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Book Review
Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester: The Shipwreck that Shocked Restoration Britain
In 1682, upon the invitation of his brother King Charles II, James, the Duke of York, came back to England after years of exile in Scotland to take up his position as heir to the throne. James first traveled to England without his wife, with...
Book Review
Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture
Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture by Bruce Pascoe is a fascinating contribution to the evolving discovery of the lost histories of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, opening up new pathways...
Book Review
The Inner Life of Catholic Reform: From the Council of Trent to the Enlightenment
Ulrich Lehner’s The Inner Life of Catholic Reform: From the Council of Trent to the Enlightenment came into fruition after Lehner published several works on the Catholic Enlightenment, which he defines as a “variety of actors within the fold...
Book Review
The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic
In history, famous battles define the generalship and reputation of military leaders, such as Gaugamela for Alexander the Great, Austerlitz for Napoleon, and the Battle of Cannae for Hannibal. Robert L. O’Connell’s book The Ghosts of Cannae...
Book Review
In Praise of Polytheism
Polytheism is superior to monotheism when exchanging religious convictions with others. This is what Maurizio Bettini argues in his brief and clearly written book of short while easily digestible chapters titled In Praise of Polytheism. Published...
Book Review
Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History
At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in October 2020, Brown University hosted the Pandemics and Plagues in Antiquity webinar lecture series. Kyle Harper, Professor of Classics at the University of Oklahoma, hosted the first session. The...
Book Review
Profit: An Environmental History
After the Industrial Revolution, factories appeared throughout the world, producing more and more affordable goods while exploiting our environment. Besides air pollution, rivers have been contaminated by waste, and mining has eroded soil...
Book Review
Looking for the Hidden Folk: How Iceland's Elves Can Save the Earth
I was intrigued by the title of Nancy Marie Brown’s latest book Looking for the Hidden Folk: How Iceland’s Elves Can Help Save the Earth. In many ways, I am the ideal audience for this book: a history and anthropology enthusiast with limited...
Book Review
Hunting: A Cultural History
From the Stone Age, hunting had certain functional purposes to bringing food for one's community. The adrenaline and excitement that hunting provides continue to attract people in the modern world to this antique technique. In Hunting: A...
Book Review
Conquering the Ocean: The Roman Invasion of Britain
“Why should a distant island beyond the north-western edge of the Roman Empire have become the target of Roman ambitions for conquest?" (1). With this question, historian Richard Hingley encourages us to contemplate the answer in considerably...
