How to Win a War in Three Easy Steps – A Selection of the Best (and Worst) Army Training Films

“Most of them are mind-numbingly utilitarian; others are unintentionally hilarious.” IT’S NOT OFTEN that an army training film gets a nod from the Oscars. But that’s just what happened in 1944 when a War Department…

Continue Reading... How to Win a War in Three Easy Steps – A Selection of the Best (and Worst) Army Training Films

Sunk Twice — Inside One American Sailor’s Astonishing Story of Survival in the Pacific

“Dozens of Japanese survivors and two other American POWs were clinging to the bobbing raft. It was the second time in two weeks that Rocek had survived a warship’s sinking.” By Stephen L. Moore SECOND…

Continue Reading... Sunk Twice — Inside One American Sailor’s Astonishing Story of Survival in the Pacific

The Disappearance of Flight 19 — Shedding Light on the Mystery of the Missing Torpedo Bombers

“Over the decades theories as to the cause of the disaster have emerged, with proponents referencing wholly invented portions of the official record devised to make this strange event even more mysterious.” By Steve MacGregor…

Continue Reading... The Disappearance of Flight 19 — Shedding Light on the Mystery of the Missing Torpedo Bombers

‘The Day After’ — How a 1983 TV Movie About a Nuclear Holocaust Helped Shift U.S. Cold War Strategy

“The events over the fall of 1983, including the impact of watching The Day After, led to a stark reversal in Reagan’s rhetoric and policy.” By David Craig FORTY YEARS AGO this week, half the…

Continue Reading... ‘The Day After’ — How a 1983 TV Movie About a Nuclear Holocaust Helped Shift U.S. Cold War Strategy

General, Emperor, Icon — Deciphering the Mystique of Napoleon Bonaparte

“Napoleon Bonaparte was in effect larger than life. Indeed, among his sources of political power was his ability to promote all these dazzling images of himself.” By William Nester CHIEF AMONG Napoleon Bonaparte’s many assets…

Continue Reading... General, Emperor, Icon — Deciphering the Mystique of Napoleon Bonaparte

Dive Bombers — A Brief History of the First Precision Strike Aircraft

“Each airplane enabled their respective services to perfect dive-bombing as a tactic. Each introduced new (at the time) technology and solutions that made them accurate dive bombers.” By Marc Liebman IN THE AGE of smart…

Continue Reading... Dive Bombers — A Brief History of the First Precision Strike Aircraft