geoffrey monmouth
Blog
Why am I writing about the Civil War?
What Civil War? The so-called English Civil War, although it involved the Scots, Welsh and Irish as well as the English. Anyway, I don't mean the American Civil War, or anyone else's. It was in the 1640's. Why am I writing about the Civil War right now? I must...
Was the Civil War about ‘Humbug’?
Why mention 'Humbug'? When I wrote recently about divisions, in 1642 - the start of the English Civil War - and today, I had no idea how much more heated things were about to become. The PM's response to being challenged about inflammatory language was to accuse his...
Is ‘Sanditon’ a travesty of Austen?
What is 'Sanditon'? Sanditon is a costume drama on ITV that has divided the crowd. It is not the best historical drama I've seen this year (so far I'd give that award to Gentleman Jack) but it's not the worst. (Let's not go there, please!) What's Sanditon got to do...
Are the Divisions of 2019 like those of 1642?
Divisions seem to dominate the news. Will divisions over Brexit lead to the breakup of the UK? Or to civil unrest and violence? If we were divided before, the prorogation had made things much worse. Both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn are divisive figures within...
Why remember Peterloo – is it just history?
Why am I writing about Peterloo today? Today is the bicentenary of the Peterloo incident and the media are giving it a lot of coverage. Today is the day to remember and reflect. Many people see parallels with current events and are drawing various lessons for today. I...
Should schools teach about the British Empire?
What do schools teach about the British Empire? In many schools the British Empire is a subject that nobody ever mentions, at least in class. This seems to be because teachers are afraid of offending children of non-British origins. However, some people are now...
Do you live in a historic town?
What is a historic town? I have been enjoying the current Channel Four series of Britain's Most Historic Towns presented by Alice Roberts. Each week she looks at a town which she connects with a particular period in history and illustrates it with old buildings and...
Who wants to be the ‘Prince of Whales’?
President Trump has referred to 'The Prince of Whales' in a tweet. I suppose 'Prince of Whales' was a typo for 'Prince of Wales', although not everyone seems sure. I am aware that someone once deliberately used the misspelling when writing about the future King...
We need to learn to insult each other more effectively.
What insult are the police investigating? The insult,which someone aimed at Jess Phillips MP, is the the latest in a series from the same source. Some people have aimed threats as well as insults of the lowest kind at Diane Abbott, Luciana Berger and several others. I...
Is the Easter story the most important ever told?
Why does the Easter story matter? Easter is the time of year when people all over the World celebrate a historic event: the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, which is the basis of the Christian faith. It is so central that it is the one thing that all...
Why is History not on the core curriculum?
Schools have to teach the Core Curriculum That curriculum sets out the basic subjects the powers that be think all children should learn, including English, Maths and Science. Schools may teach other subjects if they can find the time and resources to do so. I...
Here’s some mythology from the Wild West that needs correcting
Every nation has its mythology. I wrote recently about British and American mythology. I said some myths are harmless, but others do harm. Here are some more American myths that we need to correct, from the Wild West. The mythology of the gun There is a myth that the...