41-year-old Masabumi Hosono was the only Japanese passenger on board the Titanic when she sank on her maiden voyage on April 15th, 1912. Hosono survived the sinking, but it cost him his honour.
Titanic survivor: Masabumi Hosono
Category Archives: Tea Break
My Great Great Uncles in World War One
One of the first blog pieces I wrote was about my Great Grandpa Norman Dale and his terrible, ‘Saving Private Ryan’-esque experiences in the First World War (you can read that here). Norman was in the 2nd/6th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, … Continue reading
Did Queen Victoria Really Fall In Love With Her Prime Minister?
I have long been a fan of Queen Victoria. I own a copy of her diaries, I’ve read her biographies and have watched The Young Victoria more times than I care to admit. Her relationship with her husband, Albert, who … Continue reading
Was it Fire, not Ice, that Ultimately Caused the Titanic to Sink?
New evidence would suggest that a huge fire in one of the Titanic’s bunkers actually played a far bigger role in her sinking than previously believed. Examining rare photographs taken by the ship’s chief electrical engineers before she left the … Continue reading
A Conversation with Historian Ian Garden on WW2 Propaganda and 2016 Politics
Ian Garden is a military historian and an authority on Nazi propaganda. His latest book, Battling With The Truth, examines the way both the British and Nazi governments manipulated coverage of key events in the Second World War. You can … Continue reading
5 Things I Didn’t Know About Berlin
I have been to Berlin three or four times in the past eighteen months for work, but have never been able to see more than the airport, the inside of a taxi, the inside of a focus group facility, and my hotel room. When I went back last week, I decided I would finally set things right, so I set out on a 3.5 hour walking tour of the city (The Original Free Berlin Tour – would highly recommend).
Here are the top five things I learned/saw (a little random, granted, but variety is the spice of life):
A Tale of Two Façades
This week I am in Moscow, conducting focus groups for some upcoming films. Sadly, the nature of the job leaves little time to explore, but I have ticked off the Red Square and, given that we are staying at the … Continue reading
Ration Book Diet: Lamb and Aubergine Stir Fry
October has arrived and the evenings are starting to grow cooler, so we thought we would try the Lamb and Aubergine stir fry from The Ration Book Diet. Read more to find out how we got on, or click here … Continue reading
Did Alexander The Great’s Subjects Believe He Was A God?
I wrote a piece over at The Groovy Historian, discussing whether or not Alexander The Great’s subjects believed he was a god.
Ration Book Recipe: Baked Sweet Potato and Honey
The first recipe I decided to try from the Ration Book Diet (see my review here) was, of course, the Sweet Potato and Honey winter dish. The original recipe would have had regular potatoes rather than the sweet variety, so … Continue reading
My History Cafe 