COVID-19 AND THE WORLD ECONOMY
IN THE LONDON Review of Books, April 16, 2020, historian Adam Tooze’s “Shockwave” offers insights on the Covid-19 pandemic’s consequences for the world’s economy. Here are tidbits selected from his … Continue reading
CHRONICLER WATSON PART 2
YESTERDAY, WE BEGAN an analysis of Dr. John H. Watson’s chronicling of the world’s greatest consulting detective. Today in Part 2, we discuss penmanship, obfuscation, a downright goof, and the … Continue reading
CHRONICLER WATSON PART 1
THE WORLD’S GREATEST consulting detective had, appropriately, one of the world’s greatest chroniclers. Here, in Parts 1 and 2 today and tomorrow, are tidbits about chronicler Dr. John H. Watson … Continue reading
ON PRESIDENTIAL WIT
INHERENT PRESSURES OF the job tend to preclude witticisms on the part of our national leaders. Over the years, though, there have been exceptions beyond an inadvertent toilet-paper heel, staring … Continue reading
TRAVELING IN STYLE—1935
SHELTERING IN PLACE encourages wanderlust, and what more beautifully vintage means of travel than a 1935 Bowlus Road Chief? This particular example, with direct ties to the Bowlus family, was … Continue reading
A PALAEOGRAPHER’S ADVENTURE PART 2
IN PART 1 yesterday, manuscript specialist Christopher de Hamel introduced us to the earliest surviving book known to have been in medieval England, The Gospels of Saint Augustine. Today in … Continue reading
A PALAEOGRAPHER’S ADVENTURE PART 1
RESEARCHING OLD MANUSCRIPTS is anything but musty and mundane. Palaeographer Christopher de Hamel is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and former Fellow Librarian at the university’s Parker Library. … Continue reading
1952 BRM 15—AN ADAGE VERIFIED PART 2
THE BRITISH MOTOR TRUST had high aspirations for its BRM 15 Grand Prix car described in Part 1. The car’s engine, especially, was replete with innovation. However, as motoring journalist … Continue reading
1952 BRM V-16—AN ADAGE VERIFIED PART 1
LAURENCE POMEROY HAD this to say about racing machinery: “The first instance of novel principle is invariably defeated by the developed example of established practice.” In his classic motor racing … Continue reading
ABDUCTING HAMLET
“HAMLET IN MODERN DRESS” has become a cliche of untraditional theater and opera. Here are a few tidbits about several innovative efforts. In fact, one of the performances, Mozart’s opera … Continue reading
