What are you reading now?

[Hollywood]

I just bought a book titled Kings and Queens of Ancient Britain. I want to learn more about some of my royal ancestors which include Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, Kings Henry I and II of England as well as Kings Duncan I and Malcolm III of Scotland.

[Peter]

I just bought a book titled Kings and Queens of Ancient Britain. I want to learn more about some of my royal ancestors which include Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, Kings Henry I and II of England as well as Kings Duncan I and Malcolm III of Scotland.

Well you've got quite a family tree there Hollywood! Have you been invited to the wedding?

You might be interested in this article (though I'm not sure about the legitimacy of it either!!)

Royal battle of Hastings
By CHRISTOPHER WILSON
28dec03

MICHAEL Hastings, 62, a widower from Jerilderie, in southern NSW, has just been told he and his ancestors are, in all probability, the true inheritors of the English throne.

"Just call me Mike," says Mr Hastings, "everyone else does."
I am talking to the last great Plantagenet - the man who, it is claimed, should by rights be King Michael I of England and living in Buckingham Palace.
Instead, he is in a T-shirt and shorts, sitting in a bungalow with a glass of beer in hand after a hard day's work.
This is no joke but historical fact, based on startling research by leading historians.
Dr Michael Jones, an acclaimed historical biographer, believes he has proved a vital fact that should bring shudders to the Queen and her family: their right to rule is based on a lie that has been perpetuated for more than 500 years. It comes down to the fact that King Edward IV, who reigned from 1461 to 1483, was not of royal blood - he was the illegitimate son of a French archer.
This single fact invalidates the claim to sovereignty of the most famous of English monarchs, from Elizabeth I to Charles II to Victoria and the Georges.
For if Edward IV was illegitimate - and Dr Jones believes he has found the proof - the heirs of his younger brother, George, Duke of Clarence, are the rightful inheritors of the English throne.
Dr Jones said: "The consequences are staggering. It's exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure."
But "King" Mike is not quite as Australian as his rich accent suggests. Born in England and educated at posh Ampleforth School, he is the 14th Earl of Loudon, a direct descendant of George, Duke of Clarence, and possessor of a string of lesser titles. Grand though his lineage is, he says that in Australia it is bad enough being a Pom, let alone a titled one, and in his early days as a jackaroo he kept his background secret.
The crucial evidence comes from a document Dr Jones recently discovered in the library of Rouen Cathedral in France.
It proves, he says, that at the time of Edward IV's conception, his parents were 200km apart.
Edward's "father", Richard, Duke of York, was leading a skirmishing party against the French at Pontoise, near Paris. Edward's mother, Lady Cicely Neville - based at Rouen - was apparently deeply engrossed in the company of a local archer.
Mr Hastings didn't realise his claim to the throne until Dr Jones and the TV crew contacted him.
"Strewth!" was his reaction.
Will he be returning to Britain, to his birthright and all those palaces, money and servants?
"No," he says slowly, "I don't think so. I love Australia."

[Hollywood]

Interesting article Peter. When I saw the name Plantagenet mentioned, I remembered how I discovered my royal ancestor connections. Lady Joan Plantagenet de Warren was my 10 times great grandfather Sir Oliver Cromwell's mother. It was through her family that I discovered all of my royal ancestors which include not only kings of England and Scotland, but also France, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Sweden, etc. and even the Habsburg dynasty. I still can't get my head around this.

And I am still waiting for my wedding invitation...

[Peter]

With all those connections I think you must be entitled to at least one throne!

[Hollywood]

With all those connections I think you must be entitled to at least one throne!

Yes indeed! And I do have one throne in a very small room in my flat with the letters WC on the door.

[Michael]

Yes indeed! And I do have one throne in a very small room in my flat with the letters WC on the door.

Why Winston Churchill?

[Sorrano]

Oh dear! I thought it was Westminster Church!

[Hollywood]

Why Winston Churchill?

Better yet, William the Conqueror.

[Michael]

Better yet, William the Conqueror.

Reminds me of a very bad joke:

Q. What do "William the Conqueror" "Attila the Hun" and "Peter the Great" have in common?

A. The same middle name.

[Hollywood]

Reminds me of a very bad joke:

Q. What do "William the Conqueror" "Attila the Hun" and "Peter the Great" have in common?

A. The same middle name.

[Megan]

I enjoyed every page of the extraordinary story of these energetic , daring and adventerous young nurses, in the 50's. A delightful nostalgic memoir of five remarkable nurses who decided to leave Britian and embarked on an incredible American Road trip.

[haydnguy]

Just decided to re-read:

Beethoven: His Life & Music
by Jeremy Siepmann
ISBN-10: 1-4022-0751-4

[marquis66]

Reading Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus in preparation for a conference talk I am giving on Beethoven and Literary/Philosophical aesthetics.

[Megan]

Reading Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus in preparation for a conference talk I am giving on Beethoven and Literary/Philosophical aesthetics.

I love Dr. Faustus and the Magic Mountain and Death in Venice. Mann is a phenomenal author. It would be great if you could , after giving the talk to summarize it on this site for people in the UK. Sounds fantastic!

[marquis66]

I would imagine that either that actual talk, or at least the warm-up/let the faculty take pot-shots to toughen me up session, will be video taped, and I would bet that I will be posting it on my website if that's the case.

The topic can be a little dry, BUT it adds another tool into the analysis handbag.