Equipment for Victorian climbers: puttees
Regular readers will be aware that, during my time in Glencoe, I did a bit of practical research into 19th century climbing equipment. It’s a subject that has…
Tag: research
Facts and the historical novelist
Fact or fiction? The historical novelist has a very important responsibility. Most people stop formally learning about history at school, which means that as an adult, the bulk…
The writer’s notebook(s)
Notebooks are about feel, mood, and introspection–not utility. Before I begin this post celebrating notebooks, I have a confession to make: I hardly ever use them. I write…
Aerial views of London from 1891
The Strand in 1891 a key setting for my work Image credit: http://goo.gl/7J1CP Although I have never lived in London and only visited on rare occasions, the sprawling…
A gold mine
Just when I thought I was coming to the end of the research I have to do on my new project, something else has turned up to demonstrate…
The boundary between research and prewriting
I’m gradually coming to the end of the research I originally planned for my new book. Since this project is set in a period of time that was…
Terra Incognita
Part of my research for 1848 has involved a study of the cartography and glaciology of that decade. The Alps were only partially explored, despite Chamouni (modern-day Chamonix) being…
Words of wisdom from Professor James Forbes
Professor James Forbes (1809 – 1868) was, in many ways, the first British explorer of the European Alps. Many other British climbers had scaled Mont Blanc, or journeyed throughout…