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 [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, books, Case Study, Education, history, Murder, Non-fiction, Uncategorized, Writing, writing
Posted The First American Psychos?
On a summer’s day in 1799, a group of men were driving cattle from Kentucky to Virginia, along a road known as Boone’s Trace, when the cows suddenly quit the road and rushed into the woods. Once [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, books, Branding, Business, Education, Explainer, fiction, Marketing, Non-fiction, research, Writing
Posted Publishing 101
I’m reading a great book right now called Publishing 101, by Jane Friedman. She is a columnist with Publishers Weekly and writes a very useful blog at JaneFriedman.com. She’s been in [...]
Murder in the first degree – a history
I had always thought of ‘murder in the first degree’ as something dating back to mediaeval times in England. It certainly has that ring to it. But it turns out, it’s not an [...]
By Paddy
Posted The Devil’s Half Mile is up for an Audie!
I got the great news this week that The Devil’s Half Mile has been nominated for an Audie Award, for best male narrator. The book was narrated by Euan Morton, who, if you don’t know, [...]
By Paddy
In Articles, Branding, Economy, Education, Explainer, fiction, finance, history, Interviews, non fiction, research, writing
Posted Publishers Weekly Interview – uncut
Publishers Weekly was kind enough to interview me recently. An excerpt from the interview appeared in the physical magazine, and another excerpt was posted online this week. PWs Lenny Picker [...]
City Hall Park: green since 1776
City Hall Park is one of those rare quarters of New York – a green space that has remained green since it was first laid down by the city planners. You can see quite clearly from the four [...]
