Category: Comment

Too many book reviews?

I sometimes wonder if I write too many book reviews, especially academic ones. I write about two a year, so that does not seem a lot. But they are a lot of work. After all, you have to read several hundred pages of often dense academic prose to produce a review of about 1,000 words.… Continue reading Too many book reviews?

The death of the Special Collections reading room

On a recent researcht trip to Germany I wanted to look at some German editions and translations of English republican works from the seventeenth and eighteenth century at a university library. And for the first time in my career as an early modern historian, the Special Collections librarian asked me if it was really necessary… Continue reading The death of the Special Collections reading room

The Covid-19 backlog in academia

There is not just a massive Covid-19 backlog in NHS care in the UK, there is also a backlog in academic publications in this country, albeit one which is fortunately much less noticeable to the outside world. And hopefully nobody is going to die because of it. Of course I can only talk about my… Continue reading The Covid-19 backlog in academia

Studying while poor: Student life is not all it is cracked up to be

Reading recent reports on student loans not covering the actual cost of living really hit home with me as it brought back memories of my own student days. With Christmas approaching, I distinctly remember the time I was not able to attend the xmas party in my student halls because my flatmates had asked for… Continue reading Studying while poor: Student life is not all it is cracked up to be

Are Zoom conferences making academia more exclusive?

The fashion for Zoom meetings in academia might have started out of necessity during the coronavirus pandemic, but the little video tiles on our laptop screens are likely here to stay. Generally, I am all in favour of it. Zoom has made my life a lot easier and saved many an unnecessary journey. I have… Continue reading Are Zoom conferences making academia more exclusive?

Museums are living things that evolve with us

Located at a small distance from the street markets, old factory buildings and designer shops in hipstery Shoreditch there is London’s Museum of the Home. From a distance, the complex looks a bit like an eighteenth-century hospital or a school, set in ample grounds with a well maintained lawn. As a matter of fact, the… Continue reading Museums are living things that evolve with us

Beyond the Old White Men: Women in English Republicanism

‘The history of old white men is on its way out’, a friend of mine and I agreed on a recent Zoom call. He is working on seventeenth-century English royalist thought, I’m working on republicanism. We’re both interested in gender issues and wondering how to make our research more inclusive and relevant. Old-white-men history should… Continue reading Beyond the Old White Men: Women in English Republicanism

Re-reading old history books

Part of the joy of starting a new research project is that you get the chance to read a lot of new literature. I am currently reading about translation and conceptual history, book history and the history of English republicanism. But I am also actively re-reading a lot of older historiography I first came across… Continue reading Re-reading old history books

A coaching inn in Augsburg

Choosing a cover image for a book is tricky, especially on an early modern subject. Ideally, the image should relate both to the title and contents of the book and be available on one of the standard image sites. Since my book is entitled The English Republican Exiles in Europe During the Restoration, I should have… Continue reading A coaching inn in Augsburg