Monthly Archives: May 2013

On Accents and Class in the Film Zulu

Posted on May 31, 2013 by briansandberg

Michael Caine’s breakout role as a film actor was in the film Zulu (1964), in which he played Lieutenant Bromhead, a young upper-class officer with a snooty accent. Caine recalls that, “in Zulu I was cast as a wishy-washy upper-crust … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, Historical Film, History in the Media, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | 3 Comments

Naming Wars

Posted on May 30, 2013 by briansandberg

Historians often face difficulties in naming events, including wars. Although many people assume that events simply occur, historians are acutely aware that “events” are socially and culturally constructed. Historians have to grapple with the difficulties of arbitrarily determining when an … Continue reading →

Posted in Historiography and Social Theory, History of Violence, Political Culture, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | 1 Comment

Historical Perspectives on Climate Change

Posted on May 30, 2013 by briansandberg

How will climate change affect human societies worldwide in the coming years?  It is difficult to envision all of the potential ramifications of climate change, but disaster planners certainly need to prepare for extreme climate events. One of the best … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Civilians and Refugees in War, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Environmental History, European History, European Wars of Religion, History of Science, Maritime History, Mediterranean World, State Development Theory, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

First Gay Marriage Celebrated in Montpellier

Posted on May 29, 2013 by briansandberg

The first gay marriage in France has been celebrated in Montpellier. Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau married on 29 May 2013 in this southern French city— the first gay couple to be officially wedded as the new law legalizing gay … Continue reading →

Posted in French History, Human Rights, Languedoc and Southern France, Religious History, Religious Politics, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Knife Attack on French Soldier

Posted on May 29, 2013 by briansandberg

A young man assaulted a French soldier with a knife today that may have been partially patterned on the recent attack on a British soldier in Woolwich. The soldier survived the attack and his attacker has been arrested. Witnesses alleged … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Paris History, Terrorism | Leave a comment

Anti-Muslim Attacks in the United Kingdom

Posted on May 29, 2013 by briansandberg

Last week, two Islamist militants brutally murdered a British soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby, in Woolwich, running over him with a car and then stabbing and hacking him to death. The shocking murder has prompted outrage in the United Kingdom and … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Union, History of Violence, Human Rights, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, Terrorism | Leave a comment

Corporate Deals in Online Education

Posted on May 28, 2013 by briansandberg

Udacity has concluded a deal with Georgia Institute of Technology for an online master’s program. “Georgia Tech this month announced its plans to offer a $6,630 online master’s degree to 10,000 new students over the next three years without hiring much … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Digital Humanities, Globalization, Humanities Education, Information Management | Leave a comment

WWII Soldier who Inspired the Dirty Dozen?

Posted on May 28, 2013 by briansandberg

Jake McNiece, a sergeant in the U.S. 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War, died this year at the age of 93.  McNiece led a squad of paratroops who became known as the “Filthy Thirteen,” which may have become … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, Historical Film, History of Violence, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Machiavelli’s Il Principe at 500

Posted on May 28, 2013 by briansandberg

Political theorists and Italian studies scholars are celebrating the 500th anniversary of Niccolò Machiavelli’s Il Principe (The Prince), which was written in 1513 and published in 1532. Machiavelli’s Il Principe is a brief treatise on the art of governing that … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, European History, Italian History, Laws of War, Political Culture, Renaissance Art and History, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics | Leave a comment

Remembering the Lafayette Escadrille

Posted on May 27, 2013 by briansandberg

Each Memorial Day, the Escadrille Lafayette (or Lafayette Squadron, but commonly referred to in English as the Lafayette Escadrille) is honored in France. The Lafayette Escadrille was formed during the First World War, as American students in France created a … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, French History, Museums and Historical Memory, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment