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”
Category: Essays
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”
War is Hell, and That’s Why We Love It: When Anti-War Messages Backfire
Sabaton is a Swedish heavy metal band famous for writing songs about military history. Due to their unusual choice of topic, they have assembled a large and… Read more “War is Hell, and That’s Why We Love It: When Anti-War Messages Backfire”
Mini Take: The Problem with the New Star Wars Intro
In 2019, Disney released the first season of The Mandalorian, intended to be a fresh start for the franchise after the divisive sequel trilogy and the financial… Read more “Mini Take: The Problem with the New Star Wars Intro”
Tragedy and Farce 