By James Aitchison It’s a common enough English saying. When someone’s behaviour or actions are unacceptable and outside the bounds of normal limits, their conduct is deemed to be “beyond the pale”. Being “beyond the pale” covers a plethora of sins:…
By James Aitchison Dappled sunlight spills into the little Paris courtyard. Across the Seine, Notre-Dame rises above the rooftops. Nothing is hurried. Occasionally a cover is opened, a page is turned. We are on the Left Bank, and time has…
By James Aitchison The country around South Australia’s Flinders Ranges is unforgiving. It is also deceptive. Some years there’s enough grass to support thousands of sheep; in others, the pastures become an arid wasteland. Boom and bust, boom and bust…
By James Aitchison Nassau, the Bahamas. 8 July 1943. It was after midnight when Sir Harry Oakes, aged 68, one of the world’s richest men, was murdered with a silver ice pick from Simpsons-in-the-Strand. It punctured the side of his…
By James Aitchison When the Lebanese-born American poet Kahlil Gibran published The Prophet in 1923, he little knew it would become one of the best-selling books of all time. Nor could he have known that the world’s most famous rockstar…
By: James Aitchison When James Stuart was born in 1566, Scotland was far from being a remote, barbaric kingdom to England’s north. Sixteenth century Scotland was, in fact, a flourishing centre of intellectual activity. Young Scots travelled and studied in…
By: James Aitchison She was arguably one of the most innovative film directors and editors in the history of cinema. Her creative black-and-white images continue to inspire film and commercial makers to this day. But in 1930s Germany, she was…
By James Aitchison His rule in Romania lasted 24 brutal years. Incredibly, it ended on Christmas Day 1989 when he and his wife were executed by firing squad. Like many dictators before and since, Nicolae Ceausescu (pronounced Chow-shes-ku) refused to…
By James Aitchison Winning the Booker Prize is every author’s dream. It is arguably the world’s most prestigious literary award. It bestows distinction upon authors and virtually guarantees a boost in sales. But few people know that the award had…
By James Aitchison Meet Elizabeth Báthory, the Hungarian noblewoman who is said to have tortured and murdered 650 female victims and bathed in their blood. Her motivation? The search for eternal youth. But was she really a serial killer in…