Welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere!
My name is Sarah Angleton. I am a wife, mother of boys, and writer of fiction and sometimes other stuff, too. My first historical novel, Gentleman of Misfortune, comes out September 6, 2018.
In a way, this blog has grown out of the research for that novel and its companion, currently scheduled for release in February of 2020, because research almost always winds up heading in surprising directions, most of which don’t belong in a novel, but might be at home in a blog post.
What I’ve discovered while navigating the world my characters inhabit, is that what I love most about history is the way it so often becomes entwined with my own world as well. I appreciate history most when I stumble across those little tidbits that inform my experiences living in this particular time.
And so with this blog, I am attempting to share some of those generally quirky, often funny, usually fascinating little pieces of history that may seem irrelevant under a big spotlight, but add flavor to my understanding of the human condition.
This is not a blog about serious history. It is not a blog about politics or foreign affairs. It is a blog about small scale history from an everyday, practical perspective. I promise I will attempt to share factual information, but I can’t promise I won’t make mistakes. My research will be at times a little shoddy because not every research idea can turn into a novel. I simply don’t have time for that.
The subject matter will vary, sometimes greatly. But my hope is that it will always be somewhat informative, a little bit relatable, and kind of funny, and that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
By the way, if you like the blog, you might also enjoy Launching Sheep & Other Stories from the Intersection of History and Nonsense, a collection of essays celebrating the 5th Blogiversary of The Practical Historian.
Author Sarah Angleton 
Good luck with your publication process, Sarah. And, kudos on completing your first novel. That’s quite an accomplishment. Cheers, Paulette 🙂
Thanks! It is a steep learning curve, but I am getting there.
Hello Sarah! I’ve passed the Liebster Award on! You might like to check out the list of blogs I’ve passed it on to (http://historyundusted.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/the-liebster-award). Thank you again for the nomination. 🙂
Great post! You lived in a Scottish castle? Cool! I am excited to explore some new history blogs.
Thank you for following my blog. It’s given me an opportunity to meet you and take a look at your blog. Good stuff here! I like it a lot and intend to visit often. 🙂
I’m very glad to have discovered you! Thanks for dropping in.
Hi Sarah! I think I lost the email you sent about doing a post on the writing process. I had one of those stupid moments where I decided to delete everything–housecleaning–but went too far. I’ve done a post like that kind of recently but soon I’ll have a new book out and would love to answer the questions then–if you’d kindly re-send. I understand the life of a stay-at-home mother and writer can get hectic so no worries if you can’t–and thanks for thinking of me.
All the best~
Adrienne
Sarah, I have nominated you for the Creative Blogger Award. Here is my link to it: https://susanrobertswriter.wordpress.com/2015/04/23/creative-blogger-nomination/
Thank you very much!
I had a history professor who used to say about the uncertainties of historical accuracy ‘If it didn’t happen just like that, it should have!’ I have always quite liked that take! Your blog is beautifully written and interesting/intriguing……….. I shall visit again!
I love that! A very honest history professor. Thank you for your very kind words.
Hello Sarah …. I come to you via Robin at Witless Dating after Fifty, you might like to check out Vanessa who blogs at https://vanessafrance.wordpress.com/ (Life on la Lune) – she is a history buff (degree in History from Oxford University, I believe) and is most interesting but the thing I think would make you natural blog-fellows is that she too writes historical fiction – and she has been published so might be helpful to you. I wish you well and look forward to seeing more from your blog 🙂
Thank you! I’ll check out her blog.
My pleasure … it seemed a natural fit 🙂
Amazing eclectic mix of subjects. Love the blog Sarah. Which of your articles was featured on Freshly Pressed? What a honour!
Thank you very much, Robert! It is kind of eclectic. I have been fortunate to have two posts featured on Freshly Pressed. The first was about the history of shark attacks, in honor of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, and the second was about a beard tax instituted by Russia’s Peter the Great. You can follow these links if you’d like to read them.
https://sarah-angleton.com/2012/08/15/swimming-in-human-infested-water/
https://sarah-angleton.com/2013/09/05/a-hairy-tax-scheme-ridding-society-of-superfluous-burdens/
Great blog. The posts are very exciting (as well as captivating). We are looking forward to frequently checking out your blog.
Thank you very much!
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