George Orwell’s “catalogue of swindles and perversions”
George Orwell wrote his essay “Politics and the English Language” in 1946. In it, he criticised the “ugly and inaccurate” written English of his time and examined the [...]
Historical non-fiction: Thin Lizzy’s lost recordings
From Parade and Classic Rock: More than half a century ago, the legendary music broadcaster John Peel invited Thin Lizzy to the BBC Maida Vale studios in London to record four songs for his Top [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, books, crime, Design, Education, Explainer, fiction, history, Interviews, Murder, Non-fiction, Notes, research, Uncategorized, writing, Writing
Posted 10 ways to keep (or dig) your way out of a research rabbit hole
I love research. Most writers do. We love finding out how our characters can do stuff that we don’t know how to do, like throw pots, or field-dress deer, or cut throats without getting any [...]
Women’s Christmas
Have you heard of Women’s Christmas? It’s an ancient Irish tradition called – in irish – Nollaig na mBan (pronounced Null-ug na Mon. Say it three times and you’ll be grand). Back in [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, Business, Economy, Explainer, history, journalism, Markets, Non-fiction, research, Writing
Posted This is what a banknote looked like in 1806
Kind of like a traveler’s check? Where the bearer signs on receipt? And I wonder, did the bank president and the chief cashier sign every note? Or were they printed on? This note looks a [...]
By Paddy
Posted Equal Opportunity?
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibits financial institutions from discriminating based on sex, age and marital status, among other things. The act [...]
The Prospect of Whitby and the Hanging Judge
Yes, that is a noose, and that is the River Thames. And yes, the gallows’ crossbeam is indeed aimed at the financial centre, Canary Wharf. The gallows is part of the Prospect of Whitby, one [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, books, Case Study, history, non fiction, Non-fiction, Notes, research, writing, Writing
Posted How New York Marshals were made
At a quarter to ten on the morning of May 19, 1811, bells began to sound throughout the neighbourhood of New York around Chatham Street and the City Hall. It being a Sunday, not many people paid [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, books, Business, Case Study, crime, history, non fiction, Non-fiction, writing, Writing
Posted The murders that made the NYPD
When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783 and the King’s soldiers departed for England, the King’s laws went with them. Good riddance, most people said. British rule had been oppressive, [...]
By Paddy
Posted America’s First Murderer
“As far as I can tell, the first murder in New England was committed in 1630 with a gun.” Thomas McDade, The Annals of Murder. John Billington was probably not the first man to commit [...]
