Month: July 2012
Those Brave Jackasses — Meet Some Heroic Wartime Donkeys
“The British army in the First World War actually promoted a donkey to the rank of Sergeant.” FOR THE FIRST 180 years of its existence as a sovereign nation, the United States supposedly never lost…
The Mouse that Roared – Inside a Forgettable 100-Year Conflict Between France and a Tiny Village in Spain
“Nothing much came of the conflict. It’s unclear if the government of France knew or even cared that the people of the remote Andalusian town were up in arms.” WHEN Spain’s King Alfonso XII travelled…
Left Holding the Bag – Some of History’s Best Known Scapegoats
“The pages of history are full of examples of military commanders who were unfairly accused, tried and sometimes even put to death for the incompetence, ignorance or failure of others.” “WE LOST. Someone’s gotta pay!” That…
In The Company of Men — Women Who Disguised Themselves To Fight
“Mulan wasn’t the only woman to ever don male clothing in order to take her place in the battle line” LONG BEFORE Disney brought her story to life on the big screen, the Chinese have…
The First Dogfighters – How History’s Earliest Combat Pilots Improvised Aerial Warfare
“Many of the principles of air to air combat still in use today were improvised on the fly (literally) by pilots who were making it up as they went along.” THE WORLD’S MILITARIES were among…
Mightier Than The Sword — Meet Some of Warfare’s Most Influential Scribes
“Sun Tzu was by no means the only strategist to offer perspectives on how generals can win battles and wars.” SUN TZU, THE renown 6th Century BCE Chinese warrior and philosopher, was once ordered by…
