Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Scottish King David I hoped to exploit the unpopularity of the Normans by trading on his own English heritage.
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From the Imperial War Museums, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
A civilian ferry captain was court-martialled by the Germans for thumbing his nose at their U-Boats.
© Geni, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
To prove that steam power was the future of railways, George Stephenson held a truly historic competition.
© Philipp Reiner, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Richard Hannay reflects on the innocent lives lost, when the lust for power or the desire for revenge makes us less than human.
© Nojos88, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Our hero is sent to deal with some man-eating birds, but cannot reach their lakeside refuge.
© Babbsack, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.
The saintly Bishop helped the captain of a merchant ship to cut through the red tape, and save his town from starvation.