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What's New?
Now that I am no longer updating twitter, I will update this page of my website more regularly. It makes sense to use an outlet I can control. If you wish to comment on any points, I have left my twitter account set so that direct messages will reach me, until I can set up an alternative.
22 May 2023 I'm very sorry to hear about the death of Martin Amis. I wasn't very familiar with his work and I didn't know him. But there aren't many writers who make people sit up and listen and retain an ebullient originality even after they become famous. I only met him the once, at Brighton in February 2013, when he and I were set to discuss the question 'is humankind naturally violent?' He adopted the Stephen Pinker point of view, outlined in The Better Angels of our Nature, that we are 'progressively' becoming less and less and violent. My repsonse, outlined in my Centuries of Change (otherwise known as Human Race in the UK and Millennium in the USA), is that our tendency to violence is ever-present and just suppressed by social forces and threats. It was good to meet Ian McEwan too that day. I remember being in the gallery of the venue chatting to Martin Amis when McEwan starting reading from his new work, which became The Children Act. Martin suddely stopped talking to me and listened to Ian reading in rapt concentration. And when Ian stopped, he turned back to me and carried on the conversation where we left off.
1 May 2023 I'm currently going through the proofs of a new book about the medieval Mortimer family of Wigmore, the cover of which has now been released. This handsomely illustrated tome will be launched at an event at the Tower of London on 1 August 2023 - the 700th anniversary of Roger Mortimer's escape from that fortress. I will be talking about him that day too - about his achievements, for a change. Coincidentally I will also be talking about another medieval Mortimer who escaped from the Tower - not once but twice. The second time it cost him his head. It also cost him his legs, arms and entrails because he was drawn to the gallows and hanged and quartered. Sir John Mortimer was his name; the year was 1424. But who was he? And why did he die a traitor's death when he had been found not guilty of treason? That's the theme of my chapter in the forthcoming book. Details and tickets for this event are availabole from this link. Note, the price for this event includes all-day entry to Tower. So you don't just get me and a bunch of eminent historians but a great medieval castle too.
7 March 2023 Steph Stohrer of the Tudors Dynasty podcast has uploaded a chat we had recently about the speeds of travel and information transfer in the late Middle Ages and Tudor times.
28 February 2023 I just have to say that this afternoon I went ot one of the most impressive lectures I have ever heard, by Professor Ron Hutton on the practice of witch-hunting. what was so special was that it wasn't just fascinating - it was also wide-ranging (covering the whole globe), touched on methodological issues as well as anthropological approaches, and made witch-hunting in the past relevant by relating it to the increasing levels of witch-hunting in the world today. Over and over again I was amazed. I have always thought of witchcraft as an impotent and nonsensical belief, like ghosts. So I was astonished when I heard about Walter Cannon's 'Voodoo Death'. People who truly believe in witchcraft are at risk of being cursed or prayed to death because their faith means such a curse shocks their system - whether with increased adrenalin, fear or heart attack - with the result that they really can die from such 'witchcraft' curses. Thus, is it so ridiculous to introduce laws preventing people killing others with witchcraft, as European countries did in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and as Cameroon, Ghana and Malawi have done recently? Prof Hutton told us about his input to a panel discussing this for South Africa: his view is that the reason that people are susceptible is their belief in witchcraft and to legislate will confirm that belief. However, that view must be balanced with the realisation that if the law does not deal with witches, groups of vigilantes will. Witch hunts are regular occurences in sub-Saharan Africa today, with many people being burnt alive for the supposed crime. So many positive things could be said about this lecture. I didn't realise that three-quarters of those accused of witchcraft in English assize courts were acquitted of the crime - and did not hang - whereas in Scotland, where law was much more localised, many more were killed by their neighbours. Scotland's population was perhaps a quarter of that of England in the seventeenth century yet it burnt five times as many witches as England hanged. My question to Prof Hutton about female literacy and the rise of misogyny elicited a long answer about how in some parts of the world, only men were feared as witches - such as Iceland, where it was the rune-readers who were accused of wtchcraft. Hence in Iceland 93% of those killed for witchcraft were male. Nor did I appreciate how ancient and widespread the test of the trial by water was for a witch - it is first recorded almost four thousand years ago. From beginning to end, it was a great lecture. The only downside was the tone of some of the questions at the end, especially from the online audience. Some of these came across as prejudiced, snide, own-trumpet-blowing and disrespectful. But that's academia for you.
27 February 2023 After yet another stress fracture (my fifth in eight years) and taking several months off long-distance running as a result, I've started again. I did the Exeter City Half-Marathon on 12 February, which wasn't pretty but I did get round the course, which was a relief as I was still in pain after just doing a 5K parkrun the previous weekend. It did not help that I was 20lbs heavier than I used to be when I ran regulalrly and had not run more than 10K for about six months. But finishing that in a whisker under two hours was encouragement enough to run in Brighton. I did the first 6K with my brother Robbie before we parted company. I improved on my time from two weeks earlier by almost five minutes. So, all I have to do now is lose the weight and start training again and I'll be back to my usual 1:38 tempo... Actually, no. The historical writing is a higher priority these days. All the projects underway mean that time at my desk is more worthwhile, satisfying and enjoyable than running. I'll keep running to get fit but my competitive instincts are not driving me to do more than that at the moment.
25 February 2023 Southwark Cathedral held a debate in which nine historians argued for 'the greatest monarch' of the British Isles. Not a serious endeavour - Athelstan wasn't represented, nor were Alfred, William I, Henry II or Edward I. Robert the Bruce wasn't a candidate either, nor Hywel Dda nor Llewelyn ap Iorwerth. Nevertheless, I was very pleased that Edward III came out on top. During the debate, I nipped out across the road to the headquarters of Times Radio and did an interview with Hugo Rifkind about Medieval Horizons, which was thoroughly engaging and very enjoyable. Just as much fun was the interview I did with Oliver Webb-Carter for the magazine and podcast, Aspects of History, which went live today. And to make it an even better day, Helen Carr reviewed the book very positively for The Spectator: 'In his razor-sharp book, Mortimer argues the case for the wonder of the Middle Ages with rigour, verve and, above all, evidence.'
24 February 2023 I went around a few London bookshops signing copies of Medieval Horizons - Goldsboro, Hatchards, Foyles and Waterstones in Piccadilly. The first two will despatch you a copy if they have one in stock.
23 February 2023 Medieval Horizons is out! To mark publication day, I spoke about the book at Southwark Cathedral and signed copies. BBC History Magazine also kindly made available the BBC Extra podcast, in which I speak about the book with Emily Briffet.
19 February 2023 The second review of my new book, Medieval Horizons is in today's Mail on Sunday. The reviewer, Simon Griffith, says 'Ian Mortimer has an invigorating way of looking at history, seeing things not just from the top down, the traditional narrative of kings and statesmen, but also from the bottom up, taking into account the lives of ordinary people. It’s an approach that pays real dividends in this sparkling re-evaluation of the Middle Ages... It’s the small details that grab the attention, such as Mortimer’s explanation of how the rediscovery of mirror-making, a skill lost in the Dark Ages, helped foster self-awareness and contributed to the rise of individualism... Mortimer’s analysis of the evolution of modern English is particularly compelling... An eye-opening book that challenges our preconceptions and prejudices about the past.'
11 February 2023 The first review of my new book, Medieval Horizons is in today's Times. In case you don't have access, the reviewer's final lines are 'Medieval Horizons doesn't set out to be a comprehensive survey of medieval England, but rather challenges us to rethink the Middle Ages and its social, cultural and intellectual innovations. Mortimer is a compelling advocate for our medieval inheritance. He is right that we should be proud of it.'
9 February 2023 Yesterday I heard that my agents have secured a deal for my new book Medieval Horizons to be published in Greek. Never had a book translated into Greek before. Very exciting. Thus will be the seventeenth foreign language in which a book of mine has appeared or is due to appear (the other sixteen being German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Estonian, Latvian, Ukrainian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Complex Chinese, Japanese and Korean).
7 February 2023 This month our medieval pubs project continued with a long weekend vsiting thirty-two hostelries in Kent, in the lathes of Sutton-at-Hone and Aylesford. These trips always spring surprises on us. I loved the fireplaces in the Bull in Otford: we almost didn't bother going in, the place looks so ordinary on the outside. I'm glad we did though - lovely pub and inspiring visit. I think at least one of the fireplaces (the right-hand one) came from the old archbishops' palace nearby, as well as the roundels in the panelling above the left-hand fireplace. But the undoubted highlight of the weekend was the Wealden Hall in Larkfield. It isn't an ancient pub - in fact, it has only recently been restored and become a licensed premises - but what it lacks in pub heritage it more than makes up for in late-medieval features. Such as these service-end doorframes. How often do you see all three together in a public house?
22 January 2023 Today is Lord Byron's birthday, which I always celebrate as he was a boyhood hero of mine. He would be 235 today. But another reason for celebration is that I've just received an advance copy of my new book, Medieval Horizons, which will appear in bookshops in the UK on 23 February. In some ways it is my most personal history book to date; the last paragraph in particular could be taken as a summation of my philosophy of history and the driving force of my career. And, for me, it's a relatively short book. Especially considering it is an introduction to five hundred years of social change. I have to admit, I'm very pleased with it. It does what very few other historians are trying to do - to impart a feeling of what it is to understand one's place in time.
17 January 2023 My wife and I have a project in hand, to visit every pub in England that either is medieval or claims to be. It will take us more than four years to see them all as there are over a thousand. This month we finished looking at Sussex and started on Kent, where there are over one hundred supposedly medieval pubs. One of the highlights was the George & Dragon in Speldhurst, which is a magnificent fifteenth-century building with a crownpost roof (see below).
4 January 2023 I started my 'What's new?' page last year with the hope that it would just turn out to be a happy New Year. And look what happened. A Russian invasion on a neighbouring state - which would have been able to defend itself with nuclear weapons had we in the UK and USA not encouraged them to give them up in 1991, guaranteeing the country's safety in the unlikely event of an attack. Who would have believed the events of 2022 in this respect? They led on to so much misery. And they deepen and deepen, 'like a coastal shelf'. The recent attack on reservists called up to fight and kill in Ukraine has resulted in calls for 'revenge' from Russian citizens - for what? This attack was part of Ukraine's revenge for what it has suffered since 24 February 2022. I don't see any end to this conflict now. Except that a cataclysm might bring people to their senses. And that is not a cheery prospect. Last night I read some frightening words by an economist talking about the outlook for Russians in an article in The Moscow Times: '“The economy is unlikely to be the main source of news in 2023... It’s difficult to imagine the war could last another 10 months and not bring about a cataclysm.” And that's not starting on the personal tragedies and reversals of fortune that 2022 held. I am not a believer in the power of prayer, so I find myself marshalling what resources I have at my disposal. Work is the main one; music and the landscape the other two. So I find myself at my desk a lot, with the turntable keeping me and the cats company, with occasional long walks over the hills here in Dartmoor. I haven't been able to run since October due to yet another stress fracture (fifth one in six years) but will have to start soon as I have two half marathons booked in for February. But I do feel very optimistic about the next two years' programme of work, which I believe will see me deliver the best I have to offer in the fields of historical methodology, applied history, the lessons we can learn from history and history-as-entertainment. In the short term, however, the next major landmark for me is 23 Febraury, when my next book Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter will be published in the UK. No doubt it will be overshadowed by the anniversary of the start of the Ukraine War. But those who do happen to notice it will find it original and rewarding. Although the chapter about our shift from the eleventh-century 'normality' of war to the sixteenth-century 'nomality' of peace makes it seem Putin and his patriotic Russians are trying to turn the clock back to the early Middle Ages, before the pontifcate of Gregory VII, when nothing mattered so much as physical force. A happier thought is that there is a whole extended chapter on advances in speed between 1200 and 1600, and another the development of individualism - two subjects far closer to my heart.
Martin Amis
New book about the medieval Mortimers
Podcast interview on the Speed of Travel
Lecture by Prof. Ron Hutton
Brighton Half-Marathon
Edward III wins the debate for the Greatest British monarch
Signed copies of Medieval Horizons
Publication day for Medieval Horizons
Second review of Medieval Horizons
First review of Medieval Horizons
In Greek - for the first time
Second medieval pub safari of the year
New book arrived
First medieval pub safari of the year
Happy New Year
What was new in other years
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