Features (historical perspectives that support genealogical research)

Book Reviews, News, and Tertiary Articles

Folio Society A History of the Crusades Runciman

A History of the Crusades, 3 Volume Box Set (Folio Society)

A History of the Crusades, 3 Volume Box Set, published by the preeminent Folio Society in 2003, was written by Steven Runciman and is definitely a collector’s item for any serious Crusade scholar and book nerd (#booknerd). You know that you’re a book nerd when you get so excited that […]

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Daughters of Chivalry Forgotten Children of Edward I Kelcey Wilson-Lee Review

“Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of Edward I” [Review]

This is the book I’ve been waiting for! “Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of Edward I” is akin to the perfectly faceted jewel affixed to the perfectly crafted ring: it is mesmerizing from afar yet intricately complex upon microscopic adoration. Author Kelcey Wilson-Lee examines the lives of the children

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A History of Multicultural America - The Great Migrations

“The Great Migrations 1880s-1912” (A History of Multicultural America)

“A History of Multicultural America” is a volume in a series comprising 8 total books: “The Great Migrations 1880s-1912” is the book I’m reviewing here. It’s a small 96 page book which covers 20 different categories of late 19th and early 20th century immigrants from Italians, to Baltics, to Japanese,

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Queens of the Conquest Alison Weir

“Queens of the Conquest” by Alison Weir [BOOK REVIEW]

A book about 4 Norman queens of England, “Queens of the Conquest” is a lavishly-detailed account that takes you through the Norman Dynasty into the Plantagenet Dynasty through the eyes of its medieval queens. This is a superb narrative for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes lives of the founding families

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Grant by Ron Chernow book

Grant by Ron Chernow Book Review

Ron Chernow is one of my all-time favourite authors, and “Grant” is the consummate biography of one of America’s greatest heroes. Military strategist, General, and 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant was a man of stalwart nature who rose from being a somewhat misunderstood subordinate to a

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Books About Charlemagne

19 Books About Charlemagne (5 Reviews & 14 Recommendations)

Books about Charlemagne! Here are THE 5 best books about Charlemagne that you cannot do without, plus 14 more recommendations! As someone who reads extensively, these are my recommendations with annotations. Want to know everything about King Charlemagne? Well here you go! Charlemagne, aka Charles The Great, aka Karl der

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Becoming Charlemagne by Jeff Sypeck Review

“Becoming Charlemagne” by Jeff Sypeck [BOOK REVIEW]

It’s virtually a meta-book on Charlemagne! “Becoming Charlemagne” by Jeff Sypeck was an unexpected find in a bookstore in Nashville, Tennessee that totally transformed my understanding of the “Father of Europe.” Compared to “The Two Lives of Charlemagne” or Fried’s “Charlemagne,” Jeff Sypeck’s treatment of King Charlemagne was a different

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World of the Crusades Christopher Tyerman Review

“World of the Crusades” by Christopher Tyerman [Book Review]

This book is a racier, sexier rebirth of “God’s War” by Christopher Tyerman! “The World of the Crusades” by the same author repackages a masterpiece in the only way it can be improved upon: load it with images, charts, graphs, and beautiful artwork. This resplendent new offering by historian Christopher

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Upheaval - Jared Diamond Book Review 2019

“Upheaval” by Jared Diamond [Book Review]

Out of the mind of the master comes “Upheaval” by Jared Diamond. Scintillating, didactic, and eminently practical, this book observes the historical record by subjecting them to both historical and psychological scrutiny. How does one apply the psychology of individuals to nations? Well, that’s the marvel of “Upheaval: Turning Points

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WordPress Subscription Plugins (The Best and the Free)

WordPress subscription plugins can be very confusing for new bloggers. Don’t just be a “best” or “free” list dummy, know your form TYPES and CLASSES first before choosing. I’m going to introduce you to every WP form TYPE and CLASS so you can best decide which ones are the right

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Decentralized Web – the Power of Blogging in Web3

Blogging IS back, WordPress is on the rise, and the internet is moving towards a decentralized web. The next renaissance is right around the corner and you’re just in time to be the beneficiary of this trend which will manifest itself in terms of less ‘social media dump’ and more

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“The Origins of the Anglo Saxons” by Jean Manco [Book Review]

“The Origins of the Anglo-Saxons” by Jean Manco is how every book should be written: with preeminent scholarship and exquisite maps and supporting images. This masterpiece was compiled vis-à-vis Mary Hollingworth’s “The Medici Family” or Christopher De Hamel’s “Remarkable Manuscripts” and is a trend in publishing I hope to see

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An Ode To Saint Patrick’s Day (Saint Paddy’s Day)

Saint Patrick’s Day, or Saint Paddy’s Day, is an Irish holiday intended to honor the greatest of Ireland’s saints, Saint Patrick, who was neither a saint nor Irish. Putting aside the historical and cultural irony for now, the importance of St. Patrick has morphed from a 1500 year old symbol

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Rethink WordPress Plugins Blog

WordPress Plugins – Your Blogger Spring Cleaning Guide

How many WordPress plugins are your best plugins? Are they working together efficiently or just sitting there staring at each other incommunicado? Of your plugin arsenal which ones are the ones you absolutely need, and are there WordPress plugins out there that you don’t have and are missing out on?

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Alabama History Deep South State Cover

“Alabama: The History of a Deep South State” [Book Review]

“Alabama: The History of a Deep South State” is a carefully constructed montage of the history of the state of Alabama from its earliest native inhabitants up until the modern period. Of course, the actual state itself did not carry the moniker of Alabama as we know it until 1819,

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