When, if ever, can actions performed by soldiers be heroic? In the final episode of his long running series on the Pacific Theater of World War II,… Read more “Heroism and Warfare: A Dan Carlin Rebuttal”
Month: June 2021
Child Soldiers: The Reasoning Behind the Horror
Child soldiers are one of the most disturbing yet prevalent trends in warfare today. Globally, the number of child soldiers has grown steadily since the 1980s, with… Read more “Child Soldiers: The Reasoning Behind the Horror”
What the Swedish Empire Tells Us About History
As long as humans have studied history, we have tried to simplify its broad sweep into theories. Great man theory, first articulated by Thomas Carlyle in the… Read more “What the Swedish Empire Tells Us About History”
Middle Earth Isn’t Medieval: Part II
Welcome back to Part II of my two part discussion on whether J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth qualifies as a medieval world (Part I here). Last… Read more “Middle Earth Isn’t Medieval: Part II”
Middle Earth Isn’t Medieval: Part I
Fantasy and medieval settings go together like peanut butter and jelly, like wizards and towers. Consumers of fantasy are so used to seeing fantasy worlds set in… Read more “Middle Earth Isn’t Medieval: Part I”
To the Last Man: Demography and the Roman Army’s Darkest Hour
A little while ago, I wrote about how the Second Punic War lasted so long that many of the men in Hannibal’s army would have had more… Read more “To the Last Man: Demography and the Roman Army’s Darkest Hour”
How Well Does Chess Represent Warfare?
Chess is the world’s most popular war game. The creators of the game, both in ancient India and Renaissance Italy, designed the pieces to move in ways… Read more “How Well Does Chess Represent Warfare?”
Caesar vs William the Conquerer? Reflections on Battles Across Time
One of the sillier questions military history buffs sometimes ask each other is how armies from different time periods would have fared in battle against each other.… Read more “Caesar vs William the Conquerer? Reflections on Battles Across Time”
Old Soldiers Never Die? A Demographic Analysis of History’s Most Elderly Army
In modern times, we think of military service as a temporary thing, a term of service lasting a few years before soldiers return to civilian life. Even… Read more “Old Soldiers Never Die? A Demographic Analysis of History’s Most Elderly Army”
Mini Take: My Favorite Roman Emperor
If you think that choosing a favorite Roman emperor is the most superficial and unnecessary thing imaginable, you would be correct. Great Man history has fallen out… Read more “Mini Take: My Favorite Roman Emperor”
Tragedy and Farce 