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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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Lives of the Saints

‘Why Am I Still Lying Here?’

Cuthbert, struck down by plague, was vexed to find that his brethren had been praying for him all the previous night.

by St Bede of Jarrow 672-735

History of Africa

Africa’s Competitive Edge

Four years before the bloody American civil war, Dr David Livingstone proposed a peaceful way to rid the world of slavery.

by David Livingstone 1813-1873

Abolition of Slavery

Somerset’s Case

After James Somerset was loaded onto a British slave-ship bound for Jamaica, Granville Sharp and other committed Christians turned to the courts for justice.

by Prince Hoare 1755-1834

Indian Myths

A Man Called Mouse

In an enduring fable from the Kathasaritsagara, an Indian merchant explains how he acquired his nickname.

based on a story in The Kathasaritsagara 11th century

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Selected Authors

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James Hall Nasmyth

Ye’re Nae Smith!

Sir Richard Steele

Jibe and Joke

Arthur Penrhys Stanley

Christ is Risen!

William Wordsworth

The Rainbow

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Fact-Lovers

William Shakespeare

Viola Draws a Blank

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Selected Topics

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Music and Musicians

The artistic struggles and triumphs of composers from the British Isles and abroad, many in their own words — and accompanied by their music.

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Myths and Legends

Stories of wisdom, wonder and imagination from the Fables of Aesop and the epics of Homer to the folklore of India, Japan, Russia and Britain.

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The USA

Tales from our cousins to the West, telling of their independence from Britain, their bloody civil war, and their runaway prosperity — and the slender thread by which it hangs.

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Classical History

Tales of tragedy, ambition and heroism from the Battle of Marathon and Hannibal’s passage of the Alps to Caesar’s fateful crossing of the Rubicon.

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Liberty and Prosperity

Stories from Britain and elsewhere confirming the social and economic benefits of keeping Governments and their cronies out of the trade and business of ordinary people.

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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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The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature