Baddesly Clinton

Fascinating account of a clandestine general meeting of Catholic missionaries that nearly ended in disaster at Baddesly Clinton. Authorities had somehow gotten word of the secret meeting and raided the house just moments after many of the attendees had left, leaving others to hide in a safe room created by Nicholas Owen. Ironic that Owen himself was hiding in his own creation.

Richard Topcliffe

Enjoying Alice Hogge's God's Secret Agent, if that's how you can describe reading about a fellow, Richard Topcliffe, who was Queen Elizabeth's personal priest-hunter and torturer. Rather lurid stuff, and it's the bit of British history that I've read about many times before. But Hogge's account is as engaging as it is well-documented, which is really saying something as this is reportedly only her first book. I look forward to reading whatever else she might have in store for us.

God's Secret Agents

Just started reading Hogge's book yesterday. Just the thing for these cold winter days and nights.

Woodrow Wilson

Finished reading Auchincloss' book. Most notable, in my opinion, were multiple references to Wilson's dream of establishing a league of nations and, especially in light of our own time, questions concerning his mental condition late into his second term.