Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew Achille Murat grew up as the Crown Prince of Naples. He became an eccentric Florida pioneer known as the Prince of Tallahassee.

It is the curse of historians that new sources come to light once a book has been finished. Towards the end of the period when I was researching and writing my book on Sir Arthur Wellesley’s 1808 c…

Today, in this very long piece, for which I apologise in advance, we are going to take a look at arguably to the two most famous Regency courtesans, Harriette Wilson and her friend Julia Johnstone,…

This is a Napoleonic-era seafaring yarn about a teenage boy, Max, serving as a powder monkey aboard a British man-of-war. Young Max is still finding his way when the ship is wrecked during a battle…

And just like that, we're into April already. 2025 has gone really quickly. Let's dive in with some facts about this month: April was know...

The lives of Josephine Lauret and her family provide glimpses into the French-Spanish-American dynamic in late 18th-century Louisiana.

Sixth US President John Quincy Adams was inaugurated on March 4, 1825. He tried to heal electoral divisions in his inaugural address.

Every New Year’s Day, US President John Quincy Adams wrote down his reflections on the past year and his wishes for the year to come.

Napoleon revived France's New Year's Day celebrations, banned in the French Revolution. His first New Year in exile on St. Helena in 1816 was less festive.

Napoleon's niece and her scandalous marriages

Yule celebrations were alive and well in the Nordic lands, and were most likely brought over to Anglo-Saxon England with the Viking settlers.

Christmas gift ideas in the 19th century ranged from "a well-chosen book" to "elegant preparations for the toilet" to bread, bullocks, and coal.

What transpired between a British naval officer and the defeated French Emperor

The Carolina Corps achieved emancipation through military service, paving the way for future fighters in the British Empire to do the same

In 1782, John Bough of Gedney, Lincolnshire, bred a short horn ox which was ultimately to become famous. The ox was then acquired by John Gibbons, of Long Sutton ( a small town in Lincolnshire), who continued to rear it. Forty year old farmer/grazier, John Gibbons and his wife, Sarah, decided not to feed the ox on oil cake, which was the norm, but instead, fed it on corn and hay. It was reported that the hay was laid in a small quantity at a time in front of the ox and a pail of water put near to it; The ox took up the hay with his mouth and always dipped it in the water before eating it.

What transpired between a British naval captain and the defeated French Emperor

Giving thanks for life’s blessings has been customary for centuries.