The Copybook

Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

847

From the Athens War Museum collection, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Miracle of El Alamein Clay Lane

Under a moonlit sky in October 1942, Allied and Axis forces met in battle on the sands of the Egyptian desert.

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848

By Robert Pine (1730-1788), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Tale of Rip van Winkle Clay Lane

A hen-pecked, ne’er-do-well farmer from New York took off into the Catskill Mountains, and fell in with some very odd company.

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849

© Piyashi Ghosh, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Quiet Kingdom Reginald Heber

James Tod brought order to Udaipur after years of turmoil, but not everyone appreciated him.

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850

© Piyashi Ghosh, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Raja and the Ox-Cart Clay Lane

Vijay Singh, Raja of Jodhpur, was left to fend for himself after his army deserted him.

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851

By Samuel Scott (1702-1772), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The War of the Austrian Succession Clay Lane

Prussia’s invasion of Silesia in 1740 plunged Europe into turmoil, and a French invasion of England became a very real threat.

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852

© Peter French, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Winter Wisdom William Cowper

William Cowper feels he has learnt more on one short walk than in many hours of study.

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