Category Archives: History

Literary Passports

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

A passport, with all of its stamps and visas, can reveal quite a bit about the bearer. How many travelers have played the where have you been game by passing passports around a train compartment or a hostel common room … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Travel Writing, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

So It Goes

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

As a longtime Vonnegut fan, I was very impressed by this cleverly designed poster created by New Jersey graphic designer Maya Eilam. The ingenious visual represents Kurt Vonnegut’s early theories regarding archetypal story lines in Western literature.

Posted in Books, History, USA, Writing | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Terminal, Not A Station

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

On February 1, 1913, more than 150,000 curious New Yorkers crowded into the new Grand Central Terminal to gape at the city’s revolutionary transportation hub. Situated in the heart of Manhattan at Park Avenue and 42nd Street, the marvel of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Tourism, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Clocks Were Striking Thirteen

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Penguin UK has decided to mark the sixty-third anniversary of George Orwell‘s death by launching “George Orwell Day” and by issuing a series of new paperback editions of his most beloved books. The series has all original covers designed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, History, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Murder In The Library

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Classic locked-room mysteries, tales of murder and mayhem in quaint villages or gritty adventures on mean city streets. You will find all of that and more at the British Library’s upcoming exhibition titled Murder in the Library: An A-Z of Crime … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, ebooks, Europe, History, Libraries, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Just 150 Years Ago

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Tomorrow January 9th will mark the 150th anniversary of the first official passenger trip on what would become known as the London Tube. On that momentous occasion, the Metropolitan Railway made its inaugural trip of 3.7 miles between Paddington and … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, History, Museums, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

There’s No Country Called Holland

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Colin Grey is a New Yorker who is now based in Britain. His Youtube channel is a treasure-trove of information on politics, geography, history and science. Quite a while back, we posted one of his clever videos on London. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, History | Tagged , | Leave a comment

We Remember

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground. So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind: Into the darkness they go, the wise and … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Leave a comment

It’s A Very Dickensian Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Following an extensive eight month, £3 million restoration and redevelopment project, London’s Charles Dickens Museum reopened on December 10th just in time to celebrate a Dickens Christmas and to top-off the Dickens 2012 Bicentenary year festivities. The beloved author’s Bloomsbury … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, History, Museums, Tourism, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Caught Mapping

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In this era of Google Maps, Street View, GPS and satnav systems, most of us take the humble road map for granted. We don’t appreciate the complex and tedious work that was involved in the production of accurate road maps … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Maps, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment