Stoned in the Ranks – Drug and Alcohol Abuse Nothing New in Military Culture
“Substance abuse in the service is a centuries old phenomenon.” AN OUTRIGHT ban on drinking alcohol in combat seems to have had little impact on American soldiers’ consumption of booze, according to an article last week…
Monumental Struggles — Five War Memorials That Sparked Controversy
“The $500,000 work of art raised eyebrows when it was unveiled.” WAR MEMORIALS ARE supposed to commemorate past conflicts. But what happens when the monument itself sparks a battle in its own right? A number of…
Two-Wheeled Warriors — A Brief History of Bicycles on the Battlefield
“Bike riding infantry could carry heavier loads father and faster than men on foot, and riders would still have the energy to charge into battle, even after hours of pedalling.” THE BICYCLE (as we know it…
Beyond the Pail – The Unbelievable War of the Oaken Bucket
“The unlikely dispute was actually part of a wider ongoing feud between two warring factions in northern Italy.” SOME WARS ARE fought for land. Others have been waged over oil. More than a few have…
Black in Grey — Did Some African Americans Really Fight For the Confederacy? Historians Say No
“Some say it was a statistically insignificant handful, others maintain that it must have been ‘thousands.’“ BY THE END of the U.S. Civil War, there were approximately 180,000 African Americans fighting for the Union. This…
How Early Photographers Captured History’s First Images of War
“The equipment was still sensitive and it took several moments for a successful exposure. That didn’t keep early war photographers from trying.” MATTHEW BRADY, the celebrated 19th century photographer, captured more than 10,000 images the…
