History

Running themes in Pieter Bruegel’s works include the absurdity, wickedness and foolishness of humans, and the above painting entitled Netherlandish Proverbs is no exception. Painted in 1559, nearly 500 years… read more

It should come as no surprise to the reader that the true story of Pocahontas bears little resemblance to the Disney retelling.  The fictional Disney version revolves around a romance… read more

Earlier I skewered nine dictators, thugs, demagogues, and politicians adored by leftists despite considerable failings in policy, ethics, and hygiene. Here are six more over-hyped figures revered by leftists who always get everything… read more

Peter the Great (1672-1725) was one of the pivotal figures of Russian history.  His reforms were a product of his personality and his vision for what he wanted Russia to… read more

For a long time, the armed heist known as the Brink’s Holdup was the most successful robbery in United States history.  It took place in Boston’s North End on 165… read more

Emperor Justinian I fought fiercely to restore Rome’s former glory. But in 532 A.D., he rounded up and slaughtered 30,000 of his own Byzantine citizens. How could such a strong and… read more

We often think of the late 1960s as a time of turmoil and strife. In many ways it was. The Cold War was still going on. There were race riots… read more

This article originally appeared on Fortress of the Mind on August 9, 2016. Those of us who had some involvement in Bosnian peacekeeping efforts many years ago might be astonished… read more

The history of slavery tells us it was the entire world’s economic system for thousands of years. It did not begin and end with Anglo America. Every major ethnic group… read more

The armies of the belligerents who went to war in 1914 carried rifles that today might be considered quaint.  They had handsome wooden finishes, were designed for long-range fire, and… read more