@MathewJLyons

Writer, historian, FRHistS. Recent: @HistoryToday, @EngelsbergIdeas, @spectator, @FoxedQuarterly. Books: The Favourite, Impossible Journeys, There & Back Again

 London
mathewlyons.substack.com
Joined March 2009
  • Tweets92.5K
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  • Followers5.5K
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Hi folks. I’ve started a Substack called The Broken Compass. The plan is for it to feature essays and book reviews, thoughts and reflections on my current research and reading, and, I hope, interviews with other historians and authors. open.substack.com/pub/mathew…
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Some lovely lunchtime reading for you! Fans of Elizabeth David – and murder mysteries – look away…
Mathew Lyons@MathewJLyons4h
This morning’s guest on the Writer’s Bookshelf is the great Carolyn Boyd. I’m a massive fan of her book Amuse Bouche – a really lovely blend of French travel, food and food culture. Link to follow…
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Eleanor Parker@ClerkofOxford3h
Coming soon! So excited about this 😀
Uppsala Books
@UppsalaBooks11h
Here's something to be excited about: "Hoarded Gold: A Book of Old English Wisdom" by Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) will be published by Uppsala Books and available worldwide before the end of November! Follow us (@UppsalaBooks) for more announcements about this book and other exciting new releases.
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Alexandra Wilson@amwilson_opera3h
Friends in and around Oxford, I am doing a book event @blackwelloxford on 17 November. Please come along: it would be great to have a decent audience! I'll be in conversation with music writer Philip Clark and will be happy to sign copies. Details here. eventbrite.co.uk/e/alexandra…

Alexandra Wilson CULTURE VULTURES with Philip Clark

The arts have always engaged with politics. Yet something decisive has changed in recent years. What happens when Activism meets the arts?

eventbrite.co.uk
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This morning’s guest on the Writer’s Bookshelf is the great Carolyn Boyd. I’m a massive fan of her book Amuse Bouche – a really lovely blend of French travel, food and food culture. Link to follow…
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Link here mathewlyons.substack.com/p/t…
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John Haffenden@johnhaffendenOct 24
Inside the Friends of Friendless Churches ft.com/content/da4ca19f-61b2… via @ft

Inside the Friends of Friendless Churches

The charity is helping restore ancient religious sites across England and Wales

ft.com
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The latest edition of the Writer's Bookshelf, featuring the wonderful @jembloomfield, is a treat. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/t…
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Celandine@GBClarksonOct 23
Very happy to have a Blake poem, "London Pride", alongside wonderful poems from @KathrynMaris, @LisaDMKelly, Róisín Tierney (title poem!), Matthew Paul, Alex Wong, Ali Choudhary, Sean O'Brien and more more, in "The Erratics" issue of Bad Lilies, kudos to the florists 🌷🌼💐🪻🪷🌸
Bad Lilies@BadLiliesOct 23
OUT NOW: Issue twenty-five: 'The Erratics' badlilies.uk/issue-twenty-fi…

Issue twenty-five — Bad Lilies

Issue twenty-four of Bad Lilies

badlilies.uk
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Victoria Moul@victoriamoulOct 22
Today I have written about why I have spent years constructing the beginnings of a first line index of Latin verse in early modern English manuscripts. Link in bio and first reply.
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I've reviewed DJ Taylor's new book on Tolkien for @spectator. If the estate ever has the sense to commission a proper authorised biography, it should ask him to do it. spectator.com/article/the-in…

The intellectual passions of J.R.R. Tolkien

It was December 1942 and J.R.R. Tolkien was having doubts about his new book, a sequel to The Hobbit published five years earlier. ‘Is such an “epic” possible to consider in the present circumstanc...

spectator.com
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Ken Dark's new book Tyrants and Traders is really interesting on Arthur's possible historicity.
Tom Holland
@holland_tomOct 22
Today on @TheRestHistory, the climax to which our entire Arthurian series has been building: DID KING ARTHUR ACTUALLY EXIST? We sift the sources, inspect the evidence, explore the various theories - & arrive at THE DEFINITIVE SOLUTION! linktr.ee/restishistory
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The Book Land
@the_book_landOct 21
This is great news. And how enchanting the cover looks! If you haven't read it yet, I totally recommend Paths in the Snow (and can't wait to get my hands on the others). Truly a marvellous and delightful book.
Jem Bloomfield@jembloomfieldOct 20
V cheered that Paths in the Snow, the first of my books about Narnia, is due to be published in the United States in a couple of weeks’ time. I’m intrigued by how different the cover is from the UK edition, but how excellent it is at the same time.
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History Today@HistoryTodayOct 21
On 25 October 1786, physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg discovered the aspect ratio of the perfect piece of paper. ✍️ Mathew Lyons buff.ly/YOV3XMW

The Lichtenberg Ratio

On 25 October 1786 the physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg happened upon the aspect ratio for the perfect piece of paper.

historytoday.com
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From the conclusion of my new book Culture Vultures: When Activism Meets the Arts. As one ridiculous furore breaks out after another in the arts world, this could scarcely be more timely...
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Some v.sad losses, especially old Wembley and the Astoria Still, we've been campaigning for London's heritage for over 50 years with lots of wins: ⭐Bankside power station (Tate Modern) ⭐Smithfield market ⭐Richmond House ⭐Battersea Power station And many more. Support us!
Londonist
@LondonistOct 20
Lost London: We've compiled a big list of stuff that's gone from London since 2000 londonist.com/london/history…

An A-Z Of (Recently) Lost London

What has the capital lost in the 21st century?

londonist.com
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Tom Cook@TomCook24Oct 20
Fine, I’ll say it again. The body of surviving texts used for *all* claims of this kind is far too small for any actual linguist or statistician to take seriously. Whether it’s Brian Vickers (see reply) or the New Oxford Shakespeare, it’s built on sand theguardian.com/culture/2026…

Scholars conclude ‘beyond doubt’ that Shakespeare was main author of Edward III

Exclusive: Play anonymously published in 1596 was collaboration between Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, according to computer analysis

theguardian.com
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The BBC are closing BBC3 for the second time, because the kids aren’t watching. We all told them it was daft to bring it back, and even dafter to close BBC4 to pay for it. But they never listen.
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Jem Bloomfield@jembloomfieldOct 20
V cheered that Paths in the Snow, the first of my books about Narnia, is due to be published in the United States in a couple of weeks’ time. I’m intrigued by how different the cover is from the UK edition, but how excellent it is at the same time.
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Some posts on what my book CULTURE VULTURES covers. My argument is that the arts are being politicised today to the extent that we are losing sight of the art itself and its intrinsic qualities. Chapter 1 explains how we got here. /
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Sir Jonathan Bate@profbateOct 19
Expressing “doubt” at jonathanbate.substack.com - just posted. theguardian.com/culture/2026…
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