The Browser - Detective Darling

The Darling Hero Of England

Henry Oliver | Common Reader | 21st October 2024

Reviving the legacy of Horatio Nelson. “Trafalgar was a victory of temperament. Without Nelson, Napoleon may have achieved what Hitler never managed. Professional horror of the Great Man Theory of History has led historians to under-rate the role of exceptional talent in the course of events. We can accept the importance of Nelson without believing that history is only made by Great Men” (6,600 words)

The Fruit Detective

Mark Schapiro | Smithsonian | 21st October 2024

Profile of Isabella Dalla Ragione, who scours Renaissance paintings for clues to restore Italy’s vanishing agricultural biodiversity. In a 15C altarpiece, she discovers api piccola, an “ungainly, crunchy and tart” apple variety that can be stored at room temperature for seven months. She also finds mistakes: Bellini’s Madonna of the Pear is actually a cow-nosed apple, common 600 years ago and rare today (4,900 words)

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