The Halls of History

This Day In History

2008-03-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

U.S. President History for March 14

1923 - President Harding becomes the first U.S. President to file an income tax report.
1943 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to fly in an airplane while in office.
1996 - U.S. President Bill Clinton committed $100 million for an anti-terrorism pact with Israel to track down and root out Islamic militants.

Flags of Our Fathers Reviewed

2008-03-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

Last night after I finished reading Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley and turned out the light, I laid wide-eyed and awake in my warm comfortable bed and wondered if I could have endured what the Marines who conquered Iwo Jima endured. As I lay staring at the orange glow of my alarm clock, I imagined that first night on Iwo for those young Marines and Navy corpsmen, most barely over 20. Huddled in fox holes and shell craters, red flares casting eerie shadows in all directions, always the very real fear of Japanese infiltrators appearing out of nowhere to bayonet you in your sleep or worse drag you back to their underground lair to do unspeakable torture. And the sunrise wouldn't bring relief, but mortars, artillery shells, and machine guns. Yet the Marines trudged forward, with little or no cover, toward a hidden enemy that poured out death from all directions. Iwo Jima was an ugly eight square-mile hunk of volcanic rock with little vegetation, craggy ravines, razor sharp rock formations, and black sand. As one Iwo veteran put it, "It looked like hell with the fires out." Somehow, the Marines conquered this hell, but at a cost greater than any military victory in US history. And as I pondered all of this as I drifted off to sleep, I thought, "Could I have done that?"

Flags of Our Fathers is at once stirring and sobering. The story of the six men who raised the replacement flag on Mt. Surabachi has all the elements of a Shakespearean comedy, history, and tragedy rolled into one narrative. Bradley tells a brief biography of the six men, all from very different circumstances and backgrounds from all parts of the country. Mike Strank of Pennsylvania, the son of Czechoslovakian immigrants; Harlon Block, a Seventh-Day Adventist high school football star from Texas; Franklin Sousley, a good old boy from the backwoods of Kentucky; Rene Gagnon who worked with his single mother in a textile mill as a teenager in French-influenced New Hampshire; John Bradley the quiet, serious and devoted Catholic son of middle-class Wisconsin parents; Ira Hayes, the aloof Pima Indian from Arizona.

The descriptions of the battle are raw and told with vivid and unsettling detail. For every story of stirring heroism in the face of withering enemy fire, corpsmen rushing to the aid of the wounded through sheets of hot lead and Marines drawing enemy fire away from their buddies, there is one of cruel and seemingly random tragedy. Two buddies in the same shell crater and suddenly one is blown to pieces by a mortar shell. The Japanese were dug into the terrain itself, practically invisible to the slowly advancing Americans. Some Marines said it was like fighting the island itself. They saw very little sign of progress. The Japanese would pull their dead back into their blockhouses and caves leaving no evidence of success for the Marines. The author pulls no punches and through quotes from survivors and his own research describes the battle as it was fought--brutal and without mercy.

The flag raising event is the central event of the book, obviously, and serves as a catalyst to shift gears from military operations to the surreal turn the lives of the three remaining flag-raisers took upon returning to the states. The chance photo had been embraced by the American populace as a symbol not only for the courage and bravery displayed by "our boys over there", but as an icon of fundamental American values. The photo was the centerpiece of a war bond drive to raise funds to continue the war and the living flag-raisers were to play a central part in it. They adjusted with varying levels of success to the stark contrasts between the bloody battlefield they just left and the throngs of adoring crowds and star treatment on the war bond tour.

When a photograph becomes an icon, the individuals in it cease to be individuals and are lost to history as symbols of a time or event. Flags of Our Fathers brings these six men back from history as young, vibrant men who knew they had a job to do and did it in some of the worst conditions imaginable. They fought for their country, but fought harder for each other. They were individuals with families, three of which would never see them again. The survivors didn't want to be called heroes. But if they weren't heroes, then such men don't exist.

Highly reccommend
Also reccommend: Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose

Shifting Sands of the MIddle East

2008-03-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a pretty cool map animation that shows the various Middle Eastern empires over the centuries. Enjoy.

First In the Hearts of His Countrymen?

2008-03-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

This was a persuasive essay I wrote for an academic planning class I took a while back. Even in academic planning class I have to turn it into a history assignment. I may be ill. I hope it persuades you.

A Gallup poll conducted in February of 2005 asked people who they thought the greatest U.S. President was. The results were surprising to say the least. Finishing at the top was Ronald Reagan, followed by Bill Clinton, Lincoln, FDR, and then JFK rounding out the top five. The current President placed sixth. Where did George Washington place? A disappointing seventh, barely ahead of Jimmy Carter! CSPAN did a survey of historians as to who the greatest President was and the results were quite different (American Presidents: Life Portraits n. pag.). Lincoln finished at the top, followed by FDR and then Washington; a far more reasonable ranking. What does this say about how we view history in this country? The Gallup poll indicates an “out of site, out of mind” attitude. Wartime Presidents not withstanding, the public favored more recent Presidents. But, how could our first President, the Founding Father, whose face we see everyday on our currency, have placed so low? Though his face in familiar, his accomplishments are not so, sadly. Despite the lack of familiarity and though he is often passed over for those in office during wartime, George Washington is our greatest President.

George Washington established the roll of the executive branch of the government. Prior to the government of the newly independent colonies, there had never been such an office as President. Though the duties of the President were outlined in the Constitution, how those duties were to be applied and to what affect was a matter of question. Washington left the powers of legislating to the legislators and, instead, concerned himself, as President, primarily with foreign affairs. He held firmly to the belief that the young nation should avoid entangling itself with foreign allegiances (The White House n. pag.).

Washington believed in a strong Federal government and was prepared to exercise the power and authority of the Federal government over the states in order to preserve the union. After Shay’s Rebellion in 1787 he believed that a new constitution would be needed that would allow a standing army to prevent such incidents (under the Articles of the Confederation, a standing army was prohibited) (Encyclopedia Britannica n. pag.). In 1794 he raised up 12,000 militia to quell an uprising in Pennsylvania over the collection of an excise tax on whiskey (National Park Service n. pag.). The “Whiskey Rebellion,” as it came to be known, was one of the first major crises that threatened the young nation and Washington’s decisive leadership was able to suppress it.

After his tremendous leadership as the commander of the Revolutionary Army, Washington’s popularity was fantastic. Many in the colonies, especially those in the army, wanted to make him King. Though it was his for the taking, he refused to accept it saying, “I didn’t fight George III to become George I.” (George F. Smith n. pag.).

In conclusion, George Washington was our greatest President because he defined the office, used the power of the Federal government to preserve the Union, and refused to be named King. He was a man of unquestionable character and leadership who held fast to his vision of a land that would be free. All of these things make George Washington our best and inexplicably overlooked President.

Works Cited

American Presidents: Life Portraits. “CSPAN Survey of Presidential Leadership.”
American Presidents.org. 26 March 2005 <http://www.americanpresidents.org/survey>

National Park Service. “The Whiskey Rebellion.” NPS.gov. 26 March 2005
<http://www.nps.gov/frhi/whiskreb.htm>

Smith, George F. “The Man Who Could Have Been King.”
freedom.orlingrabbe.com. 26 March 2005

The White House. “Biography of George Washington.” Whitehouse.gov. 26 March
2005 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gw1.html>

“Washington, George.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopædia Britannica
Premium Service 26 March 2005 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=24513>

Open the Archives

2008-03-04T22:22:00.000-08:00

While sweeping up the Halls last night, I stumbled across this box of old film reels from the National Archives. It's a whole bunch of newsreels from WWII as well as some about the history of NASA and Department of the Interior motion pictures that ran during the Depression. It's a pretty nifty way to get in touch with Americas past the way my grandparents got in touch with it's present. There weren't a bucketload of 24 hour news channels back in those days. Unfortunately the Halls do not posess the technology to post any of the films here, but fortunately Google Video has been kind enough to host them here.

Also, the National Archives and Records Administration has some pretty cool things worth checking out on their website, including many pictures from WWII (like the one above), helps for researching a geaneology or family history, and resources if you're just brushing up on your knowledge of the Declaration of Independence. It's a very cool and essential stop for the history buff. Please check them out and enjoy the videos. Until next time........................

Flags of Our Fathers

2008-02-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

In October, director Clint Eastwood will release Flags of Our Fathers, based on the James Brady book of the same name. The movie, and book, tells the story of the five Marines and one Navy corpsman who hoisted the flag on Mt. Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima during World War II. The photograph of the raising of the flag, taken by Joe Rosenthal, became an American icon and won Rosenthal the Pulitzer Prize in 1945. Rosenthal died just this past week at the age of 94 in Novato, CA.

Unfortunately, the subjects of his photograph did not enjoy similarly long lifetimes; three of them died during the war and the other three either struggled with living up to the legacy of that image or rarely spoke of it again. The author of the book, Flags of Our Fathers, was the son of one of these men and never knew his father was one of the men in the picture until after his death. The book is his journey to find out who his father was as well as the Battle of Iwo Jima itself.

Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest of many bloody battles against the entrenched Japanese during the United States' island hopping campaign in the Pacific during WWII. Iwo Jima was to serve as a weighstation for bombers returning from missions over the Japanese home islands. The Japanese defended the eight-square mile island with about 22,000 defenders dug deep into bunkers and caves that covered the volcanic atoll's surface. The fighting was fierce, as Marines probed the caves with grenades and flamethrowers to root out the determined defenders. Nearly 7000 Marines were killed and all but about 1000 of the Japanese soldiers were killed. One quarter of all Medals of Honor issued to Marines during WWII were given to those who fought on Iwo Jima. The battle did not end at the raising of the flag, however. The island was not declared to be secure until 31 days later.

I havn't read Bradley's book, but I've been anxiously awaiting this movie for some time. I've enjoyed Clint Eastwood's last few films and am confident that he can deal with as weighty a subject as this quite deftly. From what I have read about the film, it will cover the battle and also follow the men back home for the War Bond/publicity drive that followed. Few war movies ever take us back home where the warrior has to cope with the mundane activities of everyday life. It will be interesting to see this perspective for a change. I can think of a couple movies that deal with the theme of the returning soldier, Born on the Fourth of July and The Best Years of Our Lives, neither of which I have seen. At any rate, given the real life facts surrounding these men, I'm not sure we're looking at a real uplifting film. War is hell, and for those that fight it it doesn't end when they get home. They live the rest of their lives with the sights, sounds, and even smells of the terrible things they witnessed.

In January, Eastwood (and Stephen Speilberg who is producing) will release Red Sun, Black Sand (or Letters From Iwo Jima, as it is being called in Japan) as a companion to Flags of Our Fathers. This film will look at the same battle but from the perspective of the Japanese. Should be interesting to see how this is treated. Hopefully, it won't downplay the fanaticism of many, or most, of the Japanese.

We havn't had any good WWII movies come out for a while, so I'm pretty excited about these two. Here is a combined trailer released in Japan. Until next time....

Update: I just bought Flag of Our Fathers today and plan on reading it before the movie comes out. I'll give a review when I do.

Update #2: I mentioned that there haven't been any good WWII movies out for a while, but I'm wrong. Last year The Great Raid which is an excellent movie about the true story of the most successful rescue operation in US history in the Phillippines, and 2004 had Der Untergang (The Downfall) about the last days in Hitler's bunker. This was an incredible German-made movie with an amazing performance by Bruno Ganz as Hitler. Quite chilling. Both of these are well worth seeing.

The World Turned Upside Down

2008-02-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

Two hundred and thirty years ago this coming Sunday, a group of courageous men met in Philidelphia and changed history by declaring their independence from Great Britain. Yes, you read that right. Independence was declared on the Second of July. On June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee proposed to the Second Continental Congress a resolution for the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. The resolution, which is known as the Lee Resolution, was passed by the Congress on July 2. John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail on July 3rd:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore.

Two days after the Lee Resolution was passed, the Congress approved the Declaration of Independence which Thomas Jefferson had drafted, with minor assistance from the other four members of the Committee of Five. This is what we celebrate annually, in much the way that John Adams predicted.

Over the next seven years George Washington, not a signer of the Declaration, would lead the Continental Army and state militias in a struggle that would appear to any clear thinking observer to be unwinnable. Washington and his men battled the world's most powerful military, harsh climates, and his own Congress up and down the eastern coast of America and finally to a little penisula jutting out into Chesapeake Bay: Yorktown. Even after the defeat of Cornwallis there in 1781, where the British band played "The World Turned Upside Down" during the surrender, it took two more years before the Treaty of Paris was finally signed; Britain finally recognizing the colonies as no longer under her grasp. It was the first time in recorded history that a colony threw off rule of it's mother country and founded a brand new form of government.

So, let's celebrate as John Adams predicted, even if we are two days late. And don't forget the words of another wise man:

I normally don't have a burger, a brat, and a steak, but it is the Fourth of July. And I'm going to need the energy if I'm going to be blowing crap up. It's what the Founding Fathers would want.

-Jim Gaffigan

Until next time..............................

P.S.

I would encourage you to actually read the Declaration of Independence. We all know what it is and maybe a few of us can recite the first seveb words of the preamble (We hold these truths to be self-evident), but do any of us really know what it says? Probably not. It will be a good exercise in American civics and you may even get a little better idea about why the founders felt such an historic and risky proposition was necessary. It isn't long and we owe it to those who fought and died for it to know what it says.

History Books

2008-02-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

I know I said I'd be posting once a week and although I do have a really good excuse you could probably care less so I won't bore you with it.

So here is a cop-out post to slake your historical thirst. This is a list of a few books that I have read on various historical subjects that I recommend. Time prohibits me from commenting or reviewing on them too much, but you can find a review on Amazon.com that will be far more informative than one I could give.

Until next time...

WWII - The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor
Stalingrad: The Fateful Seige by Antony Beevor
The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer

American Civil War - The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

American Revolution - The Glorious Cause by Jeff Shaara
The Glorious Cause by Robert Middlekauf
His Excellency by Joseph Ellis

Our First Ally

2008-02-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

The French have long been the target of American ridicule, even long before Jacques Chirac stiffed us on the Iraq war. There are myriad jokes and one-liners about France and it's lack of, shall we say, battlefield fortitude. Here's an example; Why are the streets of Paris lined with trees? The Germans like to walk in the shade. Or how about this one; Antique French rifle available on eBay. Never fired, only dropped once. These are fun, and deserved to some extent, but we should also remember that without the French the very idea of an independant American nation is very much in question.

This post is actually a paper I wrote on French involvement in the Revolutionary War for a history class at Sonoma State University a couple of years ago. Enjoy.

Why did France enter the American Revolution?

There were essentially three reasons for France’s involvement in the American Revolution: animosity toward England, the ideals of the Enlightenment, and Benjamin Franklin.

France and England had been at odds for generations, going as far back as the Norman invasions of Anglo-Saxon England in the 11th century.[1] After the Norman victory, complications arose out of the fact that the king of England was also the Duke of Norman, a vassal of the French king. The English monarchy became very strong and far more powerful than the French king who was supposed to be its ruler. Naturally this caused a great deal of friction. The problem came to a head in the 13th century when Philip II, the King of France, was finally able to seize Normandy from England.[2] The next great conflagration between the two adversaries was the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). Sparked by England’s claim to Gascony, the Hundred Years’ War saw the English win many of the early battles, but they did not posses the resources in order to subdue all of France. Eventually, through the exploits of Joan of Arc, the French prevailed and the only English territory left on the continent was the coastal town of Calais.[3]

France and England were not only continental rivals, but competed for colonial power as well. Both countries started to settle North American and Caribbean colonies at about the same time in the mid-seventeenth century. Having the two nations’ colonies, not to mention those of the Dutch, in such close proximity proved to be a source of strife and the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century saw a great deal of conflict both in Europe and abroad. From the treaties following War of Spanish Succession, the War of Jenkins Ear, and the Seven Years’ War (known as the French and Indian War in America) the British were awarded possession of French territories of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Canada, Grenada, the Grenadines, and all territory east of the Mississippi. French colonialism in the Americas was all but finished. Britain was now the most powerful and richest nation in the world. Not unlike the present day United States, England was both admired and loathed for its wealth and influence. Though many in the French government and military harbored a great deal of animosity toward England, there were many who shared a different view. As J.J. Jusserand states:

It must not be forgotten that the period of the War of Independence was not
coincident with one of Anglophobia in France, but on the contrary with one of
Anglomania. Everything English was admired, and, when possible, imitated:
manners, literature, philosophy, sport, parliamentary institutions, and above
all, writes one of the earliest French supporters of the colonists, Segur, "the
liberty, at once calm and lofty, enjoyed by the entire body of the citizens of
Great Britain"; Frenchmen "were crazy about the English institutions." It was
the period when people would go to London in order to "learn how to become
thinkers," and to learn also how the stiff rules of old should be discarded,
whether the matter was of the laying out of a garden, of the government of
empires, or the writing of a tragedy. The year of the Proclamation of
Independence was also the one during which the complete works of Shakespeare,
translated by Le Tourneur, took Paris by storm, and were published by
subscription, the King and Queen heading the list. "All the youth of Paris is
for Le Tourneur," wrote indignant Voltaire.[4]

Certainly not all those who admired the “English institutions” were indisposed to seeing it lose it’s colonies, but it seems rather that they harbored a kind of envy and resentment for its success. Undoubtedly, France would make the most of any opportunity to weaken the British Empire and at the same time strengthen its own position on the world stage.

Rivalry with England was unquestionably a large motivating factor, but the timing of the Revolution was particularly good for the colonies. The eighteenth century was a time when thought itself had undergone a revolution. The great writers of the Enlightenment had brought a new consciousness to the mind of the learned Frenchman. As James Breck Perkins stated, “It was the time, as has been said, when a man about to sup suddenly reflected that there were those who had not yet dined.”[5] Leading the way was John Locke. His exposition of theories on natural law in economics and politics in his Second Treatise had a profound influence on not only the French, but on Americas founding fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson. Locke’s arguments gave legitimacy to the cause of democratic institutions and paved the way for other proponents of natural law in all areas of life. Adam Smith and his Wealth of Nations is still considered to be the definitive work on classic free enterprise economics. Many of these enlightened thinkers were indeed French. Known as the philpsophes they included Voltaire, Diderot, Montesquieu, and Rousseau. Their writings challenged the absolute authority of the monarchy, called for systems of checks and balances, and applied rational thought to everything from art to agriculture. To the common French peasant the goings on in the world of philosophy as it related to world affairs was of little concern. They were much more concerned with scraping together enough food to feed their families. But for the nobility and bourgeois these were the times when enlightened men united to right centuries of wrongs for the good of all humanity. These French saw the American Revolution as the embodiment of these ideals.

While the colonies’ cause itself was seen as the Enlightenment in action, no one man personified the enlightened struggle to the French more than Benjamin Franklin. The moment Franklin stepped off the Reprisal, the ship that brought him across the Atlantic, he was immediately admired. With his marten-fur hat, plain clothes, and spectacles, Franklin was the quintessential frontier philosopher. As Robert Middlekauf said, “The French…wanted a hero, and here in this American genius they found a simple philosopher, a wise and good representative of the best of the American wilderness.”[6] Even before Franklins arrival there had been French aid to the colonies, due in large part to the influence of playwright Caron de Beaumarchais and Jacques Donatien Leray de Chaumont who became rich from trade in the Ease Indies.[7] But after the colonists’ defeats at Long Island and Kips Bay, much of the aid was cutoff. Franklins first order of business was to get the aid released from the French harbor, in particular four ships laden with war supplies. Franklin’s methods were calculating and shrewd. By using both the French and English secret services as essentially his message carriers, he was able to secure a quicker commitment from France. As Thomas Fleming explains:

Vergennes (the French foreign minister) might want to keep French aid a secret
because he and his King were not yet sure the Americans were worth a war with
England. But Franklin saw it was to his country’s advantage if the English
knew all about the aid. The more George III found out, the more likely
would be an English declaration of war on France. Who did the declaring
did not matter to Franklin. His mission was to get France into the war on
the American side, the quicker the better.[8]

However, France was reluctant to enter into a military alliance with the colonies. Some within the government, especially minister of finance Baron Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, believed that war with England would be foolish and that Frances real future lay in trade with her traditional rival. He argued that an independent America would be far more economically beneficial to England than to France. Also, France was bound by family ties to the Spanish crown and could not enter into an alliance without first consulting with their Iberian cousins. Events in America soon assisted Franklin in making a breakthrough. Though Philadelphia had fallen, British general Johnny Burgoyne and his army had been defeated at Saratoga by colonial general Horatio Gates, effectively ending the British campaign in the north. Soon after Saratoga the British began making overtures of reconciliation to Franklin. Knowing that he was being watched by both French and English secret services, Franklin masterfully played one side off the other; the English were eager to make peace before the French entered the war and France was eager to deal a blow to British global hegemony before peace could be made between England and it's colony. The ingenious strategy worked and France agreed to a military alliance with the American colonies in 1778. Franklin himself drafted the proposal, which declared that neither the French or the Americans would claim a separate peace with England and that any British-held land conquered by French forces in North America would be ceded to the colonies. A commercial treaty was also signed in which France sought no special considerations for itself. As Franklin put it, France has "taken no advantage of our present difficulties to exact terms which we would not willingly grant when established in prosperity and power."[9]

The American Revolution was an extraordinary event assisted by extraordinary circumstances and extraordinary people. Through an ages old rivalry, the birth of a new intellectual framework, and the uncommon guile of an aging diplomat, an alliance was forged that would change the face of the emerging modern world.

[1] Jackson J. Spielvogel Western Civilization (Third Edition, Volume I) (San Francisco: West Publishing Company, 1997) 324-325.
[2] Jackson J. Spielvogel Western Civilization (Third Edition, Volume I) (San Francisco: West Publishing Company, 1997) 330.
3 Jackson J. Spielvogel Western Civilization (Third Edition, Volume I) (San Francisco: West Publishing Company, 1997) 391.
[4] J.J. Jusserand Introduction James Breck Perkins France in the American Revolution (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1911) xii.
[5] James Breck Perkins France in the American Revolution (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1911) 210-211.
[6] Robert Middlekauf The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982) 403.
[7]Thomas Fleming Liberty! The American Revolution (New York: Viking Penguin, 1997) 231.
[8] Thomas Fleming Liberty! The American Revolution (New York: Viking Penguin, 1997) 234.
[9] J.J. Jusserand Introduction James Breck Perkins France in the American Revolution (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1911) x.

Until next time....

Celebrate Memorial Day

2008-02-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

In 1868 a day was set aside to pay tribute to those Union soldiers who had fallen in battle during the Civil War. It was called Decoration Day. After WWI it expanded to a day to recognize all those who had died in the service of the United States. After WWII the name of the day was changed to Memorial Day. Somewhere between then and now, Memorial Day has become more of a time for department store sales and BBQ's than for remembering those who have fallen at Antietam or Iwo Jima. For many it has become little more than a three-day weekend to mark the unofficial start of summer.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with spending the day off of work BBQ-ing, or going to the beach, or buying that new shirt you don't need. Absolutely not. But before you take a bite of that hot dog, remember the Continental soldier at Valley Forge that had nothing to eat but soup made from rocks. Before you put on that sunscreen, remember the soldier shivering in his foxhole dug into the snow of Bastogne. Without men like these, three-day weekends may not even exists.

Take the time today to remember those deployed around the globe in defense of our country. You can send them a message from here or here.

Until next time....

Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

2008-02-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

No this isn't a post about FDR. It's a post telling you not to fear, I have not been neglecting my duties as curator of The Halls of History. I have three partially completed posts sitting in my drafts bin that you hopefully will find interesting, plus a few more ideas marinating upstairs. So, fear not! Exciting historical (not contradictory terms hopefully) features are on the way!

Welcome!

2008-02-14T23:50:00.000-08:00

You're heard of the Halls of Medicine, now, welcome to the Halls of History. As any reader of my original blog, Life of Ando, would know, I love history. I would say that I'm a fan of history. I root for history. I also love to blog. And since J Crew and Kludge have multiple blogs, and since as the original blogger amongest my homeboys I can't allow myself to be outdone, I thought I might as well combine the two pastimes. And because I'm a sick, sick individual.

I plan on posting to this blog about once a week. The subject, obviously, will be history of all kinds. Three out of the four magazines I subscribe to are history focused (American Heritage, The History Channel Magazine, and World War II Magazine) and I often find odd or unusual or funny factoids that would be fun to share with my reader(s). So there'll be some recycled posts I stole from more talented writers, but also my own original thoughts on various things historical. History is pretty dry to a lot of people, but I plan on taking a bit of a tongue-in-cheek approach, keeping things light and (hopefully) mildly amusing as well. Sometimes I'll get serious, but usually not.

At any rate, with any luck you'll find something here that will occasionally make you grin and maybe you'll even learn a little something. To start with I would direct you to another website, to someone who actually talks about history for a living. His name is Bob. He is a history professor at some community college that I can't remember, and he podcasts everyday on various historical topics. The podcasts last for between 10 and 20 minutes. As history goes, the guy is amazing. If you like history you'll enjoy listening to him.

Until next time....