My 2018 Reading List has been very much historical. I’ve focused on the histories of Colonial America and Medieval Europe for the most part as well as a melange of other interesting tidbits. A lot of what I read came from my travels to Canada, California, Virginia, Tennessee and Alabama this year. One of the […]
My 2018 Reading List Read the full story →
There is a vein of political truth that begins in the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee and runs all the way down to Northern Alabama – specifically Walker, Winston, and Fayette Counties. This narrative is about the ideological connection between General Andrew Jackson and the Manasco families of Alabama and their sympathies during the Civil War.
Andrew Jackson and the Manasco Families of Alabama Read the full story →
“The Debatable Land” by Graham Robb brings the historical drama! The author, almost by chance, uncovered one of Britain’s most enduring, and ironically, forgotten mysteries. The question is: should he have left it alone? I can’t say enough about this book in terms of its contribution to understanding the British Isles as a whole as
“The Debatable Land” by Graham Robb [Book Review] Read the full story →
Not sure what to get this holiday season? Give books for Christmas! Here are 5 reasons why a book is better than some random trinket or desultory addition to someone else’s clutter pile. As corny as it sounds: give the gift of reading this Christmas, for Christmas’ sake. 1. Promote Critical Thinking ‘Critical reading’ promotes
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Ancestry DNA Traits is the latest offering by Ancestry.com that allows its users to peer into the genetic looking glass in ever more personalized ways. With Ancestry DNA Traits one gets a very personalized tour of ones own genes in terms of specific inherited traits such as cilantro aversion, iris patterns, and earlobe shape; in
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The Ancestry Matches Map is still in its beta form; however, once it is in full production will revolutionize genealogical research. This is the wave of the future! I’ve been preaching this for some time now and even wrote an article addressing the need for some type of geolocation feature on Ancestry – it’s high
Ancestry Matches Map To Revolutionize Genealogical Research Read the full story →
The Ancestry compare tool for shared DNA matches is brand new and another cool upgrade in a slew of new tools available on Ancestry.com. Just the latest in a string of upgrades and innovations, this Ancestry compare tool allows users to cross reference the amount of DNA cMs (centiMorgans) they have with any of their
Ancestry Compare Tool New for Shared DNA Matches Read the full story →
I learned a lot about what I thought I had known about Christopher Columbus; my assumptions challenged, my misconceptions revealed. Laurence Bergreen’s “Christopher Columbus: The Four Voyages” is a literary unmasking of one of history’s most renown subjects, and ironically, one of its least understood. Much enmity and praise has been laid at the doorstep
“Christopher Columbus: The Four Voyages” by Laurence Bergreen [Book Review] Read the full story →
The best moments in travel just happen to be the most random ones. Stuff done on the fly, off of a dare, in the moment, often with family. This is one of my favorite memories, not because of the complexity of it, or how much it cost, or even the bragging rights of anything, it’s
“Hey, Let’s Go To North Carolina!” Read the full story →
One of the most sacred, awe-inspiring sites I’ve ever been to has to be Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia. Otherwise known as Bull Run, this national park features 7 square miles of nature, trails, Civil War structures, statues, cannons, and more, not to mention a neat air-conditioned Visitor Center with a mini museum and bookstore.
30 Sacred Photos of Manassas National Battlefield Park (Bull Run) Read the full story →
My fascination with author James Horn began with a book called “Adapting to a New World” in which he cast the early Virginia colonists not as ‘instant Americans’ (just add Chesapeake water!) but of Englishmen and women who had transplanted their cultural mores from the old country to their new home. This single premise has
5 Books To Read By Author James Horn Read the full story →
