An Arguementation of Historians by Jodi Taylor Synopsis: “Behind the seemingly innocuous facade of St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research, a different kind of academic work is taking place. Just don’t call it “time travel”―these historians “investigate major historical events in contemporary time.” And they aren’t your harmless eccentrics either; a more accurate description, as they ricochet around history, might be unintentional disaster-magnets. From Tudor England to the burning city of Persepolis, from a medieval St. Mary’s under siege to Victorian Rushford and a very nasty case of gaol fever, Max is struggling to keep her private life intact. There’s an ambitious programme hindered by giant teapots, plus Mrs. Midgely’s objection to dead hamsters in her airing cupboard, and Mr. Markham’s stubborn refusal to reveal his exact marital status. And as if that’s not enough―the unfortunately not leprosy-laden Malcolm Halcombe is back. Admittedly, none of this is the most secure platform from which to launch an initiative to bring down the renegade Clive Ronan, but hey―what’s the worst that could happen?”

My Review

This was another book full of adventure, history, time travel, disasters and lots of cups of tea! This is actually book 9 in the The Chronicles of St Mary’s series, and this series definitely needs to be read in order!

I like Max but she does annoy me at times, especially when she thinks she needs to sort out every dangerous situation, which inevitably ends in disaster and not only for her!

This book features Max and her team of historians visiting Tudor England, to find out if Henry VIII’s knock on the head really did alter his personality, or if he was always an nasty piece of work.  They also visit Persepolis (modern Iran) just before it burns down in 330 BC, to get a glimpse of Alexander the Great and to discover why the city burnt down. Some of them also visit Medieval St. Mary’s and Victorian Rushford.

As usual I enjoyed all the historical facts Jodi Taylor writes about when St. Mary’s are out in the field witnessing the real historical events. I loved it when they were recording their time in Tudor England and Persepolis as it made me feel like I’d travelled back in time with them.

I must admit that I did find the setting in the 14th Century a bit long, as it was a lot slower and made me want to skip ahead to see what was going to happen next. I can’t mention it in more detail as it’s part of the wider plot, so you’ll just have to read the series from the beginning to find out what it’s all about!

As  you can probably tell I really enjoy this series and definitely recommended it if you’re looking for a series full of history, adventure, humour, time-travel and a bit of romance!