Among other pithy observations made by the Duke of Wellington, the most famous is the apocryphal boast that “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.” Wellington attended the boys’ school during the late 18th century, and indeed, many of Britain’s most fa[...]
Archive for the ‘great britain’ Category
December 21st, 2009 - 6:00 am § in Politics, great britain
Everyday Life in the British Parliament: Home Rule
The “Irish Question” dominated British politics for the majority of the nineteenth century. No other issue tore families, friends, and otherwise friendly political opponents apart than “Home Rule.” The seeds for this conflict were sown long before the nineteenth century, stre[...]
Ettie: The Intimate Life and Dauntless Spirit of Lady Desborough
Biographies on Edwardian aristocrats largely confine themselves to Jennie Jerome, Lillie Langtry, and Consuelo Vanderbilt, so it’s a treat to discover one written about one of the most famous women of the era who has since fallen into obscurity. Born in 1867 and orphaned at three, Ettie Fane w[...]
