Monthly Archives: February 2012

Denying Communion in DC

Posted on February 29, 2012 by briansandberg

The Washington Postreports on a Christian woman who was denied Communion in Washington, D.C.:Deep in grief, Barbara Johnson stood first in the line for Communion at her mother’s funeral Saturday morning. But the priest in front of her immediately made … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European Wars of Religion, French Wars of Religion, Religious Violence | Leave a comment

Ritual and Violence

Posted on February 25, 2012 by briansandberg

The French Wars of Religion are featured in a new special issue of Past & Present, which reexamines Natalie Zemon Davis’s concept of “rites of violence” 40 years after her landmark article. The issue is entitled “Ritual and Violence: Natalie … Continue reading →

Posted in European Wars of Religion, French History, French Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Religious Violence, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Mediterranean World Workshop

Posted on February 25, 2012 by briansandberg

The first meeting of the Mediterranean World Workshop will be held on Thursday 1 March at O’Leary’s in DeKalb at 5:15. The Mediterranean World Workshop is a new group of professors and graduate students interested in Mediterranean history from antiquity … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences, Mediterranean World | Leave a comment

Act of Valor: Entertainment or Propaganda?

Posted on February 25, 2012 by briansandberg

The new film, Act of Valor, depicts Navy SEALs in action against smugglers and terrorists. The film openly touts its active-duty SEALs who act as the protagonists in the film, alongside plenty of military hardware and vehicles. The filmmakers reportedly … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Film, History in the Media, Terrorism, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

The Global War on Terror Revisited

Posted on February 24, 2012 by briansandberg

The so-called “Global War on Terror”—once omnipresent on cable news networks—seems to have receded from view.  Is the war over?  How do we think about the past 11 years of warfare in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond? Andrew J. Bacevich, Professor … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Violence, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Historical Films at the Oscars

Posted on February 24, 2012 by briansandberg

Historical films are in the running for Oscars at the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony. Each year, films portraying historical subjects figure significantly in the Oscar nominations, but there seem to be an exceptionally large number of historical films this year. … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Film, History in the Media, War in Film | Leave a comment

ACDIS Summer Workshop on Global Security

Posted on February 22, 2012 by briansandberg

The Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS) at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana announces a one-week summer workshop in global security. Targeted at rising sophomores or advanced undergraduates, the workshop aims (1) to inform students about key … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences, Grants and Fellowships, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

The “American Century” is Over

Posted on February 21, 2012 by briansandberg

Professor Andrew J. Bacevich of Boston University has become one of the strongest critical voices in military history and strategic studies today. Bacevich is known for his work on American militarism and his criticism of United States military strategy in … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Culture, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Napoleonland

Posted on February 18, 2012 by briansandberg

Ready for a Napoleonic theme park?  Here comes Napoleonland…. Yves Jago, a French politician in the Parti Radical, is proposing a project to build a historical theme park to celebrate the life and legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte.  The theme park … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Union, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, History in the Media, War, Culture, and Society | 1 Comment

Wikipedia’s Useless Knowledge

Posted on February 17, 2012 by briansandberg

Wikipedia has become the ubiquitous source of information for millions of users worldwide.  High school and university students rely on Wikipedia for basic information and evidence and for their own research and writing. Indeed, many students engage in cut-and-paste plagiarism, … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, Education Policy, History of the Book, Humanities Education, Information Management | 1 Comment