His special interest is everyday history - ie how ordinary people lived - not the high level politics or social history that most historians write about. He has written two books, both as historical novels, seeking to bring history alive.

Hugh Capel's books are:

Link: Where the Dead Men Lie

Link: Kiandra Gold

Both these books owe their inspiration to the work of Barcroft Boake, the Australian bush poet. Barcroft is Hugh's great, great uncle, for whom he has always felt a close affinity.

Although he initially studied history under Professor Manning Clark in the late 1960s, Hugh came to writing late in life. Some interesting anecdotes about how this happened can be found using the following links:

Link:  Speaking Notes for the Launch of Kiandra Gold

Link: Address to the Cooma Monaro Historical Society

As well as the close affinity Hugh has always felt towards Barcroft Boake, his great aunt was the early Australian femminist writer, Capel Boake (Doris Kerr). Hugh's father is the Australian historian, Frank Crowley.

Hugh has already established two web sites dedicated to Australian history:

Link: www.boake.net - Barcroft Boake site; and

Link: www.kiandra.net - Kiandra Historical Society site.

The success of these sites encouraged him to establish this historypages site.