A few weeks ago, the wife and I went to a used-books fair. We came back with a haul of some interesting finds from the “Old Books” tables. While there were too many others we had to leave behind, I’d like to draw your attention to those below, as I’ve bought them with the explicit […]
History
Book Review: A Natural History of Ghosts, by Roger Clarke
I came across this on The Rest Is History podcast, where the author featured as a guest and reviewed some of the history of ghosts in the UK. What to Expect An attempt to examine if England truly is the most haunted nation, whether it’s the isles’ weather or just the people. After setting the […]
Historically Fashionable or Fashionably Historical?
A few weeks ago I posted the below image across socials, which made the comments explode… In a good way. So here is some more fun stuff about historical fashions. This was accompanied by my caption/addition of: Yes, you’re going commando. There is no effing way I’m teaching you how to put on a loincloth. […]
What’s alternate about history?
This post originally appeared on Simon Williams newsletter. He writes dark fantasy, and we’ve hosted his characters on The Protagonist Speaks. Go check his work out! Readers are often surprised that straight-up historical fiction requires “world-building,” a term most often associated with fantasy and science fiction. I mean, it’s just history, right? Don’t we know […]
Researching Historical Architecture (and its Embedded Ghosts)
In writing the Sydney Sandstone novella, the very first DI Jack Finkel case, I ended up doing a lot of procrastination research into the early history of the City of Sydney. In the process, I uncovered some amazing material, which I thought I’d share with you here. This is both about the beautiful historical nuggets […]
History Lessons: Crassus & Caesar
The above cartoon was floating around the internet during the California wildfires of early 2025. Those fires are a tragedy, as is any loss of human life and natural disasters. Having gone through Australia’s “Black Summer” in early 2020, I feel for all my friends in California and hope they are OK. That said, the […]
Book Review: After 1177, by Eric H Cline
I’ve previously read and recommended 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, so was excited to see a continuing volume on the subject. Quick aside: did you know that two of my short stories have been published in the just-released anthology It Takes A Village? Two stories, one sci-fi and one fantasy, about the meaning of […]
Fun with Latin
You might have noticed there’s a certain Latin flavour around here that has nothing to do with salsa. As Roman life makes one of the “Three-R” pillars of this blog (Reading, Writing, and Romans), this also seeps in to the language. Now, I’m the first to admit my Latin is atrocious, but that doesn’t mean […]
History and Use of Roman Numerals
While digging around my hard-drive, I found this old meme someone sent me ages ago. Naturally, I wanted to share the chuckles with you, my loyal Felix fans! But with my son learning about Roman numerals and me editing In Victrix (and making sure chapter numbers are correct), I thought it a great opportunity to […]
Nero – a Life in Coins
I’ve posted this image on Instagram with a short blurb, but thought the subject warrants more expansion. The coins feature the emperor Nero throughout his reign. Born in 37 CE, proclaimed emperor at 54 (aged just shy of seventeen) and overthrown in 68 at the age of thirty one, he’s probably one of the more […]
FELIX THE FOX MYSTERIES 