Category Archives: history

Sister Queens

Posted on April 16, 2017 by smellincoffee

Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of  Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castille480 pages© 2011 Julia Fox Virtually any reader of Tudor fiction is familiar with the sad story of Queen Catherine,  the lawful wife of Henry VIII … Continue reading →

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London at War

Posted on April 8, 2017 by smellincoffee

London at War© 1995 Phillip Ziegler372 pages “London doesn’t look down at the ruins of its houses, at the remains of its churches and houses; London looks upwards, towards the Dawn,  and faces the new day with calmness and confidence.”  … Continue reading →

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La Florida

Posted on March 29, 2017 by smellincoffee

La Florida: Five Hundred Years of Hispanic Presence©  2016 Viviana Díaz Balsera & Rachel A. May312 pages Florida, like many places in the United States, bears the name given to it by another culture.  The Spanish, setting first foot on … Continue reading →

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The Other War of 1812

Posted on March 24, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Other War of 1812: The Patriot War © 2007 James Cusick 398 pages If the War of 1812 rings any bells for most Americans, they may associate it with the creation of the Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem whose … Continue reading →

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China: An Introduction

Posted on March 15, 2017 by smellincoffee

China: An Introduction© 1984 Lucian W. Pye400 pages Lucien Pye was born in China and later returned there to advise the US government. China: An Introduction is written in that spirit, being a review of the making of Communist China and … Continue reading →

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Florida Under Five Flags

Posted on March 9, 2017 by smellincoffee

Florida Under Five Flags© 1945 Rembert Patrick160 pages Note: I read from the 1st edition. This cover is from the 5th edition,  which has been updated and presumably revised. The State of Florida entered the Union in 1845; in 1945, … Continue reading →

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A History of Saint Augustine, Florida

Posted on March 2, 2017 by smellincoffee

A History of Saint Augustine, Florida© 1881 William Dewhurst196 pages St. Augustine is the oldest European city in North America, founded by the Spanish in 1565.  Sitting at the mouth of the St. John river in northern Florida, it originally … Continue reading →

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Selma: A Bicentennial History

Posted on February 27, 2017 by smellincoffee

Selma: A Bicentennial History© 2017 Alston Fitts III384 pages On December 4th, 1820, the Alabama legislature granted a town charter to a burgeoning community established on a high bluff overlooking the Alabama river. The place, named after a cities of … Continue reading →

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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

Posted on February 11, 2017 by smellincoffee

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World© 2005 Jack Weatherford325 pages For all the differences and tensions between the West, Iran, and China, all can agree on one thing: the Mongols were mean. Genghis Khan roared out of … Continue reading →

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Trade, ancient and modern: from China to the Sharing Economy

Posted on February 4, 2017 by smellincoffee

Two micro-reviews for you…one on The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia, the other on Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing. The Silk Road consists of several chapters in central-Asian history, with generous photographs … Continue reading →

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