a historian who was a crip child

[sammason]

Did you know that David Starkey was born with two club feet and later caught polio? He's famous as a historian and as a star of television and radio. His disability was mentioned in this article about Starkey but he doesn't make much noise about it.

Comments

[fallconsmate]

you know, i have this working theory that people with abrasive personalities develop them in their youth. and reading the wiki article, good GRIEF that man had a boatload of irritants that developed his personality! :)

it was very interesting. what a character!

[sammason]

Is he famous where you live? Here in Britain he's a household name. I like it that he doesn't play the poor-crip card and I notice that many people of his generation and background suffered irritants in their childhoods. But it's no excuse really, is it? He could have become a lovely courteous gentleman.

[fallconsmate]

honestly, this was the first i'd heard of him. but wow, what a prolific writer!

and you know...if someone can use words well, i'll even forgive the crankypants personality. ;)

[sammason]

You'll let me off, then :-)

[dimity_blue]

I had no idea of any of that. I only, really, know him through his history series (which I love). I'd even missed that he's supposed to be so disliked and abrasive!

I think I'll stick to his history series. He's really interesting (and not rude) in them. :oD

[sammason]

I didn't know about his disability until about 2 days ago, either.