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Passages for reading. Read them out aloud. Paraphrase or précis them. Discuss them with friends. Does anything surprise or impress you? How does the author work your feelings? Would you use his words? How would you direct the scene in a movie — and who would your stars be?

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On This Day

Sunday September 8 ns August 26 os

For Church feasts falling on September 8 in the New Style calendar, see The Feast of Nativity of the Virgin Mary and Finding of the Kursk icon.

August 26, 1395 os

Meeting of the ‘Vladimir’ Icon (1)

The Theotokos of Vladimir

It is one of the world’s most recognisable works of art, and a symbol of God’s blessing on all Christian Rus’.

September 8, 1380

The Battle of Kulikovo (1)

Dmitri of the Don

Grand Duke Dmitri of Moscow loosened the grip of the Tartar Horde on the people of Russia, but treachery robbed him of triumph.

by Lucy Cazalet 1870-1956

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International Relations

A Credit to His Country

The diplomat’s task is to see the best in other peoples, not to scold them for their failings.

by François de Callières 1645-1717

Lives of the Saints

The Synod of Whitby

In 664, a council at Whitby decided to align the traditions of the Northumbrian Church with those of Rome and Constantinople.

by John Richard Green 1837-1883

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Canadian History

My Long Walk to Beaver Dams

A ‘slight and delicate’ Canadian woman defied twenty miles of rugged terrain in sweltering heat to warn of an impending attack by American invaders.

by Laura Secord 1775-1868

Lives of the Saints

The Character of St Edith of Wilton

Edith of Wilton may have been the daughter of King, but she did not behave like one in the Abbey or the town.

by Goscelin of Canterbury fl. 1060-1107

The Hundred Years’ War

‘Let the boy earn his spurs!’

At the Battle of Crécy in 1346, the English army was trying out a new military tactic under the command of a sixteen-year-old boy.

by Robert Chambers 1802-1871

Anglo-Saxon Era

How Alfred Burnt the Cakes

A popular tale of scorched cakes and a scolded king.

by Charlotte Yonge 1823-1901

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Selected Authors

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John Evelyn

Christmas Under Cromwell

Joseph Addison

Lover’s Leap

Charles Dickens

The Insect on the Leaf

Benjamin Franklin

How I Learnt to Write

Mandell Creighton

The Tale of Robert Tomson

John Buchan

Popular Misconceptions

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Selected Topics

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Greece

Tales about the cradle of Western civilisation, from Socrates and the first democracies to the fall of the Roman Empire, the Ottoman yoke, and Britain’s part in the fight for independence.

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Animal Stories

Fables and true tales about animals, including a dog who regularly commuted to Matlock, a horse who didn’t approve of bad language, and a cat who saved her owners from an earthquake.

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Sport and Sportsmen

Stories from the world of cricket, football and other sports, and the men and women who have played them.

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Free Speech and Conscience

Passages defending the right and obligation of every citizen to judge whatever is good and true, and to talk back to those who govern him.

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Russia

Stories from our cousins in the East, from Rurik the Viking and the Baptism of Rus’ to trade with Ivan the Terrible, a visit from Peter the Great, and the last Emperor.

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Discovery and Invention

Tales of scientific innovation and merchant enterprise, from steam power and life-saving medicines to new trade partners far away, and new ways to reach them.

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The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature