Floating Purgatory – Life and Death Aboard an 18th Century British Prison Hulk
“The prison hulks of Portsmouth and Plymouth, England would become home to thousands of captured enemy soldiers and sailors.” By Chris Dickon “MAN TOOK ONE of the most beautiful objects of his handiwork and deformed…
The Medway Fiasco – How Dutch Raiders Dealt England One of Its Worst Naval Defeats in History
“The Medway Raid is the military apogee of the Netherland’s Golden Age.” By John Danielski IT IS THE greatest heist of the 17th Century, but does not involve gold, jewels, or chests of treasure. It…
‘Augmentations of Honour’ – Seven Emblems from Historic Coats of Arms and the Amazing Stories Behind Them
“These badges range from fantastic beasts to bizarre body parts.” By Richard Anderton FOR CENTURIES, NOBLEMEN (and sometimes women) who committed exceptional acts of bravery on the battlefield were rewarded with the addition of a…
The Glorious First of June – Why Britain’s First Triumph Over Revolutionary France was a Pyrrhic Victory
“The clash is not only the first major naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, it is the longest and hardest fought.” By John Danielski PARIS. MAY, 1794. An emaciated peasant mother holding a skin-and-bones baby…
Meet the Kempeitai – The Gestapo of Imperial Japan
“Kempeitai officers had sweeping powers, including the right to arrest, condemn, and execute suspects as well as defiant prisoners of war who refused orders or tried to escape.” By Neil Kagan and Stephen G. Hyslop…
Demolition Man — Remembering Robert de La Rochefoucald’s Most Daring Wartime Mission
“He’d sabotaged rail lines and power stations across France, killed countless enemy soldiers, and even escaped an enemy firing squad. But behind his outward-facing élan, he was racked by secret doubts.” By Paul Kix ROBERT…
