A story of tragedy and intolerance in pre-Revolutionary France. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/microhisto...
Mathew Lyons
@mathewlyons.bsky.social
Writer, historian. FRHistS. Recent work: History Today, The Spectator, Slightly Foxed, New Humanist, Engelsberg Ideas.
If you like watching people in their home offices wearing headphones, all three podcasts I recorded about the Norman Conquest with @anitaanand.bsky.social and @willdalrymple.bsky.social are now free to watch on YouTube. youtu.be/qd6TbRoSLXQ?...
1066, The Battle Of Hastings & Colonising Ireland | Norman Conquest Parts 2, 3, 4
YouTube video by Empire • World History
youtu.be
It's the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings today, so I'm reposting my recent piece on the Anglo-Saxon women who made the Bayeux Tapestry – and what the rarely seen reverse of it might tell us about their experiences. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-bayeux...
The Bayeux Tapestry and its backstories
Can the Tapestry’s narrative ambivalence tell us about the women who made it?
mathewlyons.substack.com
Absolutely delighted to be invited to the launch of Lord’s and Maharajahs, the brilliant new book from @ollie-randall.bsky.social, out now from @fairfieldbooks.bsky.social.
I had a wonderful time launching SLEUTH-HOUND in Edinburgh, the city of Dr. Joe Bell! Thanks to @catirving.bsky.social & everyone who came out to celebrate. I even met someone related to Bell! The book is out on Tuesday: linktr.ee/drlindseyfitzharris I'm off for a 7-week US tour next!
To the snooty commentator who so loftily replied to my post months ago urging people to support this cause and told me the cinema must clearly be being mismanaged and that trying to persuade the owners was a fool’s exercise… HOORAY!
Prince Charles Cinema@princecharlescinema.com · yesterdayThe Prince Charles Cinema Secures its Future The Prince Charles Cinema is thrilled to announce that we have signed a new 25-year lease with no break clause, ensuring our projectors will keep rolling for years to come. #YouSavedthePCC
Today I found out that Umberto Eco crafted a version of this meme in the 1980s…
Evan@evansmithhist.bsky.social · last yr.Facebook reminded me of this meme
Who remembers the original illustrations for The Borrowers? This week I'm exploring the forgotten artist Diana Stanley, her remarkable collaboration with Mary Norton, and the pictures that stayed with me long after childhood. stillsketching.substack.com/p/between-th... #illustration #childrensbooks
Between the Floorboards
Diana Stanley and the enduring magic of The Borrowers
stillsketching.substack.com
A rare look at the underside of the embroidery, revealing the toil - and lives - of the anonymous stitchers.
Mathew Lyons@mathewlyons.bsky.social · 2d agoIt's the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings today, so I'm reposting my recent piece on the Anglo-Saxon women who made the Bayeux Tapestry – and what the rarely seen reverse of it might tell us about their experiences. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-bayeux...
An absolutely beautiful piece on the women who embroidered the Bayeaux Tapestry, told from the other side of the cloth.
Mathew Lyons@mathewlyons.bsky.social · 2d agoIt's the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings today, so I'm reposting my recent piece on the Anglo-Saxon women who made the Bayeux Tapestry – and what the rarely seen reverse of it might tell us about their experiences. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-bayeux...
Some hasty thoughts on the Society of Authors AI charter: samj.substack.com/p/ethical-st...
“Ethical” stealing, environmental destruction and rightwing populism. Yes, it’s the Society Of Author’s new charter!
The Society Of Authors wants us to promote the ethical use of AI. I would prefer not to.
samj.substack.com
Gave a lecture on Marlowe’s Dr Faustus this morning and am now on my way to lecture on The Spanish Tragedy - it forces a comparison, and for me The Spanish Tragedy wins every time! So much heart and soul, whereas Faustus is spectacular but not heartfelt. A controversial take? #earlymodern #drama
I’m absolutely thrilled that THE ART OF A LIE has been shortlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown. This is my favourite of all my books and it means the world. Thanks to the judges and congrats to my fellow authors on the list 💚
It's the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings today, so I'm reposting my recent piece on the Anglo-Saxon women who made the Bayeux Tapestry – and what the rarely seen reverse of it might tell us about their experiences. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-bayeux...
The Bayeux Tapestry and its backstories
Can the Tapestry’s narrative ambivalence tell us about the women who made it?
mathewlyons.substack.com
Thrilled to be featured in The Writer's Bookshelf - on publication day, no less!
Mathew Lyons@mathewlyons.bsky.social · 4d agoThis morning's guest on the Writer's Bookshelf is the wonderful @ollie-randall.bsky.social, whose latest book, Lord's and Maharajas: Cricket, Empire and India's First Test Tour, is published by @fairfieldbooks.bsky.social this week. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-writer...
This morning's guest on the Writer's Bookshelf is the wonderful @ollie-randall.bsky.social, whose latest book, Lord's and Maharajas: Cricket, Empire and India's First Test Tour, is published by @fairfieldbooks.bsky.social this week. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-writer...
The writer’s bookshelf: Ollie Randall
Eight questions about writers, books, and reading…
mathewlyons.substack.com
No one who's ever read this book on my recommendation hasn't been blown away by it. (Or they're afraid to tell me.)
Benjamin Dreyer@bcdreyer.social · 5d agoPontius Pilate, by Ann Wroe. Simply trust me, and simply buy it.
Liberal England... "A chap on his own gets a bit cracked sometimes": Michael Powell on Mr Colpeper and A Canterbury Tale
"A chap on his own gets a bit cracked sometimes": Michael Powell on Mr Colpeper
Michael Powell also had some interesting things to say about A Canterbury Tale in the 1981 interview I linked to in my post on Gone to Eart...
liberalengland.blogspot.com
Some weekend reading from me. First up, the latest edition of the Writer's Bookshelf with the incomparable Andrew Graham-Dixon. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-writer...
The writer’s bookshelf: Andrew Graham-Dixon
Eight questions about writers, books, and reading…
mathewlyons.substack.com
More than two dozen workers at three major publishing houses—HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette—tell WIRED that LLMs are being used for publicity, cover art, back cover copy, and emails, as some execs push junior staff to champion the tech. Read the full story: buff.ly/p0ymGmN
Back on Twitter, when autumn proper arrived I would always post the video someone made for Sandy Denny's No End (Demo) by holding a camera phone up against the train window. By popular request (well, from @robinallender.bsky.social) I'll start doing that here. youtu.be/o9sERw40Pes?...
Sandy Denny - No End (solo piano demo) - Heading south, winter 2009
YouTube video by other_pete
youtu.be
🚨Breaking: SAVE has written to @citywestminster.bsky.social urging it to reject massive redevelopment plans in the Leicester Square Conservation Area that would demolish eight historic buildings and replace them with a giant LED screen bit.ly/4y7XfQb
Don’t pull the curtain down on Leicester Square’s history - SAVE Britain's Heritage
SAVE has written to Westminster council urging it to reject massive redevelopment plans in the Leicester Square Conservation Area that would demolish eight historic buildings and replace them with a g...
bit.ly
Lovely news. @persephonebooks is opening a London shop in the building that was Pollock’s Toy Museum. I had a Saturday job there in the toyshop–Marguerite Fawdry, toy history guru, cooked lunch in the basement and Barry the toy theatre expert did wonderful shows upstairs. Persephone the perfect fit!
Available now: new draft text on some of the (very many), medieval religious foundations, including the chapel of Exeter castle; Benedictine foundations including the nuns of Polsloe; a host of hospitals, almshouses and minster churches and much, much more. #MedievalSky #Skystorians
Victoria County History@vch-home.bsky.social · last wk.New (draft) text now available! Thanks to Professor Nicholas Orme, we are pleased to share draft texts of around 40 medieval monastic and religious foundations in #Devon which will form part of our second volume on the county in due course. All comments/corrections gratefully received. 🗃️
Maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but this has to be one of the lamest spam emails I've ever received.
Liberal England: Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker discuss Gone to Earth and its restoration This is one of Powell and Pressburger's less celebrated films, but as it was shot in the Stiperstones in Technicolor, it is a favourite of mine.
Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker discuss Gone to Earth and its restoration
The 64th New York Film Festival, which closes on Sunday, saw the world premiere of a new restoration of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburge...
liberalengland.blogspot.com
