Livia Gershon
Livia Gershon is a freelance journalist based in New Hampshire. She has written for the Guardian, the Boston Globe, HuffPost, and Vice, among other outlets.
Articles From This Author
10 Reasons the Knights Templar Were History's Fiercest Fighters
After Christian forces conquered Jerusalem in 1099, Europeans began making pilgrimages to the Holy Lands by the droves. On the way, they were often attacked by bandits, or even crusading knights. To protect travelers and help defend the new Christian states in the Middle East, a ...read more
Eight Knights Who Changed History
There’s no more iconic symbol of medieval Europe than the knight: clad in shining armor, jousting with his rivals, wearing a token of his lady love. But knights were far more than romantic figures—they were a triumph of military technology. Accounts from the Middle Ages describe ...read more
Chivalry Was Established to Keep Thuggish, Medieval Knights in Check
In the 21st century, the word chivalry evokes a kind of old-fashioned male respect for women. But during the Middle Ages, the code was established for much grittier reasons. At a time of routine military violence with massive civilian casualties, chivalry was an effort to set ...read more
Who Was the Real St. Valentine? The Many Myths Behind the Inspiration for Valentine's Day
On February 14, when we share chocolates, special dinners, or doily cards with our loved ones, we do it in the name of Saint Valentine. But who was this saint of romance? Search the internet, and you can find plenty of stories about him—or them. One Saint Valentine was ...read more
How Stereotypes of the Irish Evolved From ‘Criminals’ to Cops
New York’s longest-serving police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, is an Irish-American. So is the department’s current commissioner, James O’Neill. Municipal police departments across the country celebrate the role of Irish-American cops with Emerald Societies—and there’s historic ...read more