Dean Hamilton's Blog, page 8

Law & Order: Policing & Prisons in Elizabethan London

“The Lawyers they go ruffling in their silks, velvets and chains of gold…It grieveth me the pitiful cries and miserable complaints of poor prisoners in durance for debt and like so to continue all their life, destitute of liberty, meat, drink….and clothing to their backs, lying in filthy straw and loathsome dung, worse than any dog…”- Philip Stubbs, Anatomy of Abuses, 1585
Policing and law enforcement in the Elizabethan era was problematic at best.  Elizabeth’s London lacked anything that...

Shakespeare at the Movies: Hamlet

Hamlet (1996)

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Julie Christie, Derek Jacobi

Continuing on the Kenneth Branagh Shakespearean riff started with Henry V, today we look at Hamlet, that melancholy Prince of Denmark that so famously dithers endlessly before avenging his father’s murder.

Branagh’s Hamlet is an ambitious, star-filled, gorgeous set-piece….that last four hours. Yes, that’s
right, four hours, 242 minutes. Branagh decided to make the definitive film version of the play, unab...

Shakespeare at the Movies: Henry V

William Shakespeare has a total of 37 plays and a 154 sonnets credited to him. The first play (Henry VI, Part 1) was written and performed in 1590-91, the last (Two Noble Kinsmen), in 1613.  In between lies some of the greatest stage works ever created.

Shakespeare’s plays have been adapted into countless films, television shows and stage-plays over the years, and influenced such a broad range of entertainment that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to completely tally.

To follow-u...

A Great Way to Start a New year!

What a great way to start 2016!

Woke up this morning to the news that THE JESUIT LETTER has been selected for the Historical Novel Society's 2016 HNS Indie Award Shortlist, alongside eight other terrific books!

About 38 books were long-listed by HNS reviewers throughout 2015, then the list was narrowed to a short-list of nine, to be followed by a selection of four finalists, and then, in September, the Indie Award winner!

It is a huge honour to have made the short-list, as there are some excelle...

"Cogging & Foisting": Elizabethan Cardplay & Gaming

“I never prospered since I forswore myself at primero. Well, if my wind were but long enough to say my prayers, I would repent.” – Falstaff, The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
Gambling games in the Elizabethan era variously included tossing the bales (dice), shrove-groat, venter point, cross-and-pile (all coin-tossing games), and wide variety of card games such as gleek, cent, foot-savant, maw, bone-ace, monchance & primero in all its many variations. Queen Elizabeth he...

HOLIDAY SPECIAL!

Still shopping? Need a stocking stuffer?  Grab some great holiday reading!

THE JESUIT LETTER is available on Kindle via Amazon.com for only $.99!

Limited time offer from Dec 23-25.

"a rousingly good debut novel" - The Historical Novel Society 
HNS Editors Choice
HNS Indie Award 2016 Long-list Selection
Get your copy of THE JESUIT LETTER!

http://amzn.to/1IUH3bC

Note: Apparently the KDP Amazon sales offer is only available via Amazon.com, so if you are looking for it on Amazon.ca, please acc...

A Day in the Life....

Pulled together a few more Gorongosa Wildcam .gifs.

The first one covers a 24-hour period on one of the cams, the other two are some buffalo and baboons enjoying their day.

Elizabethans at the Movies, Part 4

Here’s Part 4 of my Elizabethans at the Movies series, taking a quick look at the most recent crop of modern Elizabethan-era films.

Apologies for not getting this posted earlier in the week but the holiday season and life intervened.  In any case, here is Part 4, where we look at The Other Boleyn Girl:


The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

Director: Justin Chadwick
 
Stars: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana

The Other Boleyn Girl is a much romanticized, soap operatic account of the eve...

Attention Shoppers.....

Something to add to your holiday shopping list...

THE JESUIT LETTER will be available on Amazon Kindle for $0.99 from Dec 23-25th!

http://amzn.to/1IUH3bC

Elizabethans at the Movies Part 3

Here’s Part 3 of my Elizabethan's at the Movies series taking a quick look at the most recent crop of modern Elizabethan-era films. Today:

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Director: John Madden

Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson

Shakespeare in Love is an exceptionally enjoyable film (though whether it deserved to win Best Picture in a year with Saving Private Ryan and Life is Beautiful is very debatable). Oddly enough, 1998 saw Joseph Fiennes playing Shakespeare while...