguments for it seem silly to me too. “It’s portable!” Well, so are real books. “It’s safer to have ebooks because real books can be lost, damaged or stolen” Um… your Kindle can be lost, damaged, or stolen, and also if the technology decides to mega-fail on you then you could also have your entire library of ebooks wiped out. On top of that, as Christy pointed out, we’re already on the second generation of Kindle and you just know that in a year’s time you’re only going to have to shell out for a completely new and improved version for an equally extortionate price. Just seems to me like its designed to make as much money off people as possible for something that for me has no discernable benefit over real books and is only going to become outdated and replaced in a few months, and carries all the usual risks of overly complicated technology failing on you.
I’ll be looking forwards to purchasing Lionheart in glorious hardcover format.
LOVE it!! I can’t wait!!
As for Kindles, I can see how they would be useful for things like grad school, textbooks, and the like, but there is really nothing like the feeling of just sitting down with a good, thick book. The feel of them, the smell of them, the overall experience of “reading” – I can’t see giving that up for the sake of conveniently carrying around an e-reader. Maybe I would feel differently if I had one. But I do love a good, solid book.
No, you weren’t imaging it, Beth. Most likely you did see it. My publisher wanted to keep it under wraps until after their sales conference, but there are no secrets in the age of the internet and it showed up on several historical blogs several weeks ago.
It reassures me that so many of you prefer tangible, “real” books to e-books; that shows there is hope that the e-books won’t completely corner the market. I have read that experts think e-books will eventually cause the demise of paperback books, but they think hardback books will survive.
I have a kindle and I love it for travel. But I’ve noticed that it’s hard to remember what books you’ve read, since there is nothing to hold in your hands, no cover to look at. There is nothing in the world like holding a paper and ink book. What I’ve been doing is buying the physical books (latest is Helen Hollick’s Forever Queen) and also downloading them to Kindle so I can carry them around easily, for commuting or traveling. I like having the book handy at the same time to reference the charts and maps. It’s worth the extra money to me, and I certainly don’t mind my favorite authors getting a double sale from me!
Beautiful cover, Sharon. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
In other matters, although I don’t care, some people might enjoy knowing that Mary, Queen of Scots, married the Dauphin of France today.
I like looking at all the books physically on my bookshelf. It gives a sense of achievement, and brings back memories. It’s also nice to feel like I’ve got my own personal mini-library which I can consult at the drop of a hat. Books make a room. A Kindle is too impersonal. I need something solid and tangible. I wouldn’t feel like I’d really “got” the book in my hands if I switched to ebooks – ebooks are too virtual, they’re not really there… they’re light and air and I almost feel like they could disappear on me with a snap of the fingers… I need the security and reassurance of having a tangible book that’s all mine and can’t just disappear into thin air.
Thank you all for the lovely compliments about the Lionheart cover, and for the heartening evidence that people will always want the “physical” books. And Happy Easter to friends and readers.
Me again. I am posting the travel itinerary for Hopper, a young white shepherd who will–we hope–be going to a new home and new life next weekend. For my fellow dog-lovers living on the East Coast of the US who might have a spare hour or so, drivers are needed in SC, NC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, CT, and MA. Here is the information.
ECHO DOGS RESCUE
TRANSPORT SATURDAY APRIL 30 AND SUNDAY MAY 1
COLUMBIA SC TO LONDONDERRY NH
This Transport is for Echo Dogs White Shepherd Rescue. We are trying to get Hopper to his new foster home.
Transport coordinators :Jeanmarie Goday
Phone: 603-930-0792 (cell)
Email address: jgoday@comcast.net
ECHO DOGS TRANSPORT SHEET
Passenger(s): Hopper
Breed: White German Shepherd
Age: 2 years
Sex: Male
Saturday April 30
Leg 1 Columbia SC To Florence SC
Approx 81 Miles 1 hour 20 min
Leave Time 8:00 AM
Arrive Time 9:20 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 2 Florence SC To Lumberton NC
Approx 58 Miles 1 hour
Leave Time 9:35 AM
Arrive Time 10:35 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 3 Lumberton NC To Selma NC
Approx 82 Miles 1 hour 20 min
Leave Time 10:50 AM
Arrive Time 12:10 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 4 Selma NC To Emporia VA
Approx 94 Miles 1 Hour 25 min
Leave Time 12:25 PM
Arrive Time 1:50 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 5 Emporia VA To Richmond VA
Approx 67 Miles 1 Hour 15 min
Leave Time 2:05 PM
Arrive Time 3:20 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 6 Richmond VA To Fredericksburg VA
Approx 57 Miles 1 hour
Leave Time 3:35 PM
Arrive Time 4:35 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 7 Fredericksburg VA To Wheaton MD
Approx. 66 Miles 1 Hour 20 Min
Leave Time 4:40 PM
Arrive Time 6:10 PM
*****NEEDED*****
“”Overnight in Wheaton MD area””
*****NEEDED*****
TRANSPORT RESUMES
SUNDAY MAY 1
Leg 8 Wheaton MD To Baltimore MD
Approx. 35 Miles 45 min.
Leave Time 8:00 AM
Arrive Time 8:45 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 9 Baltimore MD To Aberdeen MD
Approx. 36 miles 45 min
Leave Time 9:00 AM
Arrive Time 9:45 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 10 Aberdeen MD to Landenberg PA
Approx. 37 Miles 55 min.
Leave Time 10:00 AM
Arrive Time 10:55 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 11 Landenberg PA to Philadelphia PA
Approx. 48 Miles. 1 hour 10 Min
Leave Time 11:05 AM
Arrive Time 12:15 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 12 Philadelphia PA to Sayreville NJ
Approx. 67 Miles 1 hour 20 Min.
Leave Time 12:30 PM
Arrive Time 1:50 PM
****FILLED**** – Ed — Thank you !!!!
Leg 13 Sayreville NJ to Ridgefield NJ
Approx 37 miles 50 Min
Leave Time 2:05 PM
Arrive Time 2:55 PM
****FILLED**** — Kerry & John — Thank you !!!!
Leg 14 Ridgefield NJ to Bridgeport CT
Approx. 55 miles 1 hour 10 Min
Leave Time 3:10 PM
Arrive Time 4:20 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 15 Bridgeport CT to Hartford CT
Approx. 58 Miles 1 Hour 10 Min
Leave Time 4:35 PM
Arrive Time 5:45 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 16 Hartford CT to Worcester MA
Approx. 63 Miles 1 Hour 10 Min
Leave Time 6:00 PM
Arrive Time 7:10 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 17 Worcester MA to Londonderry NH
Approx. 63 Miles 1 Hour 15 Min
Leave Time 7:25 PM
Arrive Time 8:40 PM
****FILLED**** — Terry – Thank you !!!!
okay, this is a first. My message disappeared into the ether. I was trying to post another Echo transport itinerary for Hopper, a young shepherd going next weekend to a new life in NH. This is for my fellow dog-lovers on the East Coast of the US who might have a free hour or so next weekend to help Hopper on his way. Drivers are needed in SC, NC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, CT, and MA. Here is the information for anyone who might be interested.
Subject: UPDATE 1 — ECHO DOGS WHITE SHEPHERD RESCUE TRANSPORT – COLUMBIA SC TO LONDONDERRY NH – SAT APR 30 & SUN MAY 1
Hi all — Echo Dogs is looking to get Hopper to his new foster mom. If you can help us please contact me directly. Thank you so much.
ECHO DOGS RESCUE
TRANSPORT SATURDAY APRIL 30 AND SUNDAY MAY 1
COLUMBIA SC TO LONDONDERRY NH
transsport coordinators :Jeanmarie Goday
Phone: 603-930-0792 (cell)
Email address: jgoday@comcast.net
Saturday April 30
Leg 1 Columbia SC To Florence SC
Approx 81 Miles 1 hour 20 min
Leave Time 8:00 AM
Arrive Time 9:20 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 2 Florence SC To Lumberton NC
Approx 58 Miles 1 hour
Leave Time 9:35 AM
Arrive Time 10:35 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 3 Lumberton NC To Selma NC
Approx 82 Miles 1 hour 20 min
Leave Time 10:50 AM
Arrive Time 12:10 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 4 Selma NC To Emporia VA
Approx 94 Miles 1 Hour 25 min
Leave Time 12:25 PM
Arrive Time 1:50 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 5 Emporia VA To Richmond VA
Approx 67 Miles 1 Hour 15 min
Leave Time 2:05 PM
Arrive Time 3:20 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 6 Richmond VA To Fredericksburg VA
Approx 57 Miles 1 hour
Leave Time 3:35 PM
Arrive Time 4:35 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 7 Fredericksburg VA To Wheaton MD
Approx. 66 Miles 1 Hour 20 Min
Leave Time 4:40 PM
Arrive Time 6:10 PM
*****NEEDED*****
“”Overnight in Wheaton MD area””
*****NEEDED*****
TRANSPORT RESUMES
SUNDAY MAY 1
Leg 8 Wheaton MD To Baltimore MD
Approx. 35 Miles 45 min.
Leave Time 8:00 AM
Arrive Time 8:45 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 9 Baltimore MD To Aberdeen MD
Approx. 36 miles 45 min
Leave Time 9:00 AM
Arrive Time 9:45 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 10 Aberdeen MD to Landenberg PA
Approx. 37 Miles 55 min.
Leave Time 10:00 AM
Arrive Time 10:55 AM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 11 Landenberg PA to Philadelphia PA
Approx. 48 Miles. 1 hour 10 Min
Leave Time 11:05 AM
Arrive Time 12:15 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 12 Philadelphia PA to Sayreville NJ
Approx. 67 Miles 1 hour 20 Min.
Leave Time 12:30 PM
Arrive Time 1:50 PM
****FILLED**** – Ed — Thank you !!!!
Leg 13 Sayreville NJ to Ridgefield NJ
Approx 37 miles 50 Min
Leave Time 2:05 PM
Arrive Time 2:55 PM
****FILLED**** — Kerry & John — Thank you !!!!
Leg 14 Ridgefield NJ to Bridgeport CT
Approx. 55 miles 1 hour 10 Min
Leave Time 3:10 PM
Arrive Time 4:20 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 15 Bridgeport CT to Hartford CT
Approx. 58 Miles 1 Hour 10 Min
Leave Time 4:35 PM
Arrive Time 5:45 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 16 Hartford CT to Worcester MA
Approx. 63 Miles 1 Hour 10 Min
Leave Time 6:00 PM
Arrive Time 7:10 PM
*****NEEDED*****
Leg 17 Worcester MA to Londonderry NH
Approx. 63 Miles 1 Hour 15 Min
Leave Time 7:25 PM
Arrive Time 8:40 PM
****FILLED**** — Terry – Thank you !!!!
Sorry, I was trying to put up the itinerary for Hopper, a young white shepherd going to a new life next weekend in NH; Echo is looking for kind-hearted people to transport him from SC the way Tristan was transported. But the computer gremlins are active today and I’ve tried twice to post it, with no luck. Seems as if Demon-spawn is up to his old tricks.
I LOVE the cover Sharon and cannot wait to read it! October can’t come soon enough!
It’s a truly perfect cover! Can’t wait to read the ‘real’ book!
Love the cover and can’t wait to read what’s inside! I’m a traditionalist as well re: books and have over the years tried to upgrade to hardcovers on books I’ve found long after they’ve been first printed. I understand the convenience of kindle/iBooks for travel but that will never, ever take away from wanting the hardcover book experience.
Having said that, I will confess that with this past round of grad school, having electronic copies of articles was nice as it kept the clutter on my computer and less so on my desk [grin]
And, yes, we’re at a point with our home where we may soon run out of walls for bookshelves but if that is our worst problem, so be it!
I love the cover for Lionheart!
I have just converted to Kindle on my iPod. It will be great for travelling. The only books I have bought so far on Kindle had been books I already have physical copies of. I can’t see that changing.
You must have been sleeping late this morning, Koby–I rarely get to beat you in our race! Of course you do have an advantage, as your day starts about 6 or 7 hours earlier than mine. 🙂 But today in 1284, the ill-fated Edward II was born. Kathryn Warner does a wonderful blog about Edward and his times, but enter at your peril, for once there, you can happily spend hours! http://edwardthesecond.blogspot.com/
e-book vs. real book: I am currently reading Susan Kay’s Elizabeth novel and just last night I was thinking: It simply wouldn’t be the same experience if I read it on a e-reader instead of the paperback I have.
Also, I tend to write a comment or two about how I liked the book when I am finished on one of those empty pages at the start of a book. Can’t do that on an e-reader I imagine.
If you have not read this novel – and I am no Tudor friend thanx to Sharon ‘-) – you must do so. It is beautifully written, expertly researched and just staggering to realize what the human being triumphed over and achieved. The book was rereleased in 2010 and is easy to find in all the bookstores. Thanx, Sharon, for that excellent recommendation.
“Spot-on Sharon:!.”
I wasn’t late, Sharon – it was the holiday of the Seventh Day of Passover, so I couldn’t turn on the computer. By the time it was out, we weren’t paying attention to such trivial things – we were hunting for Chametz!
Also, if you mentioned Edward II, you failed to mention Roger de Mortimer (who deposed him) and Oliver Cromwell, who were also born on the 25th.
I didn’t know Roger Mortimer was born on the same date as Edward II, Koby–what an odd coincidence. And how do you know all these esoteric facts? Do you time travel? Even if I’d known about Oliver, I’d not have mentioned him, though; I let the Tudors slide in past the Medieval Barricade, but we have to adhere to some standards, right?
I check my calendar daily. It has the dates of important events, births and deaths in history that happened on that day. I found it somewhere on the internet… but it was long ago, so I can’t remember where.
Of course, we must adhere to some standards.
I love both my iPad/Kindle and “real” books. If you’re traveling a lot, an e-book reader is great because you can bring multiple books without breaking your back. I will often try a new author on an e-reader and if it’s a book I want to keep, buy it in hardback (no need to do that with Sharon’s books, which get bought in both hardcover and e-book format immediately!). The Kindle allows you to annotate, which is very handy, and the iPad has terrific graphics which makes the cover art and illustrations really stand out. There’s no replacement for bookshelves filled with tangible books, but as someone who spends a lot of time on airplanes, the e-book readers are also great!
I bought my kindle, not so much for downloading books – I also like the ‘feel’ of a real book, but for transferring all of my research papers to the kindle to facilitate their reading.
I find it difficult to read large sections of text and/or books on my laptop and somehow it seems ‘foreign’ to try to read a book on a large screen. The kindle allows me to not only have a back-up for my research documents but also to have them in a more readable format.
Great cover! I am really looking forward to the book. I have all of your books in first printings first editions, many of them signed, as I have been privileged to be at readings of yours in the past.
As to Kindles, I am definitely not there. I like to think that I will be able to reread my books in 20 years, and that will not happen if my only copy is on a Kindle (or whichever proprietary book substitute), because even if I am fortunate enough to be around, Kindles won’t be, at least not in their current or a compatible form. I also like the way books feel, and turning the pages, and reading the flaps, and knowing where you are in the book, and on and on. Moreover, did you all know that the company that transmits the books to your devices can take them back? You could wake up one morning and all your e-books could have vanished!
In any event, I am really looking forward to Lionheart!
Just in case there are any dog-lovers in NC and VA and MD who’d like to help get a young white shepherd to his new home and new life this coming weekend, I am posting this plea by Echo, the wonderful rescue group who got Tristan to me. You can contact me as well as Jeanmarie, and I’ll give you the details. These “legs” normally are only about 50 miles or so; it is, as one friend so brilliantly put it, like passing the Olympic Torch!
Wednesday evening and I am officially begging for help with these last 3 legs so Hopper will be on his way to his new foster home and ready to start his new life. We are looking for Lumberton NC To Selma NC, Selma NC To Emporia VA and Aberdeen MD to Landenberg PA If you can help us please contact me directly. PLEASE PLEASE we need to get Hopper there this weekend. Thank you so much.
ECHO DOGS RESCUE
TRANSPORT SATURDAY APRIL 30 AND SUNDAY MAY 1
COLUMBIA SC TO LONDONDERRY NH
This Transport is for Echo Dogs White Shepherd Rescue. We are trying to get Hopper to his new foster home.
*****PLEASE CROSS POST*****
Rescue Group Responsible for animal : Echo Dogs White Shepherd Rescue
City/State Group is based in: Nationwide
Website: http://www.echodogs.org
Reason for Transport : Coming into foster care
Temporary foster home coming from: Sheryl Reed
Foster home going to: Heather
Transport coordinators :Jeanmarie Goday
Phone: 603-930-0792 (cell) 603-672-0301 (home)
Email address: jgoday@comcast.net
Today, Edward IV of England was born, Conrad of Monteferrat, King of Jerusalem was assassinated, and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, was killed by a mob lead by Sir John Egremont, in protest against the high taxation and in revenge for not helping Richard III at Redmore Plain.
Thanks, Koby–I say that a lot, don’t I? Obviously I knew about Edward’s birth and Conrad’s death, but it had entirely slipped my mind about death of Percy. Naturally I gave you full credit when I posted this on Facebook!
Here is today’s Note from my Facebook page.
I DID IT!
I realize that title can stir up all sorts of interesting speculation, and the actual explanation may seem rather mundane, but it was exciting to me. I finally gave in and bought a Kindle. A bit to my surprise, I love it. I will always love “real” books, of course; they are wired into my DNA. But the Kindle is very easy to use, even for a computer klutz like me; I have had no troubles whatsoever. The basic reasons for buying a Kindle, at least to me, are the travel convenience and the fact that now I can avoid filling my house to bursting with books. But I also like the instant gratification aspect of it and it is lovely that there are so many classics at reduced rates or even free. I bought five books by Mark Twain for only five dollars. And I was surprised to see how many authors are free—Jane Austin, the Bronte sisters, Master Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Nathanel Hawthorne, just to name a few. Sadly, few if any of the books I use for research are on Kindle yet; for example, only one biography of Eleanor, none of Richard. But my friend Paul is offering the Cambridge Medieval History, so al is not lost. And I am sure this will change as time goes on. It is almost overwhelmng to realize how fast our world has changed and how much faster it will continue to change. When I think how difficult and time-consuming research was for the vast majority of my books in the past, I wonder how I ever managed to get even one of them done. I was slow to use the internet for research, in part because I have such an extensive library of my own. I think the first time I realized its potential was when I was researching my last mystery, Prince of Darkness and I was able to find an excellent, academic article on-line about the siege of Nottingham Castle in March, 1194. In the old days, that would have entailed a day trip to the U of PA library in Philadelphia. That was eye-opening and it is a blessing I don’t think I’ll ever take for granted. While researching Lionheart, I was delighted to find an on-line version of a Sicilian chronicle and then the translated version of the last will and testament of Richard’s sister Joanna. You’d have thought I’d won the lotttery!
I am curious as to whether the e-book experience has been as positive for you all. So Kindle and Nook readers; are you happy with your e-books?
There is much to be said for the instant gratification factor. This morning I ordered a book and within minutes it was on my Nook ready to be read, and I didn’t even have to get dressed and go out to the store.
Also, being able to make the font larger is a big boon to us getting ever older. Now I have to see if I can get a light for it so I can read in the car as we travel after dark. And I can slowly replace some books on my shelves with ebooks and perhaps eliminate the piles of books I have everywhere.
All those good things being said, I still love the feel of a book in my hands and have not tried reading my Nook in bed. I like giving myself the choice now of whether to buy a book in paper form or ebook form. I will buy both still. One big drawback, I can’t share books with friends unless they also have a Nook and that ebook is able to be shared.
Congratulations, Sharon. I sometimes wonder what would happen to some of your books if you would rewrite them today: just for example, Here Be Dragons, with additional information regarding just Gwaldys. The advancement of technology is truly a boon to us all.
Today, Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk, 6th Earl of Suffolk, son of Elizabeth of York and nephew to Edward IV and Richard III was executed by Henry VIII [IX].
I have just finished reading Devils Brood and have so loved the entire series! I have used a kindle for almost two years now and love it. We travel in a motorhome which was the oringinal reason I switched to electronic reading, but I must say that I find myself getting even more “lost” in the book, since I do not have to turn pages or fight wind, etc…. I do miss the covers, but I go back and forth from my computer looking up pictures of the castles mentioned and bios of the characters and anything else i need a visual for, to my kindle. When I was finished reading time and chance I realized there was a third book. I immediately downloaded it to my kindle and started it only 2 minutes after finishing time and chance- so wonderful! I am going to preorder lionheart today! Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Sharon, the cover is really terrific. I guess I will have to join the family and get a kindle, but I love my library and browsing in the bookstores. Barnes and Noble is the U.S. and Waterstones in England. I always bring back a book from a trip. It is a great memento and I love relating to the places you mention in some of your writing. It makes me want to travel more. I am preordering Lionheart too. Can’t wait.
Today, Edith (Matilda) of Scotland, Henry I’s first wife and mother of Empress Maude died. Also, Happy Beltane.
Oh, something I forgot: I’m flying to the US soon, for my cousin’s Bat-Mitzvah. I have a stopover in London on the way back for a day. Any suggestions about good places to go, not counting the Tower of London and Westminster?
Koby, I love the Museum of London even more than the British Museum, though that is a marvel, too. You could ask this on my Facebook page, too, and then be inundated with suggestions! Where will you be in the US?
A friend sent me this great link to a site that offers a panoramic tour of Westminster Abbey. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12819684
New York. I believe we will be Tuesday in New York City, Wednesday-Saturday in Ithaca, Sunday-Tuesday in Cambridge, and return for a last day to New York City, before flying for home with a stopover in London.
Koby, I agree with Susan about the Museum of London. I also liked St. Paul’s Cathedral and for book lovers a visit to Oxford street is fun.
Koby-
I also loved The Globe! If you plan it properly, you could tour St. Pauls (if you are able, go all the way up to the top, the views of London are amazing), then walk down and over the millenium bridge to The Globe, then over the Tower Bridge and tour The Tower. You can then take the underground to Westminster. I also enjoyed walking through Hyde and St. James Parks-even when it was January. Have a lovely and safe trip!!
Koby, Brenna’s idea is excellent. You’ll want to see the Globe if at all possible.
I just recently bought a refurbished Nook and I really like it. For one thing, I love being able to adjust the font size. I’ll never stop buying print books, but once I run out of room, I either have to buy another bookcase (can cost more than an ebook reader), or give the books I won’t read again to the library or sell them. Much better to test the waters with ebooks and then buy print versions of the ones that I want to keep.
Over a year ago now, I got involved in a program where I can give my ebooks to our troops and allied troops stationed around the world. You can read about the program on my blog here: http://tinyurl.com/3l3qkop The ebook reader has given the troops the ability to easily carry extensive libraries to the most remote locations. If for no other reason than this, I think ebooks are wonderful.
Thank you for all the suggestions. I’m already looking into all these ideas.
Today Richard I of England gave Portsmouth its first Royal Charter, and William de Braose was hanged by Prince Llywelyn the Great.
Here is today’s Facebook note:
Thanks to Nan Hawthorne’s wonderful Today in Medieval History website for reminding me that on this date in 1230, William de Baose was hanged by Llywelyn Fawr. This is how the Welsh chronicle Brut y Tywysogyon reported it: “That year William de Breos the Younger was hanged by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, after he had been caught in the prince’s chamber with King John’s daughter, the prince’s wife.” I still remember my astonishment while I was first researching Dragons and learned of Joanna’s infidelity and that Llywelyn had forgiven her. It was then that I realized what an extraordinary story I’d stumbled onto.
PS Koby, I thank you, too, but I saw Nan’s website before mine today!
Today, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, and her daughter, Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy were born, as well as Niccolò Machiavelli, and Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England and wife to Stephen I died.
Wow, a triple play, Koby!
Here is today’s Facebook note; unfortunately I can’t post photos here, but I will eventually do a blog about my boy so you can see him in all his 88 lb glory.
First let me pass on today’s medieval history news, compliments of my friend Koby, who is a better source than the CIA, M-5, or the Mossad. Today, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, and her daughter, Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy were born, as well as Niccolò Machiavelli, and Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England and wife to Stephen I died. I will soon be putting up on my blog an interview with Anne Easter Smith, whose novel about Cecily Neville comes out in a week or so.
Now…I’ve had requests for updates on Tristan, so here goes. I took him to the vet last week and was astonished to find that he now weighs 88 lbs! He has put on 24 lbs in just 8 weeks, and my vet thinks he could carry yet more weight. Not quite the medium-sized, senior citizen shepherd I was expecting! I’m sure I mentioned that my vet thinks he is closer to 7 than 9; well, his trainer thinks he could even be as young as 6. Clearly he has found the Fountain of Youth in the Jersey Pinelands. I still miss Shadow more than I can say, but I feel very lucky to have found Tristan. He has settled in very nicely into his new life as a pampered family pet–playing with so many toys that my house always looks like a doggie day care center, discovering new taste sensations like peanut butter, having a full stomach for possibly the first time in his life. His coat is much better, no longer looking as sikimpy and ratty as Trump’s hair; in fact, he has begun to shed so much that my house looks as if I am sharing it with a pack of polar bears. He loves riding in the car; we took him to the beach last week and he was swept off his feet by a wave, much to his surprise. Then we took him to an outdoor cafe where I used to take Shadow, and he got his own hamburger; now if I even say the word “restaurant,” his tail goes into high gear. For a dog that found himself in a kill shelter as his time ran out, life had changed for the better and he seems very grateful….as grateful as I feel to Echo and all those wonderful volunteers who made it possible for Tris to start a new life as a Yankee dog. And on that subject, I am happy to report that Hopper made it to his new home in NH last weekend, thanks in part to two of our own, Brenna and Annalori, who volunteered to drive him as he passed through their states. Now, as promised, I will try to put up a few photos of Tristan in all of his 88 lb glory.
I’ll have to check the photos on FB! I’m still giggling over images of Tristan and your newly white-haired interior. 🙂 Tristan sounds like such a cool dog.
Koby – just a quick suggestion on what to see in London, the National Portrait Gallery just off Trafalgar Square. And the V&A museum. Both fab, and other options would the British Museum, the coin shop opposite, the National Archives at Kew and the British Library on Euston Road. Enjoy your time in my city.
Naturally I can’t talk up the British Museum and British Library enough… I didn’t want to seem like a dull drudge by suggesting you go there when I’m always posting things about new exhibitions and such, I didn’t want to seem like I was pushing my corner or anything. But, since someone else has suggested it, let me add my voice to the recommendation of the British Museum, and if you fancy it, the British Library. I’ve had years to explore both, and I still haven’t seen everything there is to see.
And… this is not an historical recommendation in any way, but if you fancy doing something non-historical, I suggest going down Camden Town. Shops for just about everything you could ever imagine right alongside home made craft stalls, and a real sense of the ordinary culture of London. Plenty of cuisine choices in the area too.
Or, if you think you can take on a 30 minute overground train journey, head out west to Hampton Court Palace, which is just outside the city. Simply gorgeous, so much to explore, again I’m a frequently recurring visitor and I recommend it, absolutely.
Beth – is it possible to over-rate the British Museum?! I love it there, I go there to de-stress. The Sutton Hoo treasures are astounding, and although the rest of the Medieval collection is quite small, the jewellery is poignant and beautiful, but the Celtic torcs have to be seen to be believed. I like the people who show off artifacts, let you touch them and tell you about them. They are dotted around the museum with a range of items from different eras.
And I wish I had the disposable income to purchase a King John penny from the coin shop opposite. I have a Henry I and and Edward I but King John is more rare.
BTW, Sharon, I like the cover, bold and simple and atmospheric. I can’t say I’ve disliked any of your covers.
Recently, finally, managed to read ‘Dragon’s Lair’ (two small children, reading time virtually nil) and loved it. But then I love Welsh History, studied it in Wales, that’s my excuse, but still learned details that had not come up in my studies. Thank you.
“how could we get a sighned Copy -Sharon??”
Again, thank you so much for all the recommendations.
Today, the Battle of Tewkesbury took place, where Edward IV defeated a Lancastrian army under Edouard, Prince of Wales, Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, John Wenlock, Baron Wenlock, and John Courtenay, Earl of Devon. Among the over 2000 Lancastrian dead were John Wenlock (supposedly killed by the Duke of Somerset), the Earl of Devon, John Beaufort, Marquess of Dorset, the Earl of Devon, and the Duke of Somerset, who was executed 2 days after the battle.
Nicolette – Wow, I thought I’d never find anyone who, also like me, goes to the BM as a frequent favourite pastime. I live not too far away so I’ve been going there infrequently since childhood. My professors hold lectures in there all the time – it’s just down the road from my uni and I’m a history/archaeology post-grad – but I still go to the BM all the time just on my own time, for fun. I’m a member (and sometime aspiring employee!) so I’m kept abreast of all the weekly BM lectures and exhibitions and gallery talks and so on, so I go along for extra study. I also have contacts who are employees and so it’s a snap to get access to cordoned off rooms that are currently not open to the public, or to go down to storage and look at the vast collections down there that are not on public display – handy too as a student, writing about these things. Sometimes I just wander the halls with my professional camera – I’m trying to build up a collection of my own personal photographs of the artefacts, as a photo resource for my work. So far I’ve only photographed a tiny percentage of the material.
I feel like a promoter saying this but – don’t forget about the big Medieval exhibition coming soon to the BM in June! They’re going to have lots of Medieval artefacts on display then.
I can’t say that I frequent the coin shop. But I am a sucker for their replica jewellery pieces – replicas of real artefacts in the museum – and they’re not shoddy either. Costs an arm and a leg, but occasionally, if it’s a special birthday, I’ve treated myself to Kleopatra’s collar or a vintage 1920’s bracelet-watch.
Here is today’s Facebook post, all about the Battle of Tewesbury, of course.
On this date, the battle of Tewkesbury was fought, resulting in a Yorkist victory and the end of the House of Lancaster. When I would visit the abbey, all the more impressive for being so starkly simple, I found it very easy to imagine the Lancastrian soldiers and knights huddled in the shadows, bleeding onto the tiles, as they listened to the abbot as he sought to keep the Yorkists from entering the church. Speaking as a writer, it was great fun to write this chapter in Sunne, for it was such a dramatic battle, with so much occurring. Writers always look for “hooks” when we write battles; we do so many of them, after all, that they tend to blur, one into the other. So I am very happy when something out of the ordinary happened in the course of the battle, such as the fog at Barnet, Edward I’s foolish pursuit of the fleeing Londoners at Lewes, the wild thunderstorm at Evesham, etc. When I had to write about a battle between Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and his brothers Owain and Davydd in the Llyn Peninsula in 1255, I went out to find the battlefield, after getting some help from the lovely people at the Caernarfon Archives. I’d seen a river on the map and was planning to have some of the soldiers drown in it. To my dismay, I discovered that the river was so shallow a snake could not have drowned in it. Now I suppose I could have assumed that in the 13th century, it was a raging torrent, but then I ran the risk of Welsh readers injuring themselves when they fell out of their chairs laughing. But just in the nick of time, I saw signs warning of quicksand! I resisted the impulse to go Hollywood; I merely had Davydd and another soldier blunder into the quagmire and then lose all interest in bashing each other in their urgency to get back to solid ground.
So Tewkesbury was a writer’s dream–providing a wild chase before the battle, as Edward raced to stop the Lancastrians from crossing over to safety in Wales, not one but two ambushes (Edward’s men hidden in that hillock and Somerset’s surprise attack on Edward’s center) and best of all, Somerset’s reaction when he concluded that he’d been betrayed by Wenlock.
I am sure it will come as no surprise that there are battles gallore in Lionheart. But they were all different enough to keep me from getting bored with repetition–a siege, an assault upon a town, my first sea battle, one of the most famous marches of the MA, ambushes beyond counting, two beach landings, and in virtually every one of them, Coeur de Lion provided me with material that any Hollywood scriptwriter would envy, for his exploits in the Holy Land were literally and figuratively the stuff of legend. Looking ahead to future books, I am anticipating having fun with the battle near Gisors in A King’s Ransom and then, of course, the famous Batlte of Hattin, in which Saladin defeated the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. And yes, I am the same woman who never goes to horror flicks, looks away when someone is beheaded in a film, etc. For some reason, I have no trouble shooting an arrow into some poor soul’s eye on the printed page
Beth – I’m not as frequent a visitor as I’d like to be but it is certainly one of my favourite places and not too far from home either. I accidentally came across the Antiques Roadshow one time I chose to pop in and have a look.
Are you at Birkbeck or one of the other unis? I studied at Aberystwyth, not very pretty or old, but we had a castle and an iron age hillfort guarding us and I was lucky enough to study under three of the top medieval Historians of the time, two of which wrote the coursebooks.
I haven’t been as lucky as you to have such access to the BM but I have been privileged to have had similar access to the much smaller Rochester Cathedral, seeing places that I’m sure some of the incumbent officials don’t know exist as well as having encountered the ghosts who have a strange relationship with organ music. I’ve also had similar access to St Paul’s cathedral when I worked for one of their contractors, including seeing for myself that Sir Christopher Wren was not quite as inventive as he is given credit for the dome… Again there are places there that the average visitor cannot conceive. I can’t imagine what is below the BM, some things are just too much for one’s brain unless you have seen them! Have you published your photos anywhere?
Wow. All this information is amazingly interesting. Both about writing battles and about the British Museum.
So my mother and I have gone over the list of places we think we’d like to go to, and realized we may have a problem – we only have 6-8 hours in London! Any suggestions on the best way to get the best places in? Or should we concentrate on one or two places? If so, which?
IF I had to limit myself to two or three places, Koby, I’d go with the Museum of London and the British Museum, and then maybe the Globe. I take it you’ve already seen the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s, right? It would be easy to visit the two museums, but then you’d have to go across the river, of course, to see the Globe. Beth and Nicolette, any suggestions for Koby?
Nicolette – I’m with University College London. If it’s not enough that we have the British Museum just down the road, we also have our own little museum, the Petrie, and what is possibly the best and biggest university library collection of books in the world. Our archaeology department ranks right up there, globally, in fact our whole uni does, but our department even has its own library which is just truly astonishing. Some of the books in there, I’ve tried to look for in order to purchase myself, only to near-faint at the prices. We’ve also got seriously high tech labs as well.
Underneath the BM? Heh, I’ve seen it. It’s is HUGE, I can tell you that. There are storage rooms that go on for as far as the eye can see – rows and rows and rows of storage cabinets. There are also special cabinets for artefacts that need to be held in certain conditions, and there are labs down there for conservation that are much bigger than our uni department’s ones. They’re also holding a Medieval ship down there, believe it or not. It takes up a whole room just by itself, and it’s kept in special conditions. My contact told me that they’re waiting for a university PhD student to come along and do a proper study of it before they can catalogue it, move it, do something with it – they don’t really know what it is other than that it’s a Medieval ship, and they don’t have the time right now to answer the question, so quite often actually they rely on university students like myself to come along and do a dissertation on these items to do the work for them – they just have such a VAST wealth of material down there that they can’t get round it all. They’ve also got big underground bunkers with doors a foot thick, where they store the priceless stuff. I got a peek in one of those just the other day – they were storing Medieval religious iconography down there – some of it might appear at the upcoming exhibition – pieces covered in gold leaf, painted on wood, many from Eastern Europe and Russia – these very garish, lavish Christian Orthodox pieces – which if someone stole and sold on the back market would be worth thousands and thousands of pounds – even the tiny miniatures which are only a couple of inches tall.
I haven’t posted my photos anywhere, no. I have so many, myself need to spend some time cataloguing them all.
Koby – if you’ve only got 6-8 hours, forget my suggestion of Hampton Court Palace – it’s really an all-day trip and it sounds like you want to visit multiple places. To be honest, you could spend 6-8 hours at any one of the places that have been suggested… but if you give me a little time, I can do some proper investigation, combined with my knowledge as a Londoner, and then come back with a loose plan for you. Where do you want to go to most? Do you favour historical places over say cultural, scientific and art galleries? Because the Science Museum and the Tate Gallery are amazing… but it sounds like we need to prioritise here!
Sharon – I think you should definitely write a blog post about how to write battles. 🙂 I know that I could benefit a lot from exactly that kind of advice. When I first began writing, just as practice I mean, I found writing battles so hard – I had no experience and no conception of the thing. I’m better than I was but I’m always looking to improve and I bet a lot of people would love to hear your thoughts on specifically how to write battles.
Oh, by the way, what is the actual date you’re going to be in London, Koby? Because depending on whether or not it’s a weekend, you may have a harder time getting around.
It’s going to be Thursday, Beth, make of that what you will.
Also, I kinda prefer history. Not exactly true – I really like science and art as well, but I’ll be in NYC before, and while I’m certain the Science Museum is amazing, I still remain a devout follower of the Smithsonian.
Here’s today’s Facebook note, with a question for all.
An interesting week for a lost soul struggling to stay afloat in the surging sea of technology. First I was utterly smitten with my Kindle and now I am in love with my new Toshiba netbook that I bought for the tour. It is a cute little computer that has not–at least so far–been giving off any of the sinister vibes of its bigger cousins. I got it up and running with no trouble, a minor miracle for me. Now all I need is to buy a travel adapter and plug for France and we’ll be good to go. I haven’t figured out what to name it, though. My computer names have always indicated my deep-seated ambivalence: Lucy for Lucifer’s Hand Maiden, RB for Rosemary’s Baby, two Dells from Hell (okay, no ambivalence there) and then my Camelot trio of Merlin, Morgan le Fay, and Mordred. Merlin was my one try at positive thinking and that ended with me rechristening him Demon-Spawn. Any suggestions for the new one? And do you guys name your computers, too? Calling them (expletive deleted) in fits of fury doesn’t count!
Magnificent cover, Sharon… I can’t wait to read it. The paper version, that is. I’m a diehard paper book fan 🙂
Blair, so was I until I got my Kindle last week. I love the fact that I can increase the font size, a blessing for aging eyes. And the Kindle will likely save me from being buried alive in books, for I was fast approaching the flash point as they fill every nook and cranny of the house. A Kindle also save me from having to tear said house apart as I desperately search for a book I want to reread. And of course it is a blessing for travel. I hope “real” books and e-books can co-exist since there should be a market for both, with the one supplementing the other. But while I always loved one, now I love both.
PS I’m glad you like the cover, too. We’ve gotten nothing but raves about it so far.
Sharon – not sure about Kindles, I hate the idea that if something happens to it one is left with no books and a broken device. Convenient for travel, not for sharing. And if you drop it in the bath, well, a paper book will dry out! I doubt we’ll see the end of books in our lifetime, but I suspect it will happen. Never named my PCs, not officially! I do name my cars though.
Koby – 6 – 8 hours only. That isn’t enough, but you know that already! My personal choice would be to go to the National Portrait Gallery and then to the British Museum – you can access them from the same Tube line, the Northern, and if you are that way inclined, the gallery is near Covent Garden. That’s what I’d do if I had a day to myself sans kids.
Beth – I do miss studying. I really want to do an MA or a PhD (not on boats though!) but the time is not right now, too many children and not enough time. I’m doing a little unofficial research on a castle in Kent to help the owner decode the earlier history, and I hope to be able to help re-write it with the view to publishing. I studied under the late R. R. Davis, a name I’m sure Sharon will recognise, and the delightful Dr D P Kirby, Sir Frank Stenton’s successor to Dark Age history. I wish I could travel back in time and do it all again but with the knowledge I have now.
Unfortunately I’m not a Medieval specialist so I don’t recognise the names. I do my best however to have a working knowledge of most periods and places, though many are still I regret, a gap in my knowledge. I’m only a humble Medieval amateur, I fear. However, anything to do with either the Tudors, or anything earlier than 500 CE in Europe and the Near East, is a different matter entirely. I’m an ancient specialist… with a random side interested in the Tudors.
Gah, I meant to help by doing some research for Koby today, but today was hectic. Big vote today in our country.
However, I can offer the advice that, seeing as you’re going on a Thursday, Koby, your best bet is to travel using the Underground train network. It’s fast and can take you all over London, and it’s your cheapest option. You’ll want to buy a Day Travelcard for all zones – that will cover the whole of London and the 8 hour period that you’ll be there. I was only concerned that if you came on the weekend, the Tube network usually undergoes extensive engineering works on the weekend, so getting about could have been far more difficult.
I’ll try and check out further info tomorrow.
For all those worrying about losing your library if you lose or break your reader–don’t. I have a Nook, and in addition to my B&N library being stored on one of my computers, the ebooks are also stored at B&N. I think Amazon has a similar process as does Apple. One additional advantage to ebooks is that you can often sample a full chapter or more and not have to depend on the author sharing that chapter on their web site. I published my ebook version through Smashwords. In order to get books to your device through Smashwords, you have to first download it to your computer, so you have automatic backup that way. Anyhoo, for a myriad of reasons, I’m all for ebooks, but I’ll always want paper copies of my favorites and of the reference books.
Here’s another cool thing about having an ebook reader. Instead of having a pile of notes and other reference material that is not in book form scattered on loose papers or stored as pdf and word files on a computer, you can download Calibre, an open source (free) ebook management system that will convert those files to your ebook reader format.
Thank you so much, Beth and Nicolette.
Today James Tyrrell, alleged murderer of the Princes in the Tower was executed.
Sharon, you already know that I named my computer Melusine, Other than that, I haven’t had reasons to really call my computers.
Beth – what do you study?
Koby, a friend of mine names all her computers Spock, which I think is quite clever. My own Melusine not only danced on the dark side, she eventually moved over, lock, stock, and barrel, and I had to go back to using my backup; you know it was bad when I am relying again on a computer called Demon-Spawn. I’m thinking of giving my cute little netbook a positive name as a sign of good faith.
Nicolette – my undergraduate degree was a combined degree between two departments, entitled Ancient History & Egyptology. My Masters degree is straight up Egyptian Archaeology. But I also did one year of General Archaeology, at undergraduate level, and one module on Anthropology. Also, during my final year of undergrad I took evening classes at the language department next door, studying Ukrainian Language.
This is a real longshot, but Echo White Shepherd Rescue asked me to post it. They are looking for one more volunteer to drive a white shepherd to her new home tomorrow. Here is the information.
Leg 8 Hancock MD to Carlisle PA
Approx. 80 Miles 1 Hour 20 Min
Leave Time 4:45 PM
Arrive Time 6:05 PM
****NEEDED****
Email address: jgoday@comcast.net, phone 603-930-0792. If you can’t get hold of Jeanmarie, you can contact me at skp1124@comcast.net.
Good news, one of my readers has volunteered to help get this girl to her new home! I am so grateful to Echo for getting Tristan to me that I want to give back whenever I can.
Nicolette, You said you are looking into history on a castle in Kent. I am trying to find out more about my mother’s Stoneham family. I was in Stoneham and got some information, but I would really like to know more about the Stoneham history before 1559. It seems that is when the family house was sold and eventually sold to the Flemings. Do you know how I could find out more? There were only two brothers that I know of that came to the U.S. in 1633.
Hi Susanne. I’m certainly no expert, but I’ll have to look and see what I can find. To give you a head’s up on where to start the search, give the Domesday Book a go, go to the Prosopography of Anglo Saxon England, PASE project, (pase.ac.uk), and do a search there to see what it throws up and then have a look in Pipe Roll records, there are many online but often in Latin but look for the name and then worry about the meaning. Cross reference everything and it can throw up some interesting stuff. Good luck and I’ll have a look myself and see what there is.
Hi Beth. I never did a great deal of Egyptology sadly, it just never came up in a serious manner, just at school and never in any depth. I did archaeology for my degree, of the British Isles, 3500BC to 43AD. I loved it and has given me an insight into Time Team and placed the various monuments I was taken to as a child into some context. As much as I like visiting castles on my travels where I can, I like seeing prehistoric monuments as well. And they are usually free!
Are you on Twitter?
Hi Susanna. Just a quick search has revealed that Stoneham, in Hampshire, the same one you know I hope (!) was in 1086 held by one Richer, a clerk, of the Bishop of Winchester along it seems with four other manors but in a different part of Hampshire, further north and to the west. I think it unlikely that two men of the same name happened to hold land in the same county of the same bishop. Stoneham, or Stanham as it was also known, also had some connection to an Allington. A place called Allington belonged to the earls of Surrey, the Warennes, under William Rufus at the end of the eleventh century. This may be the same Allington but there were several and I’d need to dig a little deeper, though I know it is not the one in Kent. So there may or may not be a connection to the earl of Surrey in there as well.
To find the detail you want you’d likely have to start trawling through church records and maybe Pipe Rolls, but I suspect most is not going to be on the internet, and will be held by Hampshire County Council or the local church. To get back to the sixteenth century is an achievement, and it may not be possible to go back further.
Nicolette, thank you so much for all this information. I went to Stoneham and know the family attended St. Nicolas Church and Stoneham House I understand was bombed out during the war. I will look into the sites you recommend. I was unable to get into the church when I was there, but would like to go back and talk to the Rector of the church.
Thank you again.
Here is today’s Facebook Note.
From time to time, I like to post stories sure to bring smiles to the faces of those reading them. Our world is bleak enough as it is, so I think we occasionally need to hear about happy endings, stories of people helping people, people helping animals, animals helping people, even animals helping animals, as with the case of that Japanese dog, loyally staying by his injured companion in the aftermath of the tsunami. Today’s story is about a miniature horse born with only part of one hind leg. He was very neglected by his owners and eventually seized by animal control, who took him to a refuge outside Fort Worth. He was in bad shape and they thought they’d have to euthanize him. But something about this little horse got to them, and they decided to see if a prosthetic leg could be made for him. Turned out it could. They were just hoping that it would enable him to move around a bit, to walk like a normal horse. But when it was fitted and Midnight found himself standing on four legs, he suddenly took off, racing across the paddock for the first time in his life, while all who watched cried. Here is a Youtube video of the event, so you guys can cry, too!
Okay, for some reason the link didn’t show up. I am trying again. If it doesn’t post this time, you can still watch Midnight’s first gallop by going to Youtube and tying in Midnight the horse or something similar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5pw9o9EmEA&feature=email
Koby –
I finally managed to find a spare hour to just collate some info for you. Right, now I don’t know what airport you’re coming in at but Heathrow is connected to the London Underground train network. As aforementioned, the quickest and cheapest way to travel around will be via Underground, and the best ticket option for you will be a Day Travelcard, all zones – that will cover your entire day in London and take you to wherever you fancy going.
I have created this map for you which has tagged some of the key sites mentioned by people here. I left out Tower of London, Westminster and St Pauls as it seems you’ve seen those before.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&vps=2&jsv=338a&msa=2
I have included the British Museum, the Museum of London, The Globe, the Victoria and Albert Museums, the National Portrait Gallery, the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum – just in case you change your mind and feel like visiting the Science Museum or some of those other places you said you probably won’t go.
Here is a Tube map:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf
Now, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum are all located very close to one another, and the closest Tube stop is South Kensington station. It’s on the dark blue Piccadilly line, which is incidentally the same line that the Heathrow stations are on. However these three sites are in a cluster a little aways from the other four sites.
The National Portrait Gallery’s closest stop is either Charing Cross or Leicester Square. Leicester Square might be more convenient depending on what airport/original Tube station you get on at, because it’s also on the Piccadilly line, but you’d have to change lines to the Northern or Bakerloo lines to get to Charing Cross.
The closest Tube stations to the British Museum are Holborn or Tottenham Court Road. Holborn is also on the Piccadilly line, but Tottenham Court Road is on the Central line.
Now, for the Museum of London the two nearest stations are Barbican, which is on the Metropolitan line, and you would have to take a circuitous route in order to change trains to get on that line, or St Pauls which is on the Central line, but you see Holborn is on the Piccadilly AND Central lines, so if you went to the British Museum first, then you could just return to Holborn station, ride the train two stops eastbound to St Pauls, and it would be real easy to get to the Museum of London that way.
Right, now the Globe theatre is across the river, and the closest Tube station is quite a ways away – either Mansion House or Cannon Street. Now, say you were coming from the Museum of London. You get on at St Pauls, travel one stop to Bank & Monument, change line to either the Circle or the District line, it doesn’t matter which, and travel westbound for one or two stops. Then you would have to walk quite a way, south over Tower Bridge and then swing a right. That would take you some time to do it that way, so alternatively you could just get a quick taxi ride from Museum of London, seeing as there’s no Tube really close by to the Globe.
Now, when you navigate the Tube it can be a bit confusing for novices, but my key tip is just make sure you’re on the right line and platform, and you’ll want to check if you’re travelling east-, west-, north- or southbound, and it’s also a good idea to check on the Tube map what is the end stop of the line you want to travel on, because on the train arrivals info and on the front of the train it will say the final destination stop, and if you’re uncertain of your trains that can help you make sure you are where you’re supposed to be. For example, say you were on the Piccadilly line at South Kensington and you want to get to Holborn – you want to make sure that the train you’re getting on is heading northbound and is going towards the final stop of Cockfosters – you don’t want to be getting a southbound train to Heathrow. If in doubt, ask a commuter and they’ll usually be able to point you in the right direction.
Now, if it were me, I’d probably do British Museum to Museum of London to Globe, or I’d do Natural History Museum to British Museum to either Globe or Museum of London, but it’s your itinerary. Also, I’d advise allocating more time to the British Museum than the Globe, because the British Museum has so much to see. For example, if you have 8 hours and wanted to do BM to MoL to Globe, I would allocate roughly 3 hours to BM, 3 hours to MoL, 2 hours to Globe, say. But be flexible as the situation demands, you’ll probably want to be impulsive and take the day as it comes when you’re on the ground.
You said you were coming on a Thursday, now I don’t know which Thursday that is, but I can give you the lowdown on what is going on at the British Museum on the next few Thursdays, if you’re interested in having a look when you come to London.
12th May
Free gallery talk in Room 95 at 1:15pm on Song Dynasty ceramics.
Free lecture in the Stevenson Lecture Theatre at 4pm on Anthropology in the Biotechnical Era.
19th May
Free gallery talk in Room 25 at 1:15pm about depictions of Europeans in African art
26th May
Free gallery talk in Room 67 at 1:15pm on the royal tombs of Korea’s Three Kingdoms era.
Urgh, my link to the map I created didn’t work, here is my second attempt:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=
209908049810258837882.0004a2af9ff180e5530d3
Koby – you might have to copy and paste the link into your address bar to get it to work.
Nicolette – I watch Time Team avidly. I specialised in Egyptology but that’s not all I do. I did a joint degree after all, and at my uni we’re very free to customise and tailor modules to our needs so I did a lot of work also on Greece and Rome (something which I did do a lot of at school level), and a heck of a lot on Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Anatolia. And, I have a patchy working knowledge of other times/places, which I work hard in my spare time to fill in the gaps in! I am on Twitter but I don’t you’d find it interesting to follow me – I’m afraid I only Tweet very sporadically, and then it’s mostly about tennis!
While unconnected to Sharon’s books, this was still a noteworthy occasion, so:
Today, Joan of Arc raised the Siege of Orléans, pulling an arrow from her own shoulder and returning, wounded, to lead the final charge.
Beth – I cannot thank you enough for your suggestions, although the link doesn’t work even when I paste it into the address bar.
I have a post which apparently no one else can see because it’s awaiting moderator approval, Koby, see if that one works.
Funny, the link works for me. And I signed out as well to see if it was only working for me because I was signed in to Google:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=209908049810258837882.0004a2af9ff180e5530d3
Ah, my apologies for the many failed attempts but I think I just cracked how to link to it so it works. Here:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=209908049810258837882.0004a2af9ff180e5530d3&ll=51.501263,-0.11364&spn=0.054818,0.154324&z=13
Sharon, what an uplifting story. It was like Midnight had no idea he was wearing a prosthetic leg. Thank you so much for sharing this video with us.
Thank you, Sharon, for sharing the pony video. It made my day. I love animals and really get excited when people go out of their way to save them.
Hurrah! It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you so much, Beth. This is perfect – it’s exactly what I needed.
Phew, the link finally worked! 🙂
Here is today’s Facebook note.
Happy Mother’s Day to my friends and readers in the US. I don’t think it is celebrated on this date in other countries? And good news for Elizabeth Chadwick’s many fans. Her new one, The Lady of the English, will be out on June 4th in the UK and in September in the US. The Empress Maude (Matilda to her!) shares center stage with Adelizia, the widowed queen of Henry I.
Today is only Mother’s Day in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Japan, Sharon. In the UK it is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, (April 3rd, this year) so it’s long since been and gone for us! I’ve never celebrated it though. I remember when I was at primary school, in the upcoming week to Mother’s Day, the teachers would have us all make cards, and I would be the only one left out. 🙁 It makes me sad just remembering that. My mother died when I was a baby and my father raised me alone. And, I’m sure anyone could understand why this didn’t sit well with me, but I have always always recieved such weird reactions – you tell people you’re from a single parent family, they instantly assume that it’s your mother; a single father in this country, back when I was a child and maybe still nowadays, doesn’t get as much benefits as a single mother; and always always there is such huge emphasis on the mother. I mean, we have a Father’s Day but it’s never as well known or popular as Mother’s Day, and every single time I meet someone new I have to go through all the explanations again, and this is actually shockingly rude but a considerable proportion of people react with some sort of idea that I must be a strange, backwards child because I never had a female influence in my life – I have even had people question whether or not I want to ever get married or have children on the basis that I was raised by my father and that must be why I’m quietly studious and (currently, I stress) single – because I’m somehow weird and abnormal. Let me reassure such people that I am not a “poor little orphan” and that I am a well-adjusted, healthy member of society, whose single father could not have done a better job of raising a child, equal to any single mother. Can you believe the rudeness and the misandry?!
We celebrate Mothers Day on May 8 in Germany, too ‘-) Albeit not with such hype as in the U.S. We also have International Womens Day on March 8, which I like much better!
LOVE IT! Been hoping to read the DeQuincy books in the meantime but can’t find “The Queen’s Man” in ebook form, do you have any plans to do make one?
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