Tag Archives: History

Where Is This?

By Vladimir Brezina

Once upon a time, I used to visit quite often a certain place that has lately been in the news.

Here it is in January.

DSC_0028DSC_0061 croppedDSC_0074

And in May.

DSC_0272 cropped

And in July…

DSC_0028 cropped

Where is it?

I’ll give you a hint:

The Telegraph: Scientists: This is Richard III

__________________________________________________

Update February 9, 2013: This is Bosworth Field, about 15 miles west of Leicester, England.  On August 22, 1485, this happened here:

_65643088_bosworthgrahamturner600p

In the Battle of Bosworth, the final battle of the Wars of the Roses, King Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England, was killed, and Henry VII, the first king of the Tudor dynasty, came to the throne.

Richard’s skeleton has now been discovered buried under a car park in Leicester.

A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!

The Other Islands of New York City: A History and Guide, by Sharon Seitz and Stuart Miller

By Vladimir Brezina

The Other Islands of New York City: A History and Guide, by Sharon Seitz and Stuart Miller. Third Edition 2011.  The Countryman Press, Woodstock, VT; distributed by W.W. Norton, New York.

How many islands are there in New York City? Even lifelong New Yorkers would have trouble answering this question. Several of the islands, of course, are home to millions.  A few other islands have mythical fame: Liberty Island, Ellis Island, Rikers Island… But next to them, sometimes just a stone’s throw away, are many other islands.  Some have long supported their own small human communities; others have colorful histories but today are inhabited only by birds and rats.  This unique book tells the histories and human stories of 45 of the “other” islands of New York City.

Continue reading