Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Hugh Charles McBarron, Jr. (1902-1992), via the US Army Center for Military History and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
On the evening of October 7th, 1777, as fighting on Bemis Heights subsided, Harriet Acland came to General Burgoyne with a startling request.
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© Eric Cosmides, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Peoples of another culture or region will not long tolerate a Government that uses guns and soldiers to secure their obedience.
, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
However grim and severe the thirteenth century baron might be in his public duties, at dinner-time it was all wine, laughter and song.
© Darren J. Prior, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
John Lynch, exiled to France by Cromwell’s men, lamented the way that Irish was being labelled as a language of sedition.
© Liam Murphy, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Lionel of Clarence, Edward III’s younger son, went to Ireland as his Lieutenant in order to stop English expats becoming like the Irish.
By Eduard von Grützner (1846–1925), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
‘Alpha of the Plough’ wished that he had been born with the gift of a winning smile.