Tying Literature, Art and History to the Land
As mentioned earlier, Stephen O’Shea’s excellent Sea of Faith adds a nice angle to its history. He focuses on the interaction of faith, politics, empires and art in the Mediterranean from the advent of Islam to the battle of Malta in 1565. He also travels to many of the lands in question and contrasts current day with the past. This helps us think of the long view, and I imagine it helped him write his history more effectively.
In recent years, I’ve become enamored with a similar approach. Visiting historical sites amplifies the stories I’ve read. Seeing the homes of beloved authors provides a touchstone for further reading. A few years ago, for example, I visited The Mount, one of Edith Wharton’s homes, in Lenox, Mass. Here are two photos of her mansion from the foundation’s website, showing before and after restoration:
