Literature Festival Reviews ; When We Asked Readers If They Would Like to Review Events at This Year's Bath Literature Festival Alongside Chronicle Staff Members, We Were Swamped by Requests. Last Week We Published the First Batch of Thoughtfully and Creatively Written Reviews. Today We Publish Those From the Closing Days of This Year's Hugely Successful Festival

Summary

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Rachel Hewitt in conversation with Jenni Mills In these days of satellite navigation and global positioning systems, we take the accuracy of maps for granted. Imagine then what it was like in the eighteenth century when maps differed wildly in their reliability.

Rachel Hewitt took us back to those days in vivid detail and introduced us to men like William Roy and William Mudge whose labours gave us the Ordinance Survey; the history of which is explored in her book Map of a Nation.

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Literature Festival Reviews ; When We Asked Readers If They Would Like to Review Events at This Year's Bath Literature Festival Alongside Chronicle Staff Members, We Were Swamped by Requests. Last Week We Published the First Batch of Thoughtfully and Creatively Written Reviews. Today We Publish Those From the Closing Days of This Year's Hugely Successful Festival

In both her reading and in response to Jenni's questions, Rachel described the painstaking methodology employed by those early map- makers and the cumbersome but cutting-edge technology of the day. I was fascinated to learn that what resulted was accurate to within a few feet. Although somewhat less surprised that it took a mammoth seventy two years to complete the task.

We learnt too how the forces of science, literature, military conquest and rebellion, all had their part to play in the evolution of modern mapping.

As a result I know that next time I put on my hiking boots I will regard my map with a new found reverence, and pause to remember the extraordinary dedication and labour that went into its predecessors.

Richard Barnwell Anna Keay If Bath's waters had healed as they'd hoped when Charles II and Queen Catherine of Braganza visited in July 1663, history might have unfolded differently. Anna Kaey's excellent talk about 'Charles II - The Magnificent Monarch' began with this local reference.

Catherine had hoped the waters would help her have a male heir who would eventually become King - but it didn't happen. Charles fathered many children to mistresses, but Catherine only had miscarriages. However, Charles refused to divorce her, and insisted she be treated with decorum and respect.

Anna's talk was illustrated by portraits backing her argument that Charles was more shrewd than the merry monarch image suggests. His tutor had told him two things defined monarchy; the ceremonial associated with royalty - and, paradoxically, the ability - to relate to subjects in a very human way.

Anna suggested that the years of flight and exile abroad had a profound impact on Charles II before the restoration. His entourage even then, in fairly humble settings, acted as courtiers. As king, he followed his tutor's advice, and ended up dying naturally and handing the throne to his brother James II, who, though he'd converted to Catholicism, was the successor ...

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