History Pondered and Explored

In this episode -The dead tell prophecies, there is a vanishing huge eyed doppleganger, and of course, some bloody battles and some serious treachery…all that you expect from a story about the Vikings. The Viking age, traditionally bracketed as793-1066 AD…accounts for the first Viking raid on the Lindisfarne monastery in Northumbria and ends with the Norman conquest in 1066.  In other words, the t...

The Triangle fire happened on March 25, 1911. It was the deadliest workplace disaster in New York for nearly a century. This wasn.t the first garment factory fire in NYC at that time. In fact the owners of the Triangle had several previous fires, almost always coinciding with then end of the fashion season, when having leftover inventory was bad for business. Several decades prior to the fire, suc...

One of the most important battles of all time. But was it really the beginning of Western Civilization? The battle pitted the city-state of Athens vs the one super power at the time-Persia. Up to 490 BC, the Persians virtually never lost, especially against any Greek city states. The Persians had a professional army whereas the Athenians only had the Hoplites, heavy infantry mostly used against ot...

The finale of this epic saga! The fascinating and at times, almost unbelievable stories of the initial SAS. Audacious, clever, brave, sometimes reckless and nonchalant, but just packed with incredible stories and people. In particular, Jock Lewes, Paddy Mayne and David Stirling. They are the type of stories that for the TV series made from the book- Rogue Heroes, the History of the SAS- certain ac...

The SAS- Special Air Service- who saw that something had to be done in the deserts of North Africa to change the course of WW2 in favor of the Allies. Ingenuity, tragedy, bravery and nonchalance were among the many ingredients, that together, created not only the SAS, but the concept of modern day Special Forces. The exploits of the initial SAS, starting in July 1941 created many myths and legends...

Just a few years after the Korean War became a frozen conflict, a military coup came to power in South Korea. Nearly 20 years later, another military coup came to power. During these years, while "The Miracle of the Han River" greatly increased the industrialization and commercialization of the country- due in part as with similar "miracles" of the past- the influx of outside finance. This miracle...

Hard to believe but before the Mona Lisa was stolen, it was viewed as a fine example of Italian Renaissance Art- especially by the intelligentsia and some of the artists in Paris. Others, if they even went into the Louvre, may have likely walked past it or given it a quick look. It was tucked away in a gallery amongst many other paintings. In 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen. In part due to its relat...

Theirs is not to reason why, theirs is but to do and die. From the poem the Charge of the Light Brigade, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. These two lines are probably the most famous lines from the poem and likely famous across the world due to the bravery inferred by the British Light Brigade Calvary in the Crimean War. Yet in the same stanza, there is the line- Someone had blundered. The takeaway from...

In a word- Mussolini. Obviously there is more to it than that yet what put him and kept him in power was very ineffective when it came to major military operations. World War I showed the world that war was now conducted on an industrial scale with industry and innovation necessary to even think about being in a big operation. Chaos, confusion and propaganda can be helpful components of such an op...

The Elizabethan age, Shakespeare, "this is England", it is a fair question to ponder- how much did Elizabeth have to do with the glory her reign seems to have. One of her goals was her own survival and this she achieved. Given the circumstance, that was a difficult goal to achieve so good for her. And yet, how come there is so little talk about the disaster that was the English Armada? In fact, ho...

Honestly, she should have been called Smokey, or Ashy or even Fiery Mary. It was Elizabeth who should have been called Bloody based her methods of riddance. Mary accused many of heresy which gets a very proscribed method in which that person is "taken care of" Mary got a bad rap due to her circumstances and her sister and others propaganda. However, she did not always help her self PR wi...

You likely know Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, maybe even Bloody Mary, but who has heard of Edward VI? The only Tudor that might be less known is Edward's grandfather, Henry VII. Even during Edward's reign, he was often overshadowed by two guys, both of which made themselves Dukes. The first was the Duke of Somerset. He set himself up as the power during Edward's early reign, which starte...

When English Kings are thought of, it is likely Henry VIII that comes to mind. A fascinating and intriguing story, no doubt, yet one that typically venerates and perhaps denigrates Henry at the same time. There are the 6 wives of course. Sometimes he gets credit (undue) for the English Reformation. Henry seems to get a pass or excuses for his behavior or blunders by some historians. He was handed...

The Tudor dynasty - With about the thinnest possible claim to the throne, Henry Tudor, who had many tragedies and adventures BEFORE he becomes king, does indeed become King. An incredibly engaging and thought provoking story from history that is often forgotten. Discover and explore the story of Henry Tudor, who not only won the crown on the battlefield at Bosworth Field, he also ended the War of...

The Emu War- Australia 1932. What started out as a great gesture, giving land to farm to returning WW1 veterans, turned into an unfortunate situation with a ridiculous solution. This was the time of The Great Depression and a time in the Campion region of Australia whose farmers, those veterans, were suffering financial. It probably did not help that they land these veterans was called marginal. Y...

At least 8 movies have been made about the Alamo. This is the battle, the siege, where the Texans lost? Amongst all the game changing events that happened in North America, in about a 20 year period, with the the Alamo kind of in the middle, why is it so legendary, mythologized. What were the other events that occurred? How much territory did the US gain and Mexico lose? All this and more on this...

The Plantagenets- what is not to like? A bunch of Henrys, Edwards and Richards....with one John. A rollercoaster ride for the people of England with the Plantagenets. For every Plantagenet King that does what is expected of a medieval king, there is usually another, that is useless. The 100 Years War, Black Plague, Chevauchees, Guts, Glory, Horror.... and the English court finally starts speaking...

Yup, first Benedict Arnold, now with the British and after becoming a turncoat. raided up and down the James River. He did scorched earth policy up and down the river, including the Berkely Plantation, as the owner, Harrison, was a member of the Continental Congress. Benedict reportedly did this because Harrison was a "traitor" Unbelievable. When it came to Richmond, Benedict wrote Thomas Jefferso...

It is true, the war continued for another 7 days after the siege was won by the Union. But like in a game of chess, when each opponent knows and can see the end game and that a checkmate is inevitable, so too both Grant and Lee had to have seen this. The siege is a prototype for the trenches in WW1.The number of interesting characters at the siege, both honorable and some less so, is fascinating....

One of the most fascinating things discovered is the use, by the English, of the long bow. For a period of time the long bow changed how battles were fought and strategies set. Somewhat ironically, the long bow also helped hasten the end of the chivalric code in the battles of medieval Europe as projectiles rather than hand to hand fighting with swords etc. became of vital importance. Projectiles,...

Edward the 1st, as medieval English kings go, was awesome. He was the grandfather of Edward III. Edward II, he was about as bad a king as could be. He was Edward III father. From his grandfather, Edward III learned what to do. From his father he learned exactly what not to do Things were very tricky for Edward III during his childhood and teenage years. His mother Queen Isabella, with her lover, R...

The movie star, Hedy Lamarr, once called the most beautiful woman in the world and the composer- the self-titled Bad Boy of Music, George Antheil, did indeed come up with the foundational idea, encoded frequency hopping, now called spread spectrum, from which innovations such as WIFI, Bluetooth and GPS were developed. Believe it or not, the coding and methods similar to encryption were developed b...

Beaumarchais- his efforts sending badly needed supplies to the colonies in the early days of the American War of Independence were vital in helping the Americans continue against the British. It is even possible that there could have been a different outcome without the help of Beaumarchais He was also a spy, a speculator, a libertine, a writer of famous plays- The Barber of Seville; The Marriage...

What was the impact of a very rich noble from France that believed so much in the American War of Independence that he left the easy life behind and risked life and limb to make a difference? What was the impact he really made? Well he made a very large impact and his story is fascinating and daring Tune in and find out

Consanguinity is in this episode just as with the previous episode (royals marrying their cousins, roughly speaking) Eleanor's sons revolt against their father, King Henry 2nd of England. Did she lead the revolt? Is she a dark arts kind of person or more golden halo? Does she ever get a moment of peace? Tune in and find out on History Pondered-