Welcome! I am a historian of the eighteenth-century world, particularly the British Empire and the many indigenous societies it encountered. I also have interests in visual history, anthropological history, experimental uses of biography, and issues surrounding higher education and the humanities. On this site you’ll find links to my historical writing, reflections on my historical reading, and discussions of various historical engagements (oh, and an unlikely page on swimming).
Recent Posts
Mr Darcy and Savagery
Well out of my comfort zone, I talked here with the wonderful crew at Hot&Bothered for their latest podcast on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I was invited to talk about Mr Darcy’s dismissive line in chapter 5 that “any savage can dance.” Back in 2012 I wrote a whole book on the British usage … Continue reading Mr Darcy and Savagery
Empire and Indigeneity
In: Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History, Volume 23, Number 1, Spring 2022 Empire and Indigeneity: Histories and Legacies By Richard Price. London and New York: Routledge, 2021. What was distinct about the early nineteenth-century British settler empire and what were its legacies? These are the two lead questions in Richard Price’s new book, Empire and … Continue reading Empire and Indigeneity
Sydney Writers Festival
Just found this podcast recording of our session at the 2021 Sydney Writers Festival. Loved being a part of this with Keira Lindsay, James Dunk and several other stellar historians. Easy listening… check the audio bites on this link.
All That Remains
Another piece on Bennelong, but here also on Arthur Phillip, comparing their burial sites and posthumous lives. Preliminary work for my next book. Part of my quarterly gig with Inside Story. Click here for the 1500-word essay.