Sumptuary laws are way for the upper classes to restrict the symbols of their wealth and power. In rigidly stratified societies, knowing a person’s social status is essential; sumptuary laws allow this vital fact to be determined at a glance. And persons aspiring to be taken for greater than they… Read More »Honored in the breach: sumptuary laws by Anna Castle
Did you know that it wasn’t until recent history, the 20th century, that it became unlawful for husbands to beat their wives? Domestic violence has been a harsh reality for women for thousands of years. In my latest novel, The Novice, the underlying theme is domestic violence. I wanted to… Read More »Spare the Rod – Spoil the Wife The Outrageous History of Wife Beating by Mirella Sichirollo Patzer
Is it the raging seas or the skies or the wind or the drama of it all? I have no real answer to the reason why so many of us love lighthouses. Perhaps it’s the idea of that beacon of light and human kindness piercing the storm and helping to… Read More »The Lure of The Lighthouses by Loretta Proctor
Events in Latin America have always hit the headlines in the US but its history isn’t particularly well known. Even when a figure grips the national consciousness for an extended period, they are subsequently forgotten. Lee Christmas was a star of the Sunday supplements from the start of the 20th… Read More »The Banana Wars by David Gaughran
It’s so easy to get from one place to another in this century, isn’t it? We have the motor car to take us almost anywhere by road, we can use trains (if they run on time) to take us to cities not only here in Britain, but over most developed… Read More »Do we really miss the old Victorian days? by Loretta Proctor