14
Apr
12
Apr
The Age of Treachery: 1946 in books
I'm not saying that Duncan Forrester, who had a fairly busy year in 1946, read all the books here, but at least he might have picked them up in Foyles, Hatchards or even W. H., Smith and considered buying them. Certainly, as a historian of the ancient world, he would have taken notice of this January offering: It was the first of a new series to be known as the Penguin Classics, and was a translation by E. V. Rieu. Over the next ten years it was to become Britain's best-selling book, and...
11
Apr
11
Apr
The Lone Ranger tours McCloud
I was recently restoring one of my sculptures which hangs in the magnificent Wild West era McCloud Hotel, near Mount Shasta in Northern California. While I was at work one of the characters in the sculpture escaped and was only recaptured after many adventures, as I think these pictures prove ...
31
Mar
The Age of Austerity
One of the many books of social history I consulted while researching The Age of Treachery was David Kynaston’s wonderful Austerity Britain. Here are some fascinating snippets about Britain in 1946 from its pages. By September 1946 the number of married women at work was down from a wartime peak of 7.2 million to 5.8 million. 4 million British servicemen were demobilized between June 1945 and January 1947 and couples who might not have seen each other for years found themselves having to get used to each other again, which the divorce figures...
30
Mar
Black Holes: What did they ever do for us?
An interview I did with Dr. Caleb Sharp about his book on the real significance of Black Holes. Turns out they're even more fascinating than you imagined! ...
28
Mar
Progress at the airport!
Some of you may remember my video diary last month urging Santa Monica City Council to remove as soon as possible the parked planes from the part of Santa Monica Airport to make way for a park. This is what the first 6 acres looked like not long after the video, as photographed by my friend and fellow campaigner Michael Brodsky. Here's Michael's picture of what the same 6 acres looks like today. Bravo our council, plus Rick Cole and Nelson Hernandez! And here's what I'd personally like to see when park designer Mark Rios...
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Blog Post
24
Mar
More Strange Scenes from the archives …
[caption id="attachment_1437" align="alignleft" width="700"] The Sheriff's first shot was an incredibly lucky one[/caption]...
21
Mar
More Wonderful Old Pan Paperbacks
Here are four more of the memorable if artistically challenged Pan paperback covers from the 40's and 50's, such as might have been read on trains by Duncan Forrester, the hero of The Age of Treachery. #pan paperbacks #age of treachery...
18
Mar