Category: Odd Facts
A Very British Victory – Europe Saw Waterloo As An Anti-Climax; In England, It Was A Defining Moment
“The idea quickly took root that the battle was an archetypically British success.” By Alan Forrest OF THE NATIONS whose soldiers fought at Waterloo only Britain sought to transform the battle into an iconic event….
Shooting the Messenger — Meet the Journalist Who Was Fired for Breaking the Story of Germany’s Surrender
“Kennedy and his colleagues were flabbergasted when Allied commanders demanded the assembled newsies wait at least 36 hours before releasing the bombshell to the world.” JOURNALISTS ARE NORMALLY congratulated for breaking major news first. But for one…
The Mayaguez Incident — America’s Deadly Last Battle in South East Asia Happened Two Week’s After Saigon’s Fall
“The crisis and botched rescue served as a farcical footnote to America’s decade-long misadventure in Indo China.” CHARLES McMAHON AND DARWIN LEE JUDGE lay claim to a most unfortunate place in the history books: The two…
“Kolberg” — Nazi Germany’s Cinematic Swan Song
“The 104-minute feature film was a dramatization of the historic battle by Prussian patriots to defend Pomerania’s last un-conquered city from Napoleon.” THE LAST THING Germany’s dazed and weary masses wanted or needed in early 1945 was a movie —…
No Survivors – Famous Regiments That Were Completely Wiped Out
“Custer’s 7th Cavalry is just one of several army units from history that have been completely wiped out in a single battle.” THE CITIZENS OF AMERICA received a nasty surprise for their country’s 100th anniversary. In early…
Bonaparte the Bookworm – Napoleon Was An Avid Reader; So What Were His Favourite Books?
“At the École Militaire in Paris and as a young artillery officer, Napoleon continued to read classical scholars, as well as more recent French and Italian authors.” By Shannon Selin NAPOLEON BONAPARTE was a voracious…
