Historians have all the fun
When it comes to research, historians have all the fun. That's because anything, absolutely anything, is grist to the historian's mill. Is your passion textiles, fashion, transport, war, peace, politics, animals, nature? Or molluscs, science, daffodils, potatoes, chickens, mathematics? Perhaps it's football teams that start with the letter 'P' or non-stick frying pans or 'B' sides that made it to number one in the charts in the 1960s. Any and all of these can be turned into topics for historical research and each of them probably already has a massive amount of material devoted to it that's available to the general reader. Including the frying pans. No, I haven't checked that fact - I did say "probably".
You can combine and recombine any historical topics too, of course. At first sight, the prospect of "chickens at war" - a random pick from the above list - isn't very promising. However, a brief survey of the bookshelf quickly reveals a sad story in Jilly Cooper's foreword to Juliet Gardiner's book, "The Animals' War: Animals in Wartime from the First World War to the Present Day": "From the little glow worms that lit the soldiers' maps to the poor white hens used to detect the presence of chemical attack in Iraq, there is hardly a member of the animal kingdom that hasn't been dragged suffering and uncomprehending into our wars." Doesn't that make you want to find out more? That's the nature of historical research. You find something and then you just want to read on, make further discoveries and share them with others who have the same interest. Perhaps one day you'll be the person to write "War Hen: the book/movie/musical" and capture the imagination of the world.
Once you set forth on the history trail, life becomes a constant search for the source. What is the earliest example of this; where did that start - and why? Often, the source is never found but the trail is so interesting and has so many twists, turns and byways that it no longer matters. The journey is the thing, to travel hopefully, rather than to arrive.
If you write about history, either as fact or fiction, as well as reading and researching it, Bernard Cornwell offers some of the best advice I've found. In a recent edition of the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook", he commented that research is the topic about which he is most frequently questioned. "How do I do it? How much time do I spend on it? The questions are virtually unanswerable. I assume no one writes historical fiction unless they first love history, and so virtually all your reading is research. I still read more history for pleasure than any other book. Of course research has to be focused, but the real danger is doing too much research," writes Cornwell.
He goes on to say that if you concentrate too much on the research when writing fiction, you'll tend to use it at all costs and risk boring the reader. I think this is great advice. You do need sufficient knowledge at the start to have confidence in your subject matter, but historical fiction is NOT the same as history and you acquire knowledge of more specialist areas when you need to, whilst on the hoof, going along the history trail. This leads you into some wonderful territory and opens whole new worlds of research.
Recently, I needed, rather than wanted, to do some research into 16th century goldsmithing. I contacted the Goldsmiths' Company in London and received a very helpful email from the librarian there with a list of recommended reading. Finding the suggested books online was a doddle. However did we manage before the internet? I don't know, kids today, you've got it made, when I were a lass there were four of us to a cardboard box in t'middle of t'road, reading by light of oil from a pilchard tin etc.etc. However, thankfully, it's still the combination of search engine PLUS very helpful and knowledgeable librarian that works best.
This contact led me to the wonders, the veritable wonders, of "Memorials of the Goldsmiths' Company, Being Gleanings from Their Records Between the Years 1335 and 1815, With an Introduction and Notes" by Walter Sherburne Prideaux. To think there was a time when I didn't know of its existence!
From the year 1419, for instance, we read of "The Case of a Rebellious Apprentice Threatening to Kill His Master - His Arrest - Examination by the Wardens - and Punishment": "...and tho the seid Wardeyns (consideryng the grete falsnesse, rebellying and cursidnesse of the seyd apprentis...) [...] askid the seyd apprentis by the desire and askynge of his master whethir he wold forswere the craft and the toun...or abyde still in prison..."
Why is this important? Firstly, it reminds us of What Standardisation of English and the Spellchecker have Done for Us. Secondly, it tells us that, contrary to popular belief, justice in medieval times was not always a case of hanging, drawing, gouging of eyes and rack-stretching, all accompanied by the mad bwahahas of a comedy executioner with a black sack on his head, and a good thing too, string 'em up and give 'em all the birch afterwards. No. This apprentice, who had lain in wait to murder his master with a spiked implement used for opening and closing the windows of the shop, was given the option of prison or - oh, um, er, just go away and don't bother us any more. Unsurprisingly he chose the "go away" option and went off jingling twenty shillings in his pocket, which had been given to the master when the apprentice was indentured and which the master honourably returned.
Then there are the brief but evocative reports of raids carried out by the wardens on London shops and fairs, where they searched for "deceitful wares". On one occasion, "The Wardens report that they found much opposition, and were denied the search by sundry persons. The names of those who denied the search are given." On another, the "Wardens and Divers Assistants proceed on a search in Bishopsgate, Aldgate, Fenchurch Street, Lumbarde Street, and Cheapside" in "cloakes by reason of the stormy and tempestuous weather" and the "wares seized comprise rings, thimbles, silver medals, bodkins, tobacco stoppers, tooth and ear picks, seals, an open picture in an oval and crown, Turkey and garnet rings..."
Where will history take you? I know where I'll be going next. Watch out for my forthcoming series, "Codpiece and Cockayne, 16th Century Trading Standards Investigators." "No, I don't think that is your mark, sir, and I'm taking this fishknife into custody as evidence..." No-one expects Codpiece and Cockayne, bwahahaha!
You can combine and recombine any historical topics too, of course. At first sight, the prospect of "chickens at war" - a random pick from the above list - isn't very promising. However, a brief survey of the bookshelf quickly reveals a sad story in Jilly Cooper's foreword to Juliet Gardiner's book, "The Animals' War: Animals in Wartime from the First World War to the Present Day": "From the little glow worms that lit the soldiers' maps to the poor white hens used to detect the presence of chemical attack in Iraq, there is hardly a member of the animal kingdom that hasn't been dragged suffering and uncomprehending into our wars." Doesn't that make you want to find out more? That's the nature of historical research. You find something and then you just want to read on, make further discoveries and share them with others who have the same interest. Perhaps one day you'll be the person to write "War Hen: the book/movie/musical" and capture the imagination of the world.
Once you set forth on the history trail, life becomes a constant search for the source. What is the earliest example of this; where did that start - and why? Often, the source is never found but the trail is so interesting and has so many twists, turns and byways that it no longer matters. The journey is the thing, to travel hopefully, rather than to arrive.
If you write about history, either as fact or fiction, as well as reading and researching it, Bernard Cornwell offers some of the best advice I've found. In a recent edition of the "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook", he commented that research is the topic about which he is most frequently questioned. "How do I do it? How much time do I spend on it? The questions are virtually unanswerable. I assume no one writes historical fiction unless they first love history, and so virtually all your reading is research. I still read more history for pleasure than any other book. Of course research has to be focused, but the real danger is doing too much research," writes Cornwell.
He goes on to say that if you concentrate too much on the research when writing fiction, you'll tend to use it at all costs and risk boring the reader. I think this is great advice. You do need sufficient knowledge at the start to have confidence in your subject matter, but historical fiction is NOT the same as history and you acquire knowledge of more specialist areas when you need to, whilst on the hoof, going along the history trail. This leads you into some wonderful territory and opens whole new worlds of research.
Recently, I needed, rather than wanted, to do some research into 16th century goldsmithing. I contacted the Goldsmiths' Company in London and received a very helpful email from the librarian there with a list of recommended reading. Finding the suggested books online was a doddle. However did we manage before the internet? I don't know, kids today, you've got it made, when I were a lass there were four of us to a cardboard box in t'middle of t'road, reading by light of oil from a pilchard tin etc.etc. However, thankfully, it's still the combination of search engine PLUS very helpful and knowledgeable librarian that works best.
This contact led me to the wonders, the veritable wonders, of "Memorials of the Goldsmiths' Company, Being Gleanings from Their Records Between the Years 1335 and 1815, With an Introduction and Notes" by Walter Sherburne Prideaux. To think there was a time when I didn't know of its existence!
From the year 1419, for instance, we read of "The Case of a Rebellious Apprentice Threatening to Kill His Master - His Arrest - Examination by the Wardens - and Punishment": "...and tho the seid Wardeyns (consideryng the grete falsnesse, rebellying and cursidnesse of the seyd apprentis...) [...] askid the seyd apprentis by the desire and askynge of his master whethir he wold forswere the craft and the toun...or abyde still in prison..."
Why is this important? Firstly, it reminds us of What Standardisation of English and the Spellchecker have Done for Us. Secondly, it tells us that, contrary to popular belief, justice in medieval times was not always a case of hanging, drawing, gouging of eyes and rack-stretching, all accompanied by the mad bwahahas of a comedy executioner with a black sack on his head, and a good thing too, string 'em up and give 'em all the birch afterwards. No. This apprentice, who had lain in wait to murder his master with a spiked implement used for opening and closing the windows of the shop, was given the option of prison or - oh, um, er, just go away and don't bother us any more. Unsurprisingly he chose the "go away" option and went off jingling twenty shillings in his pocket, which had been given to the master when the apprentice was indentured and which the master honourably returned.
Then there are the brief but evocative reports of raids carried out by the wardens on London shops and fairs, where they searched for "deceitful wares". On one occasion, "The Wardens report that they found much opposition, and were denied the search by sundry persons. The names of those who denied the search are given." On another, the "Wardens and Divers Assistants proceed on a search in Bishopsgate, Aldgate, Fenchurch Street, Lumbarde Street, and Cheapside" in "cloakes by reason of the stormy and tempestuous weather" and the "wares seized comprise rings, thimbles, silver medals, bodkins, tobacco stoppers, tooth and ear picks, seals, an open picture in an oval and crown, Turkey and garnet rings..."
Where will history take you? I know where I'll be going next. Watch out for my forthcoming series, "Codpiece and Cockayne, 16th Century Trading Standards Investigators." "No, I don't think that is your mark, sir, and I'm taking this fishknife into custody as evidence..." No-one expects Codpiece and Cockayne, bwahahaha!
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