Stunning portrait of a woman in a plumed blue hat from 1740 by William Hogarth, who was born on this day in 1697. Totally love this one.

O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker was incredible. Definitely got Shirley Jackson vibes.

Made tomato soup for the first time using a recipe from Colbert’s cookbook. And it was amazing

Reading my first John Wyndham and having a great time. Decided to start with The Midwich Cuckoos

"This impressive painting by Goya was part of a series of six on the theme of witchcraft commissioned by the Dukes of Osuna to decorate their "El Capricho" estate near Madrid. The main character in the scene is the devil, depicted as a large male goat who is being given two boys as an offering. It depicts an episode inspired by the 1610 Logroño auto-da-fé, and this set of paintings as a whole is considered to be a satirical criticism of the superstitions of the educated society to which the Dukes of Osuna and the painter belonged." (Google Arts & Culture)

Francisco de Goya, Witches' Sabbath, 1789, Oil on canvas, 43 x 30 cm (Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid)

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy The Terror by Dan Simmons. It had such potential for me but the hypersexualization of the indigenous woman character was really upsetting.

My latest documentary with History Hit looks at the witch hunts in 17th century Iceland, where 93% of those condemned as witches were men. Now available at historyhit.com (free trial period available.)

Photo of the cover of my book, "Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen's Mother"

It's finally here 🥳 UK publication day for my book, "Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen's Mother", the first narrative biography of Elizabeth Boleyn. I hope my book leads to her finally being included in the Boleyn family's story. Buy it now from all good bookshops in the UK!

In the 40s and pouring today. Perfect time for some white chocolate peppermint coffee and marathoning QI

Yearly rewatch of Muppet Treasure Island is complete!

Came across the Time Team YouTube channels earlier this morning. Naturally I haven't moved in hours and am building out my list of videos to watch. How did it take me so long to find this?!?

What 2026 history book releases are you looking forward to?

Get more from Surprised Eel Maps on Patreon Custom Maps, Artwork, and History

Friends: as many of you know, I have a patreon account where I write about the maps, mapping, & related things.

I'm hoping to get the membership up over 500 subscribers. It's free, so if you're curious, go read some articles! If you like it, please consider subscribing!
patreon.com/SurprisedEel

Reading the Odyssey I have bitten the bullet and am about to launch a classical podcast (with Charlotte Higgins) about classics, ancient and modern. It will not just be about

Starting a podcast ("Instant Classics") with Charlotte Higgins at the end of August. One thing we'll be doing (there are plenty others) is reading & discussing the Odyssey over several months. Here's why we chose that tinyurl.com/kfds9tkr

What history books have come out this year that you loved?

Been reading some incredible books this month.

Finally watched the new Wallace and Gromit. Instant favorite.

Finally watching Cunk on Life. Why did it take me so long to watch it?

So far our snowstorm is straight ice. We now have a hypothermia warning because of wind.

House ribs is definitely the right call.

Beyond excited for the newest addition to my Mary Shelley collection. Thank you so much to @manderleypress.bsky.social for creating this and sending it in such a cute package!

I've always loved the fact that the word 'sneeze' is the result of a historical accident. The original form, in the Middle Ages, was 'fnese', but someone mistook the 'f' for the long medieval 's' and wrote down 'sn-' instead.

Fneezing sounds much more like a proper, nasal sneeze.

I’d love to finish up The Lost King: The Search for Richard III by Philippa Langley

Lucy Worsley.
Nathen Amin.
Princes in the Tower.
LIVE.

What's not to like? 😎
More information below:

nathenamin.substack.com/p/next-week-...

My rescue dog doesn’t understand fetch. But every once in a while she’ll timidly place a toy down near me to let me throw it and I feel like the chosen one.

Painting of Joan of Arc at Orleans at the Pantheon in Paris. Painting by Jules Eugene Lenepveu. Scott for scale.

Scott Manning holding up a copy of his book—Joan of Arc: A Reference Guide to Her Life and Works

A stack of copies of Joan of Arc: A Reference Guide to Her Life and Works by Scott Manning

Folks, it’s the 2-year anniversary of my Joan of Arc book 🎂 📕 #booksky

I've watched that one a handful of times. Such a great video.

New Medieval Books: El Cid - Medievalists.net The original Rodrigo Diaz was a mercenary who fought for Christian and Muslim rulers, and for himself. This book tracks how, over the centuries, this figure becomes El Cid, the Christian and Spanish…

New Medieval Books: El Cid: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Mercenary, by Nora Berend www.medievalists.net/2025/01/new-medieval-boo... #books #medieval #ElCid