Antwerp: The Glory Years, Michael Pye

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Pye takes us on a tour of sixteenth century Antwerp, its glory years. In this fascinating book you will learn much about the importance of the city for trade and the spread of intellectual ideas, and the way everything became an industry with funeral monuments being sent out as kits to be assembled and painters creating advanced forms of paint by numbers for others in their workshops to work up. He talks also of how difficult it is to piece together Antwerp’s history with huge gaps in the records available in the city itself. Instead, researchers are forced to visit cities in other countries to find snippets of information in order to cobble together a picture of this remarkable city. You are left with the sense of its success having been transitory, riotous, and important far beyond its walls.

Antwerp was a hub of trade but also of intellectual exchange, with their printing presses putting out books for countries across Europe. Indeed, they printed the controversial edition of the Bible in English, but Pye assures us this doesn’t mean the printers were taking sides. The same books could very well have been burned the following week. There were also newsletters printed and made readily available at booksellers which encouraged the exchange of ideas in the city in a very accessible form. Antwerp was a city that was looked to as a source of knowledge. It had impressive botanic gardens when they were quite rare elsewhere and knowledge was sought from them, even from enquirers from countries where the plant in question was native.

It was a market for luxury but also mass production. There was a notable shift away from the commissioning of artists directly to going through a dealer, buying paintings that the artist was going to paint anyway. Some worked hard at ensuring their style matched the national style of the purchaser. As things progressed a process more akin to a production line emerged. Drawings for paintings would be reused and instructions given so that assistants could paint them, with the artist checking the final piece with the customer and making any final adjustments. By 1515 there were more than 100 workshops in full production in the city.

As with many growing cities, day to day life wasn’t always pleasant. Crime was rife and the growing population encouraged the spread of disease. Locals didn’t fully take advantage of the boom, investing in property with the expectation that it would remain desirable. Once traders moved on to Amsterdam they were left with investments that were worth very little. Water quality was poor which meant the beer was not good, but the Emperor was determined that local beer should still be the main ones consumed, bringing in punishments for anyone found to be drinking foreign beer within a three and a half mile radius of the city walls. 

As someone who knew very little of the city’s history before reading this book, I found it fascinating. When visiting Antwerp I spent a happy few hours in the Plantin-Moretus Museum, and so I was interested to see what an important role Plantin played in Antwerp’s status. As with any history of a European city, other countries on the continent play a role and so we see famous figures from abroad, such as William Tyndale, make an appearance. Having recently read Wolf Hall I noted the frequency with which Antwerp is mentioned, and it was good to fill in the gaps about why it was such a notable city. A great read if you’re planning a trip to Antwerp or have an interest in the history of arts, culture, and trade.

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How To Kill A Witch, Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi

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This post is part of a blog tour. Thank you to Random Things Tours and Monoray for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Mitchell, a human rights lawyer and Venditozza, writer, came together to form the Witches of Scotland campaign in 2020, seeking justice for the nearly 4000 individuals who were accused of witchcraft in Scotland between 1563 and 1736. This book is the next step in the project, bringing together their research into an accessible book which takes you step by step through the process of having a person accused and condemned as a witch. It delves into particular instances as well as discussing the broader activities of the likes of witch prickers. Most of the cases are Scotland based but they do commit a chapter to the infamous Salem witch trials, and dispel a few misconceptions along the way. The final section of the book looks at accusations of witchcraft that are still occurring around the world now, and the ways in which women continue to be the victim of misogyny - the label might have changed (in some cases) but the prejudices haven’t changed that much.

The subject of the book is dark but the writing is conversational and easy to read. They include many asides in footnotes, which do sometimes distract from the main text (there’s rarely a page without at least one footnote) but they are often informative or amusing. We learn about the horrendous treatment of those accused of witchcraft. They were tortured, forcibly kept awake for days at a time, and sometimes had their loved ones tortured in front of them to try and gain a confession. One thing that became crystal clear while reading the book is how utterly pointless forcing confessions from people with torture is. The confession is meaningless, and their contemporaries seem to have been aware of this as it was often claimed confessions were made without any coercion. Often it seems confessions were redacted as they were going to their death. There is also suspicion that some recorded confessions were entirely made up by the authorities in order to justify their horrific actions. The records of Scottish witch trials are fairly sparse, sometimes the names of the accused are not even recorded, merely that a group of witches were executed. This was not the case in the Salem witch trials in America, meaning that more research has been possible into the victims, and that it has been easier to identify those who need pardoning posthumously.

Mitchell and Venditozzi make it clear throughout that although there were a small number of men accused of witchcraft, it is largely a feminist issue. The odds were stacked against women - it was believed that God would intervene against injustice therefore if He allowed a witch to be executed surely this was a sign of guilt. There was also a belief that if a witch had a witch's mark that was undiscovered she would never confess. Belief systems made it impossible for the accused to prove their innocence, being accused in itself was practically a death sentence. Contradictions make themselves clear in approaches to investigation and proving wrongdoing, but also in the mindset which believes women are weaker creatures and therefore more likely to be tempted by the Devil while also being responsible for luring men into wrongful behaviour. Ideas that will be familiar to many a twenty-first century reader.

The book details the awful experiences of those who were accused. Being examined by witch prickers which involved being stripped and shaved and having needles or knives stuck into various parts of the body until they found any mark that could be seen as a sign of the Devil or which didn’t bleed. There was undoubtedly a sexual nature to this examination, carried out by men on women with nobody on their side. The grisly deaths that met many of the victims of this time are also described, and although they do not shy away from the horrors nor do they dwell unnecessarily on details. We are informed but it never feels gratuitous. It is clear that this period in history was an awful time of persecution. They lay out the factors that often lead to such actions, including difficult global times, insecurity, and the spread of harmful ideas. Parallels are made with the modern world. 

A fascinating, well researched book that reveals the true horror behind the witch trials in Scotland, a period of history which isn’t widely taught. They give voice to the victims by naming them and highlighting their innocence. There are also short fictional sections throughout which help put you in the head of the participants, bringing to life the world they were living in. 

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The Age of Genius: The Seventeenth Century and the Birth of the Modern Mind, A. C. Grayling

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Grayling makes clear in the introduction to this book that the main argument of it is that the change in the mind of Europeans that occurred in the seventeenth century was greater than any that had occurred in all history beforehand, that it was a period that saw the triumph of reason over religion. He uses as an example of this radical shift in mindset the reaction to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which received its first performance in 1606, where the expectation was that the audience would see the murdering of a king as against the laws of nature. Yet by 1649 Charles I of England was executed with a huge crowd as witness. To make this possible, he argues, there must have been a radical change in the collective mind. This is not a new view point, and one that has been largely discredited by historians in recent decades, yet for those of us who are reading the book for pleasure, not immersed in the debates of historians, it feels convincing. I admit I may have been more easily swayed for having been at a talk he gave when the book came out. He is an enigmatic speaker and the ideas he presented felt fascinating.

Undoubtedly the seventeenth century was a period of great thinkers and new ideas. It was also a time of great military upheaval. Grayling dedicates a decent chunk of the book to discussing the conflicts that occurred during this time period, and particularly the Thirty Years War. He does mention that if you’re less interested in military history you can skip this section. I didn’t, and although details of battles are not my main area of interest, it is important to understand the rest of the activities of the age in relation to the wider political stage. War, after all, is often a catalyst for invention and progress. Grayling highlights this by remarking how different the world and technology looked between the start of the Second World War and the end.

The characters you’d expect to find are within these pages - Locke, Descartes, Galileo, and Newton to name but a few, but also some (perhaps) less well known names. The passages about Marin Mersenne explain how he was at the centre of sharing ideas, and we then move on to early forms of a postal service. Reading this in a world of constant connectivity it is interesting to take some time to think more deeply about how ideas were spread and shared before the technology that makes information so easily accessible. 

Grayling is a proud atheist and at times there are hints of disdain for religion, somewhat ignoring the fact that religious thought wasn’t entirely replaced by the seeming rise of reason. Overall though, this is an interesting book if you’re interested in the development of thought in the seventeenth century. The idea that the way the human mind understood the world completely changed during this period may be an exaggeration but certainly it was a period of huge discoveries and theories. We learn mostly about them through the eyes of the intellectual elite rather than the general public so it’s hard to gauge exactly how much general thought did shift away from religion and belief based systems to ones based in logic. If you’re an avid reader of histories from this period you’ll likely find lots of holes to pick in this book, but for the general reader it is full of interesting history. 

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Athens: City of Wisdom, Bruce Clark

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Clark admits he has long held a special place in his heart for Greece, and having lived and worked there, uses his experiences to add additional depth to the modern sections of this epic book, looking at the history of Athens from 600 BCE to as close to the current day as you’re likely to find in a printed book. He guides us through the more well known stories of the ancient world, through years of less studied history of the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. He tracks the rise and fall in fortunes of this city which holds so much fascination, but whose ancient glories outshine more recent achievements. What becomes clear is that Athens is a city which fights for itself, that continues to reinvent and endure. A fascinating history and a vibrant modern city. 

Coming to the book with only a passing knowledge of even the more famous moments in its history it was a wonderfully accessible way of deepening my knowledge, of appreciating the feats of creation, and understanding the context in which these pivotal moments in history happened. I didn’t get through the whole book before my visit, but it added depth and greater appreciation for what I saw, and it was enriching to learn more about the years in between the historic sites and the lived-in, sprawling city on my return. 

What becomes clear is that many cultures have tried to monopolise on its history and status throughout history, taking something for themselves, and reinterpreting the past for their own ends. This of course includes the items removed by Elgin in the nineteenth century, whose controversy continues, the beautiful Acropolis Museum ready and waiting for their return. 

Clark does not shy away from the difficult politics of more recent decades, rife with corruption and scandal, and the impacts of the infamous economic crash of 2008. His anecdotes of conversations with locals and the impact these events had on their life bring the city’s story to life and add a human dimension to a challenging story. We close with a meditation on how the city hopes to move forward, how to balance its incredible history with the modern world. A fascinating, ambitious read. A solid length, it still covers an extraordinary amount of history in comparatively few pages, remaining accessible and enjoyable throughout. 

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The Palace, Gareth Russell

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Hampton Court Palace is one of Britain’s most iconic and unusual palaces. Half Tudor, half Baroque, it offers a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of British history in a very tactile way. It’s also been home to some of the most significant events in the country’s history. Russell takes us on a whirlwind tour of five hundred years of history, encompassing family feuds, marital breakdowns, the imprisonment and escape of a King due to be beheaded, religious milestones, and even the pre-coronation ball of Queen Elizabeth II, bringing us back to the modern world.

We gain an understanding of the people who have shaped the very fabric of the building. Anne Boleyn was keenly interested in this and worked hard to smooth the different styles into something that looked deliberate. Traces of her were removed once Henry VIII had moved on to his next bride, but one remaining insignia was found many centuries later. Of course, the biggest change came with William and Mary, who had planned to destroy the whole of the Tudor palace. If money hadn’t dried up we would be left with a very different building today, a sad thought. Queen Victoria, keen to turn the palace into a visitor attraction, perhaps inspired by the success of Versailles, realised the public interest was firmly with the Tudors and so undertook work to restore and enhance the Great Hall. 

Its history as a place of public interest has grown across the centuries, but has been an aspect of It’s role through much of its existence, adhoc tours being provided by staff wanting to supplement their income during quieter periods. The presence of grace and favour residents onsite had also allowed access to a broader range of people visiting their friends and relatives in their apartments, seeing areas of the building that were otherwise inaccessible to the public. Now under the custodianship of Historic Royal Palaces, who do a wonderful job of interpreting the spaces, visitor numbers are at the highest they’ve ever been, and continual work to conserve and open up the spaces is undertaken.

Approaching a biography of a building such as Hampton Court, so rich in history and with such a long life is no small task. Russell opts to focus on one area of the palace in each chapter, on one connecting event, taking us through chronologically so that we have an understanding of how the various monarchs have felt about and used the palace. Many of the events of course have many links to places and people outside the palace and so at times it feels more like a romp through British royal history than specifically about the palace, but perhaps that is testament to the central role it has played.

Those with a broad understanding of the history involved will find familiar stories but also perhaps links that you may not have known. For me these included the time Charles I spent onsite in captivity and his escape, perhaps encouraged by his opposition. The King James Bible having connections to the palace in the conference held there in 1604 which led to both it and the Book of Common Prayer, both incredibly important moments in the history of Christianity. Finally, one chapter explored the arrangements around the grave of the Unknown Soldier which sits in Westminster Abbey. A huge range in content, and a demonstration of how the story continues long after the royal family regularly used it as a home or entertainment venue. 

An interesting read, written in such a way as to bring the magic of the palace and its history to life. If you have an in-depth knowledge of British history there might not be all that much new to you, but the breadth of the focus suggests that there will be nuggets of interest and revelation for most readers.

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Once Upon A Time World: The Dark and Sparkling Story of the French Riviera, Jonathan Miles

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The French Riviera, famed for its pleasant climate, turquoise waters, and the rich and famous that have long been attracted to it. Miles takes us on a whirlwind tour through its history, the many visitors who have taken up residence there, the artists inspired by the landscape, the scandals, the seemingly endless car accidents, the corruption and glamour. Many have a glamorous image of the area thanks to the likes of the Cannes Film Festival and the luxury yachts that line its harbours, yet Miles reveals the darker side of its history and considers what its future will look like. 

We begin with a look back at the history of the land before it was colonised by tourists, highlighting how inhospitable the landscape can be and how many times it changed hands. It soon becomes clear that since the early nineteenth century its development was very much dictated by foreigners, with the architecture including nods to that of the homelands of those with whom it was most popular at the time. Indeed, it was so heavily loaded with visitors that the local dialect used words more akin to Italian and Spanish than French at times. 

Its mild climate led to many physicians recommending patients wintered there. For those with the money to spend extended periods there, or to return time and again, it really did seem to help, but for many it was a last resort. This led to an underlying tone of chronic illness and death, in stark contrast to the sumptuous landscape and the already luxurious accommodations. As time passed, patients continued to be prescribed time on the Riviera, but more visitors came to be inspired by the landscape, and to mix with the leading lights of the arts.

The roll call of artists and creatives who visited or made their home there is impressive. Artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, and Renoir were all inspired by the quality of light and colours on the Riviera, while Monet struggled with the wildness of the landscape, used to his well tended, carefully planned garden at Giverny. A series of chapels were designed by artists, Miles claiming that the desire for the project came from a sense of not wanting to be outdone. New and unusual ballets were premiered in the area, and costumes were designed by the likes of Coco Chanel. It was a hotbed of creativity with those from different fields collaborating. Writers, too, were drawn to the area, perhaps most famously F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, whose time there is reflected in Tender is the Night. 

A place of great inspiration, but also a place where people could lose everything with the development of casinos, which brought in new audiences. Behind the glitz and glamour we also see the corruption underlying public life. The mayor of Nice, Jacques Médecin has been accused of many dodgy dealings and was ultimately sentenced to a period in jail. The 1960s onwards marked a shift toward a darker side to the area, with the mafia operating locally, and to increased development and pollution from the sheer volume of visitors, no longer just the elite. Nice airport, today the second busiest in France, is perched on the shoreline, meaning planes fly low over popular beaches every few minutes, polluting the once alluring air. 

Arranged chronologically as well as thematically, the book gives you a glimpse into the way the area has changed over the ages, and what particular developments were taking centre-stage when. It covers a lot so you never get too bogged down in detail, which for some may leave you wanting more, but which gives a thrilling overview of a quite extraordinary place. A thoroughly enjoyable read. 

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Blog Tour: What Everyone Knows About the British (Except the British), Michael Peel

This post is part of a blog tour. Thank you to Random Things Tours and Monoray for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Having spent a number of years living abroad working as a Foreign Correspondent, Peel is surprised by the Britain he returns to. This is the jumping off point into an investigation into the myths Britons tell themselves about their history and current status in the world, and some harsh realities about what’s going on behind these myths. It is as up to date as you can hope from a book, with King Charles’ coronation included and the seemingly endless cycle of Tory PMs the country has suffered under in recent years. This is a no holds barred look at the state of modern Britain. If you’re a staunch nationalist who clings to the idea of the Blitz Spirit you may find this a difficult read, but this is not a rambling opinion piece, Peel’s work is grounded in research, input from experts, and attempts to receive comment from the organisations in question (which often go unanswered).

Brexit naturally makes a repeat appearance and early discussions involve a look at the misconceptions that may have contributed to the referendum’s outcome. It comes as no surprise that people over-estimate the levels of immigration, and underestimated (quite drastically) the amount of investment the EU provided. Peel also looks at the prevailing myths around the type of voter who opted to leave, and their motivations, all signs of political parties twisting the narrative to serve their purposes. Divisive rhetoric may have short term gains for them but ultimately will do more harm than good. 

Myths around Britain’s role in history, as epitomised in the Life in the UK test, taken by anyone who wants to settle here, are examined. The propensity to downplay the contributions of people from other countries in what are seen as successes contrast to the complete absolving of any guilt or participation in the darker parts of history. The role of Britain in colonial history is increasingly being brought to the fore by organisations such as the National Trust, but they receive a huge amount of pushback, not because what they are highlighting is false, but merely because many would rather pretend it didn’t happen. 

This ties in with the following section on monarchy, a popular topic for debate in recent years with the jubilee, passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III. Although many try to push down questions about the place of inherited privilege in the modern world and the Royal Family’s historic ties to colonialism and everything that came with it (as well as their less than transparent finances), the truth remains that there’s a lot to unpack. Throughout the book Peel compares Britain’s position to that of other countries, often ones that people would think of as more corrupt or less democratic, but which make apparent that there are a lot of similarities.  

This is a fascinating, well researched book which is likely to enrage you at times. I enjoyed learning more about the history and current political situations in other countries alongside reconsidering the current climate in the UK. For a book that deals with some heavy topics it is remarkably easy to read.

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Blog Tour: The Quality of Love, Ariane Bankes

This post is part of a blog tour. Thank you to Random Things Tours and Duckworth for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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When Ariane's mother Celia dies she inherits a trunk full of letters, diaries, and photographs. These document the life of Celia and her twin sister Mamaine and the remarkable loves and friendships they had. Their life started modestly, their mother died a week after their birth and they spent a quiet childhood in the Suffolk countryside with their father and nanny. Sadly, at the age of eleven, they lost their father too and were sent to live with their uncle near Richmond. They struggled to settle into their new life, the shock of their grief feeling at times insurmountable. When they began the debutante ball circles they were incredibly bored and had no interest in any of the men they were there to impress. Before long they were forging their own path, travelling Europe and making friends with some of the leading intellectuals of the day.

The book focuses largely on the men in their lives, who frequently fell in love with them, and with whom they had the knack of remaining friends with despite rejections or break ups. Mamaine spent several years with Arthur Koestler, a fairly erratic relationship with high tempers and depressions. They lived for some time in a remote home in Wales where the weather was miserable, they were without water when it got too cold, and whose damp atmosphere did nothing to help Mamaine’s recurring asthma. She also had a whirlwind romance with Albert Camus during her relationship with Koestler. They were besotted with each other, their shared weeks being held on to as some of the best of either of their lives. They remained in each other’s circles but tried to remain a healthy distance for a time while their hearts settled down. She was not with either of them at the time of her death but both felt the loss heavily, and anxiously awaited news during her illness.

Celia was no less popular, having been proposed to by George Orwell. Again, they remained close despite the proposal having been rejected. He enjoyed her genuine interest in his son and it is clear that both twins were able to hold their own intellectually in the most formidable company. Celia eventually found a stable relationship with Bankes’ eventual father, who came to the relationship with existing children. It must be a slightly odd experience writing about the love life of your mother but Bankes handles it without apparent discomfort.

The twins come across as kind and intelligent. Mamaine helps edit Koestler’s work and Celia works on History Today. Despite their busy, international lives, they always prioritise each other. Letters go back and forth and it is a great pain to them when logistics keep them without news of the other. At one point delays in the post prove almost fatal when news of a shared medical allergy can’t be communicated efficiently. The book is rooted in the letters they wrote and received, not only between each other but with their friends and lovers. At times Bankes admits to only having one half of the correspondence, but much can be gleaned from the responses. 

An incredibly easy read covering a tumultuous period in European history. The narrative moves at a pace, with brief introductions to the various characters before we move on to the next acquaintance. At times we jump forward in time and are told how a relationship resolves which can be a little confusing, but it is rare. Overall an evocative look at remarkable lives which offers a more personal side of some of the biggest names of the age.

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Capital of the Mind: How Edinburgh Changed the World, James Buchan

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Buchan’s book promises to demonstrate how Edinburgh transformed itself from a city rife with poverty, terrible living conditions, and economic strife, to one whose political, philosophical, scientific, and artistic efforts would impact global approaches to these topics during the early eighteenth century. It covers key figures such as David Hume, Robert Burns, and Adam Smith with varying degrees of detail. Buchan’s writerly flair comes through, bringing the city to life, but this is not a book without substance, it is clearly well researched and bedded in primary source material.

To the modern lay reader, the role of Edinburgh in the development of medical sciences and the unfortunate consequence of grave robbers being prevalent is probably the most commonly known aspect of the city during the period, but as Buchan shows, there was so much more to its development than this. I was struck particularly by his arguments on the prominence of philosophers, however, this is a very Edinburgh focussed book, and although it is explained how significant work happening there was, we see very little of how it was received globally or indeed how their progress impacted on work in the field more broadly.

In an interesting twist, Buchan points out briefly how by the late eighteenth century many negative aspects of the city had actually further worsened. Drunkenness, executions, and poverty were commonplace, with the New Town having forced out many long-term residents of the city and as a consequence ghettoes formed. Nonetheless, the main focus is on the great achievements of the Scots during this time, despite the challenging background due to tensions with the English. This is an interesting read, but something about it made it very difficult for me to absorb the information. 

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Barcelona, Robert Hughes

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Written on the cusp of Barcelona’s transformation for the 1992 Olympic Games, Robert Hughes takes us on a journey through the city’s tumultuous past and incredible creative output. We go back to the early days of the city and learn about how the Catalan language developed independently of Spanish and the reasons behind this. Hughes explains the poor way many in Catalunya were treated over the centuries, but does not shy away from pointing to the times when they also had the opportunity to be the oppressors and took it. This is a fascinating look at a city that continues to capture the imagination.

There’s a large focus on the architectural development of the city. Walking around it today, it feels like a city made for people, with children’s play areas dotted around the place, cycle lanes, and pedestrian crossings that prioritise those on foot over those in cars. Even at the time the book was written, it seems to have been a very different story, with overly congested roads and building regulations which allowed once well-thought out developments to become overcrowded, with outdoor space being sacrificed. Hughes walks us through the different ages of the city, each one wrapping around the previous. It was fascinating to learn about the political motivations for long straight roads as opposed to the maze of streets in the Gothic Quarter, and to learn about thoughtful city planning that makes a positive impact to this day, in ways that couldn’t have been imagined at the time of conception. 

Gaudí has an entire section dedicated to him, but Hughes is also set on making other great Catalan architects known, most notably Lluís Domènech i Montaner, architect of the beautiful Palace of Catalan Music, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Hughes is opinionated throughout and offers interpretation of many of Barcelona’s most famous buildings, closing with some scathing remarks on the continued work on the Sagrada Familia. His section on Gaudí reveals an eccentric genius who left an indelible mark on the fabric of Barcelona. 

He writes about the landscape surrounding the city and the ways in which this has had an impact over the years, including making the sewerage system a challenge, something the casual visitor will realise after a short while. He speaks also of the pride that its residents take in Catalan culture and language, and the barriers that those who do not understand the language have in accessing its remarkable history and cultural output. Hughes does us a great service in having written such a fascinating history of the city, a rarity in the English language. 

This is a brilliant book to read if you’re planning a visit to Barcelona, or indeed to read after returning home as it will add much depth to your understanding of the buildings and structure of the city, as well as understanding the tensions that bubble just under the surface. Reading this at a remove of several decades from when it was written is deeply interesting, as Hughes discusses the potential for change that many planned works promise for the city. At times he is unconvinced by some of the proposals and so it is interesting to consider how the experience of the city has changed, where the plans were well executed, and where things maybe didn’t achieve what they hoped. At over six-hundred pages this isn’t a quick read, but the writing is absorbing, the tales interesting, and the city complex and at times contradictory, so it doesn’t feel like a slog.  

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