The twentieth-century philosopher and historian Michel Foucault has exerted an enormous influence on contemporary philosophy and countless other fields, from ethics and politics to the histories of ideas, of sexuality, and of medicine. As political
On a trip to Bologna in 1594, Italian collector, physician and scientist Ulisse Aldrovandi inspected Antonietta Gonzales, a young girl with an unusual condition and brought to him by the Marchesa of Soragna. After studying
During my research into some of the oldest churches in Yorkshire, I came across a small inscription in the church tower of Aston-cum-Aughton. It begs the reader: ‘do not forget the year of our Lord 1536.’ This
In an interview with the ABC news network, U.S. President Donald Trump recently defended the use of waterboarding, stating the view that it “absolutely works” and indicating his wish to see the practise of this
I’m a sucker for a vaguely historical TV show. While channel hopping a few weeks ago, I caught an episode of Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes. It focused on Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire and included some detail
Drunk vicars were in the news recently following the prosecution of Gareth Jones, parish priest of St Mary's the Virgin in Great Ilford, for a drunken incident in London. After chasing three bottles of wine