More from A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
This week we’re continuing our three-part (I) look at one of film’s most famous Roman battle sequences, the iconic opening battle from Gladiator (2000). I had planned this to be in two parts, but even though this sequence is relatively short, it provides an awful lot to talk about. As noted last week, this iconic … Continue reading Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator’s Iconic Opening Battle, Part II →
This week, we’re going to take a close look at arguably the most famous and recognizable Roman battle sequence in film: the iconic opening battle from Gladiator (2000). Despite being a relatively short sequence (about ten minutes), there’s actually enough to talk about here that we’re going to split it over two weeks, talking about … Continue reading Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator’s Iconic Opening Battle, Part I →
Hey all, we’re doing a Fireside this week! For this week’s musing, I thought it might be worthwhile – this being a frequent space for military history – to offer a brief outline of professional military education (PME) in the United States, which is to say the various stages by which US officers are academically … Continue reading Fireside Friday, May 30, 2025 (On Professional Military Education) →
This week we’re going to do something a bit silly, in part because I have to prepare for and travel to an invited workshop/talk event later this week and so don’t have quite the time for a more normal ‘full’ post and in part because it is fun to be silly sometimes (and we might … Continue reading Collections: Alexander Goes West (A Silly Counterfactual) →
More in history
Pascal’s Wager is frequently misunderstood as an argument for the existence of God. In fact, Pascal believed it was impossible to argue that God either exists or does not exist. His wager is essentially a bet we can make on the existence of God: the stake is our happiness, and the prize is eternal […]
“You can’t lump all Americans together,” she points out. “The project emerged from this thought. Who lives in America? Who are we talking about when we refer to ‘the American’?” – Robin de Puys In 2015, Dutch photographer Robin de Puy drove 8,000 miles across the US on a Harley Davidson to discover Americans, … Continue reading "American: Robin de Puy’s Portraits of People of Notice" The post American: Robin de Puy’s Portraits of People of Notice appeared first on Flashbak.
Medieval castles in Japan originated during the Sengoku period (1467–1603), a time of relentless civil war when regional warlords, or daimyō, fortified strategic sites to defend territory and assert power. Unlike European castles, these structures evolved into complex hubs of administration, military strategy, and symbolic authority. Japan’s broader history, from unification under Tokugawa Ieyasu […]
My Weekly Reader for April 9, 1961 is now YOUR weekly reader! Just a minor article about space medals, so look and see!