Claire Cock-Starkey

Joined: Nov 3, 2015

Claire Cock-Starkey is a writer and editor based in the UK. Her latest book, The Book Lovers' Miscellany, was published in January 2018. Visit her at www.nonfictioness.com.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s is now one of literature’s most valuable author signatures.

10 Extremely Valuable Author Signatures

A semi-accurate rendering of a crocodile.

10 Historical First Impressions of Animals and Plants

“The Plague Hospital,” a painting by Francisco Goya.

13 Facts About the Black Death

An interior view of Paris’s morgue in the 19th century.

The Surprising Origin of the Word ‘Morgue’

A section of Hadrian’s Wall showing the remains of a Roman fort.

10 Facts About Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman Empire’s Northern Frontier

Uncover the story of Hadrian’s Wall and take a fascinating dive into life at the Roman Empire’s northern frontier.

Recreated Viking sod houses behind a wooden fence at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada.

10 Facts About L’Anse aux Meadows, North America’s Only Viking Ruins

Discover the mysteries of L’Anse aux Meadows, the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America.

A camel caravan travels along the ancient Silk Road in Xinjiang Province, China.

8 Trade Routes That Shaped World History

Whether they carried salt, incense, or tea, traders on these eight historic roads helped make the world as we know it.

Your gift may mean more than meets the eye.

20 Traditional Gift-Giving Superstitions

If you want to avoid bad luck this holiday season, don't give knives, hankies, or peacock feathers, but do give coal.

Larimar, one of the world’s rarest gems.

10 of the World’s Rarest Gemstones

They may not be as “precious” as diamonds or emeralds, but these scarce gems are just as valuable—if not more so.

Scientists investigated whether Ouija Boards could speak for those beyond the veil.

8 Victorian Scientists Who Investigated Ghosts

Some 19th-century scientists embraced psychical research, while others tried to debunk the sensational stories.

11 Miniature Mischief-Makers From World Folklore

The milk has curdled? Must be a brownie. Someone drank all your wine? Your cellar might be infested with clurichauns.

7 Ships That Disappeared Without a Trace

The true fate of many of these ships will never be known, but speculation suggests that storms, piracy, mutiny, accidental bombing, and even the attack of a giant squid could be responsible for their vanishings.

Laudanum was used by a number of writers and artists in the Victorian Era.

The Lure of Laudanum, the Victorians’ Favorite Drug

In an era before modern medicine, laudanum and other opium derivatives became seen as wonder drugs.

The Rivals Who Cracked the Code of Ancient Egypt’s Hieroglyphs

Following the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, two scholars battled each other to decipher the mysterious Egyptian writing system.

Leech collecting was a job that, quite literally, sucked.

10 of the Worst Jobs in the Victorian Era

Next time you complain about your boring desk job, be glad you're not a tosher or a leech collector.

Claude Monet in front of the famous water lilies at his gardens in Giverny, 1905.

10 Writers and Artists Who Wanted Their Work Destroyed

Whether from a lack of confidence, concerns over sensitive contents, a change of direction, or simply a fit of pique, a number of artists and writers have destroyed their own work.