Category Archives: War, Culture, and Society

Body Counts and Human Rights

Posted on April 1, 2012 by briansandberg

Body counts seem morbid, conjuring up grim memories of the horrifying language of the Vietnam War.  Yet, body counts have become key aspects of human rights law and efforts to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes. A recent article by … Continue reading →

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

Film and Fiction for French Historians

Posted on March 29, 2012 by briansandberg

The new e-issue of Film and Fiction for French Historians is now out at a new website on the H-France platform. Historians of French history and scholars interested in historical filmmaking should find this website useful in their research and … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Research, Early Modern Europe, French History, Historical Film, History in the Media, Noble Culture and History of Elites, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Napoléon Restored (in Film)

Posted on March 19, 2012 by briansandberg

Abel Gance’s epic silent film Napoléon (1927) utilized a number of innovative filmmaking techniques and it has since become a classic work in the linked genres of historical film and war film. A new restored version of the film is … Continue reading →

Posted in Comparative Revolutions, Early Modern Europe, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, Historical Film, History in the Media, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

AHR Review of Warrior Pursuits

Posted on March 4, 2012 by briansandberg

My monograph, Warrior Pursuits: Noble Culture and Civil Conflict in Early Modern France, has been reviewed in American Historical Review, the flagship journal of the discipline of History in the United States. The review is by Ronald G. Asch, Professor … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Research, Early Modern Europe, European Wars of Religion, French History, French Wars of Religion, Noble Culture and History of Elites, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | 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

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