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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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Stuart Era

The Last Days of Charles II

James calls Fr Huddleston to his brother’s deathbed, ready for a most delicate task.

The First World War

A Great Human Effort

The Gallipoli landings in 1915 did not achieve the Admiralty’s goals, but for John Masefield they remained one of the proudest moments of the Great War.

by John Masefield 1878-1967

The Waters of Strife

After more than a month in the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula, Moses finds that the Israelites are growing rebellious.

William H. Sleeman

A Tale of Three Rivers

The Rivers Son and Narmada rise together in the hills of Amarkantak, but because of Johilla they never meet again.

by William H. Sleeman 1788-1856

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Selected Authors

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George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax

Mistress Liberty

Hugh Blair

Order and Method

Jane Austen

Education of the Heart

Richard Cobden

Dixie on Thames

Adam Smith

Big Spenders

A. G. Gardiner

My Heart’s Right There

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Selected Topics

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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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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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The British Constitution

Passages examining Britain’s sometimes baffling constitutional monarchy, and telling the story of its enemies, its champions, and its reformers.

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Extracts from Fiction

Romance, adventure and comedy from the very best fiction writers, including Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Charles Dickens, John Buchan, and many more.

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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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France

Stories about our friends across the Channel, from Roman times to the Hundred Years’ War, her bloody Revolution, and the giddying rise and fall of Emperor Napoleon.

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The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature