geoffrey monmouth
Blog
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...
read moreShould 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...
read moreDo 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...
read moreWho 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...
read moreWe 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...
read moreIs 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...
read moreWhy 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...
read moreHere’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...
read moreDo national myths do any harm if they are not historically accurate?
Every nation seems to have its historical myths. These myths are often about the formation of the nation or its fight for independence. I have enjoyed the recent series about American mythology presented by Lucy Worsley. The myths about the War of Independence were...
read moreWho do you think you are kidding John McDonnell?
John McDonnell has called Winston Churchill 'not a hero but a villain'. Isn't Churchill our greatest national hero? How can John McDonnell, or anyone, say he's a villain, not just overrated or not as great as some other hero? Why would anyone want to attack...
read morePigs in Mud: a short story involving the Stone Age Detective
Pigs in Mud is a story about my Stone Age Detective, Quest The pigs episode might or might not appear in the published version of The Stone Age Detective, but it will give you a taste of the setting of the book and introduces four of the main characters. Five if you...
read moreUnprecedented? What part of this mess is unprecedented?
People keep saying our present problems are unprecedented. If you read much history, you will soon realise that hardly anything is unprecedented. We've made the same mistakes before. Usually many times. We don't learn from them anything like as much as we think, as I...
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