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A Collection of...
Collections: Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part IIIb: Children and Childrearing This is the back half of the third part of our series (I, II, IIIa) discussing the patterns of life...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
This is the back half of the third part of our series (I, II, IIIa) discussing the patterns of life for the pre-modern peasants who made up the great majority of humans who lived in the past. Last week, we started looking at family formation through the lens of marriage, this...
Res Obscura
OpenAI's "Study Mode" and the risks of flattery Serious learning requires friction, frustration... and other humans
3 weeks ago
A Collection of...
Collections: Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part IIIa: Family Formation This is the first part of the third part of our series (I, II) discussing the patterns of life of...
3 weeks ago
25
3 weeks ago
This is the first part of the third part of our series (I, II) discussing the patterns of life of the pre-modern peasants who made up the great majority of all humans who lived in our agrarian past and indeed a majority of all humans who have ever lived. Last week, we looked at...
Patterns in Humanity
Immigration and crime in the Nordics A collection, description and visualization of data from the Nordic countries
3 weeks ago
Dreams of Space -...
Merry Mouse and His Trip to the Moon (1953) My next 4 posts are celebrating children's illustrated fiction about going to the Moon. Even though...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
My next 4 posts are celebrating children's illustrated fiction about going to the Moon. Even though I have been collecting these children's book for over 30 years it still is very exciting to find one that you never knew existed. Jack Coggins was an amazing space artist in the...
Global Inequality...
Dr. Morell and the Patient A A review of Normal Ohler’s "Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany"
2 weeks ago
Trying to Understand...
Living With Russia. The alternative is what, exactly?
3 weeks ago
History Today Feed
‘The Colonialist’ by William Kelleher Storey review ‘The Colonialist’ by William Kelleher Storey review JamesHoare Mon, 08/04/2025 - 09:08
3 weeks ago
Trying to Understand...
It Gets Worse. This time, there will be consequences.
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Three Graces “Charites” of Greek Mythology (Origins & Facts) The Charites, also known as the three Graces, were a group of beautiful goddesses who embodied...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
The Charites, also known as the three Graces, were a group of beautiful goddesses who embodied charm, grace, beauty, and joy. They presided over festival celebrations and were attendants to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. Initially, there were three Charites, but additional...
Flashbak
Saving Jesus: An Interview with Broadcasting Legend Melvyn Bragg, 1984 “I wear suits now basically because it’s easier if you are doing a television programme to wear the...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
“I wear suits now basically because it’s easier if you are doing a television programme to wear the same thing all the time. You don’t want to go in way over the programme. It’s another way to get people to forget about me and concentrate on the person I am talking to.” – Melvyn...
Flashbak
Logan Airport Versus Neptune Road, Photographing Boston’s ‘War’ of 1973 “I look at these photographs and feel the overwhelming sensation of the noise of these low-flying...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
“I look at these photographs and feel the overwhelming sensation of the noise of these low-flying aircraft. Yet I could leave what seemed like a war zone. And it was a kind of war, long-time residents trying for normalcy and the powers that be wanting them out.” – Michael Philip...
History Today Feed
‘José Martí Reader: Writings on the Americas’ review ‘José Martí Reader: Writings on the Americas’ review JamesHoare Mon, 07/28/2025 - 09:00
4 weeks ago
Flashbak
Teenagers in Their Bedrooms in the 1990s “Our bedrooms tell stories about us. They become the repository for memories, desire and self-image”...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
“Our bedrooms tell stories about us. They become the repository for memories, desire and self-image” – American photographer Adrienne Salinger   When Adrienne Salinger first published her portraits of teenagers in their bedrooms in the 1990s, the American photographer wanted In...
Flashbak
I Am a Stranger in This Country: An Outsider Photographs Britain and Ireland’s Travellers In I Am a Stranger in This Country Berlin-based photograph Frederik Rüegger shows us pictures from...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
In I Am a Stranger in This Country Berlin-based photograph Frederik Rüegger shows us pictures from the two years he spent visiting the Roma and Traveller communities in Britain and Ireland. The book’s title is a nod to his reflects his status as a foreigner abroad and the...
Patterns in Humanity
How many are criminals? Probably more than you think...
2 weeks ago
Res Obscura
All Souls exam questions and the limits of machine reasoning The world's most eccentric exam is newly relevant in the age of AI
a week ago
History Today Feed
Charles de Gaulle is Sentenced to Death Charles de Gaulle is Sentenced to Death JamesHoare Wed, 07/30/2025 - 09:02
3 weeks ago
History Today Feed
Mental Health and the 17th-Century Ship’s Doctor Mental Health and the 17th-Century Ship’s Doctor JamesHoare Thu, 07/31/2025 - 08:19
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Game of Kings – The Intriguing History of Tamerlane Chess Tamerlane Chess is a medieval chess variant attributed to the 14th-century conqueror Timur, also...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Tamerlane Chess is a medieval chess variant attributed to the 14th-century conqueror Timur, also known as Tamerlane. A complex and richly symbolic game, Tamerlane Chess is played on a unique 10×11 board and features over 25 distinct pieces, each with specialized movements. Known...
Classical Wisdom
The Lost Psychedelic Cult of Ancient Greece Where Fasting, Feasting, and Visions Collided
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Odyssey Still Matters! Dr. Paul Cartledge on Homer’s Epic With the star-studded new Odyssey feature film by Christopher Nolan in the works, everyone is...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
With the star-studded new Odyssey feature film by Christopher Nolan in the works, everyone is talking about Homer and his epic tales about the Trojan War and Odysseus’ long journey home following its conclusion. With this in mind, Richard Marranca spoke to Dr Paul Cartledge,...
TheCollector
How the Normans Conquered England in 1066 Many people may not be aware that the governments of France and England were once closely linked,...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Many people may not be aware that the governments of France and England were once closely linked, including through a single monarchy. In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England to avenge the affront of not being named King of England, as he had been promised.  The...
TheCollector
7 Historical Places to Visit On Your Way to the Isle of Skye Scotland draws tourists year-round to discover its stunning nature, fantastic views, and rich...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Scotland draws tourists year-round to discover its stunning nature, fantastic views, and rich history. The Isle of Skye is the largest of the Inner Hebrides islands and is famous for its breathtaking views. You can discover the top places to visit on the Isle of Skye here. If...
Trying to Understand...
Let's All Feel Good No, we Kant.
a week ago
TheCollector
The Tumultuous Ottoman Interregnum (Bayezid’s Fall & Civil War) Under Sultan Bayezid, “The Thunderbolt,” the Ottoman Empire had a series of stunning military...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Under Sultan Bayezid, “The Thunderbolt,” the Ottoman Empire had a series of stunning military victories in the Balkans and Western Asia. However, Bayezid’s ambitions placed him in the path of the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, who captured the Sultan in battle. Known as the...
TheCollector
What Are Some of Rome’s Unsolved Mysteries? From the strange disappearance of the ninth legion to the unknown substances that made up Roman...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
From the strange disappearance of the ninth legion to the unknown substances that made up Roman concrete, we take a closer look at a series of Rome’s greatest mysteries, which are largely unknown at the time of publication.   The Ninth Legion   One of the more famous Roman...
History Today Feed
How Important was the French Revolution? How Important was the French Revolution? JamesHoare Thu, 08/07/2025 - 08:38
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
The Rise and Fall of the Second Bulgarian Empire That Dominated the Balkans The founding of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the late 12th century saw the restoration of...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The founding of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the late 12th century saw the restoration of Bulgarian independence from Byzantine rule. Under the leadership of effective rulers such as Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II, Bulgaria conquered most of southeastern Europe from the Byzantines....
TheCollector
How Horses Shaped Human Civilization In no small part, horses have helped create and change human civilization. Although they are not as...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
In no small part, horses have helped create and change human civilization. Although they are not as conspicuous and as commonplace as they used to be, many civilizations were built on foundations provided for by equine labor.   From the plains of Eurasia, where they roamed free...
TheCollector
England’s Medieval Angevin Empire Explained At its peak, the Angevin Empire stretched from Scotland to France, a formidable medieval dominion...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
At its peak, the Angevin Empire stretched from Scotland to France, a formidable medieval dominion under the English kings of the Plantagenet Dynasty. Shaped by pivotal figures such as Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionheart, and King John, this empire experienced a...
Flashbak
The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche, 1923 The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche And Child Life in Town and Country (1909) is a collection...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche And Child Life in Town and Country (1909) is a collection of short stories set in the 1400s by French writer and Noel Laureate Anatole France (1844 – 1924). The 1923 edition contains illustrations from woodcuts by the British artist Marcia...
History Today Feed
What’s in a Pope’s Name? What’s in a Pope’s Name? JamesHoare Wed, 08/06/2025 - 09:03
2 weeks ago
Trying to Understand...
The War Was The Easy Bit. Just wait until we get to the politics.
6 days ago
TheCollector
The Adventures of Perseus, the Greek Hero Who Defeated Medusa Perseus, the son of Zeus, was abandoned by his grandfather, King Acrisius, due to a dark prophecy....
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Perseus, the son of Zeus, was abandoned by his grandfather, King Acrisius, due to a dark prophecy. He and his mother, Danae, were saved by a fisherman named Diktys on the island of Seriphos. However, Diktys’s brother, King Polydectes, desired to marry Danae and devised a plan to...
TheCollector
The 12th-Century Renaissance That Transformed Medieval Europe Europe’s long Middle Ages have a reputation as a low point in Western civilization. The period from...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Europe’s long Middle Ages have a reputation as a low point in Western civilization. The period from the 5th to the 15th century is a byword for anything unenlightened and barbaric. Modern historians, however, prefer to view this stretch as a series of epochs and incremental...
TheCollector
A Complete Guide to the Greek Poet Hesiod & His Works Hesiod (c. 750-650 BCE) is one of the earliest extant Greek poets. His most notable surviving works...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Hesiod (c. 750-650 BCE) is one of the earliest extant Greek poets. His most notable surviving works are Theogony, which describes the origins and genealogy of the gods and the universe, and Works and Days, which covers various subjects such as farming advice, mythical stories,...
TheCollector
Why Chinese Calligraphy Is More Than Just Beautiful Writing Western perceptions of Chinese calligraphy often focus on the skills used to make the artistic...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Western perceptions of Chinese calligraphy often focus on the skills used to make the artistic lines. However, an appreciation of skills alone does not take into account the traditions tied to it. For over two millennia, Chinese calligraphy was more than an art form. It was a...
TheCollector
How the Hospitallers Lost the Holy Land but Survived the Ages During the Crusades, warriors devoted themselves to protecting the Holy Land from attack, dedicating...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
During the Crusades, warriors devoted themselves to protecting the Holy Land from attack, dedicating themselves to God, the Church, and their mission. Several orders of devout knights emerged, the most famous of which was the Knights Templar, but another well-known order was the...
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, August 15, 2025 (On Latin Pronunciation) Hey folks, Fireside this week! The new semester is starting up next week, so things may be a little...
a week ago
15
a week ago
Hey folks, Fireside this week! The new semester is starting up next week, so things may be a little more fireside-y than usual over the next few weeks, but I do promise we will get to the end of “Life, Work, Death and the Peasant” eventually. That said, since I am teaching Latin...
TheCollector
The Musket Wars That Changed Māori Society Forever The Musket Wars, which occurred from the early 1800s to the 1840s, brought about a significant...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The Musket Wars, which occurred from the early 1800s to the 1840s, brought about a significant transformation in Māori society and warfare. This four-decades-long conflict was characterized by the widespread use of muskets, which had been introduced (both willingly and...
TheCollector
What Is the Book of Daniel About? The Book of Daniel contains some of the most iconic scenes from the Bible. Children’s Bibles often...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The Book of Daniel contains some of the most iconic scenes from the Bible. Children’s Bibles often depict Daniel in the lion’s den, or his friends in the fiery furnace. Yet, there is much more to Daniel than fantastic stories to entertain children. It holds significant lessons...
Flashbak
Sometimes Overwhelming: New York City People in the 1970s and 80s by Arlene Gottfried “My mother used to say ‘Arlene – just don’t wander!’ Then I started wandering, but I got a camera...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
“My mother used to say ‘Arlene – just don’t wander!’ Then I started wandering, but I got a camera because it gave it a little more meaning…a life of wandering is really what it all is.” –  Arlene Gottfried New Yorker Arlene Gottfried (August 26, 1950 – August 8, 2017) walked...
Dreams of Space -...
Jimmy and The Spaceship (1949) To continue my obscure "space fiction" I have Jimmy and the Spaceship to share with you. This was a...
a week ago
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a week ago
To continue my obscure "space fiction" I have Jimmy and the Spaceship to share with you. This was a very small "pocket book" of a comic strip. There were other "Jimmy and the...." books but I really enjoyed reading this one. It reads like the typical space story but has its own...
TheCollector
The Forgotten Irish Kingdom in Dark Age Britain It is well known that large numbers of Irish settlers migrated to western Britain, especially...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
It is well known that large numbers of Irish settlers migrated to western Britain, especially western Wales, during the early Dark Ages. This was mostly after, but some also before, the fall of Roman Britain. They managed to establish a relatively long-lasting kingdom in Dyfed,...
TheCollector
What Ancient Greek Philosophers Said About Friendship (Philia) In Ancient Greek philosophy, friendship (or “philia”) was considered fundamental for shaping how one...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
In Ancient Greek philosophy, friendship (or “philia”) was considered fundamental for shaping how one thought, acted, and organized society. However, we will see that thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates viewed the matter rather differently from how we might today. Of...
History Today Feed
The Islamic Ethics of the Wine Tax The Islamic Ethics of the Wine Tax JamesHoare Tue, 08/05/2025 - 09:06
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
How Did Hadrian’s Wall Shape British History? The Roman Empire stretched throughout Europe, expanding into the British Isles and establishing a...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
The Roman Empire stretched throughout Europe, expanding into the British Isles and establishing a significant presence that helped bring civilization to England and Scotland and greatly influenced their history.  One emperor, Hadrian, constructed a wall in the north of England,...
TheCollector
Who Was Legendary Pirate Captain Kidd? Captain Kidd was one of many notorious pirates that operated during the 17th century “Golden Age of...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Captain Kidd was one of many notorious pirates that operated during the 17th century “Golden Age of Piracy.” Legend has it he hid his treasure, intending to come back to it, but was stopped short when the law caught up with him. So where is this alleged treasure, and if people...
TheCollector
7 Unusual Saints of the Middle Ages During the Middle Ages, devout Christians venerated holy people known as saints. As everyday...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
During the Middle Ages, devout Christians venerated holy people known as saints. As everyday Christians made it through the struggles of life, they found comfort by identifying with saints, some of whom had extremely strange and unusual stories, or vitae. As strange as some of...