Tag: History

Reviews Various and Sundry

Yeah, yeah, civil war. But is it accurate?

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I know it’s hard to imagine in this peaceful time of extraordinary bipartisanship and respectful political discourse, but this country hasn’t always been so easygoing and [checks notes]. Whoops! Wrong timeline. Eesh. Okay, so you’re not in the mood for 1776, Hamilton, or even Stan Freberg presenting the United States of America. Well, maybe you will want to try one of these films out. Having worked for a company that published multiple civil war magazines…

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Various and Sundry

210 Years Later, “What if?” Questions About Napoleon and Waterloo

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

For however much I’ve read and watched about Napoleon Bonaparte, there always seems to be more to discover, or at least revisit. I suppose, then, I’m posting here today on the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo as a reminder that I ought to visit that battlefield at some point… and probably read a well-received biography. The recommended reading in this case is a longform article by British historian and journalist Andrew Roberts, written…

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Various and Sundry

Music to Reflect on D-Day

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

While it’s not my favorite war film, I confess I do often have an itch to watch The Longest Day on June 6th… and then I think of all sorts of moments from the film, including the repeated use of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Maddy Shaw Roberts assembled a collection of music connected to World War II or in remembrance thereof in honor of the 80th anniversary of D-Day last year, but it’s still a good…

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Various and Sundry

Roman Holiday… or at least Coffee Break

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

My last Roman history post appears to be from last August, but I admit I haven’t seen any Roman-related TV or movies since Gladiator II: Unexpected Sequel Boogaloo. So, if you, like me, want to check out some TV shows of films set in Roman times, here’s some insight as to what to pick: Granted, this might be especially for those of you who want to get your Roman war on. But if you just…

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Various and Sundry

Just Loose Your Arrows & Dig Another Ditch: A Guide to Ancient Warfare

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

One of the last times I talked about pirates, I referenced a couple videos with pirate experts. Truth be told, I love these sorts of videos where historians review films and explain how accurate or, frequently, how wildly inaccurate the films are. It’s especially fun when the historians are clearly having fun with it. Historian Roel Konijnendijk clearly has fun talking about ancient and medieval warfare, even though he’s clearly pained by certain cinematic tropes.…

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Various and Sundry

Satirical Space Opera… from the 2nd Century?!?

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I’m always up for looking for interesting public domain works we might adapt for Jabberwocky Audio Theater, and as you may imagine, that’s meant various science fiction, fantasy, and horror works from the 1920s. But apparently, I haven’t been looking back far enough because there’s a space opera from [checks notes] Ancient Greece?!? I’ll let Austin McConnell take it from here: Now, I will disagree with the title of the video because I absolutely will…

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Various and Sundry

Wondering if you can learn more about the Mongol Empire? Yes you khan!

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I know how it is. We live in excessively ‘interesting times.’ Many organizations are asking people to do “more with less.” Most importantly, despite you, like my family, being very interested in Mongolian history especially the Mongol Empire, you simply haven’t had time to brush up on the main points of this consequential, multicultural empire whose echoes have been felt ever since in world history. Well, luckily, the internet abounds in concise, informative, and entertaining…

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Raves Reviews

Black Sails Has Your Back

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Okay, it doesn’t. Or more properly, the characters do not have your back. In fact, many of them would agree with Elim Garak that shooting a man in the back is the best way to ensure you shoot a man dead. But what is Black Sails, you ask? It’s a four-season TV series which serves as a prequel series to the events of Treasure Island aka the novel that launched countless film adaptations and continues…

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Various and Sundry

Leif Erikson Day 2024

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

It’s October 9th, which means it’s Leif Erikson Day here in the United States, which you’ll be forgiven for not knowing exists, unless you, say, grew up in a household full of history buffs with Scandinavian heritage. Then, you bite your thumb, sir, at Columbus Day. It’s a Viking thing. But is it, really? Enter Cat Jarman to give us all some much needed Viking Support:

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Various and Sundry

Let’s Talk About Pirates

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

On this, International Talk Like a Pirate Day, it is only just and right that we talk about pirates not simply like them. Now, I’ve posted about pirates before, and you should definitely check out Isli Lawrence’s video which I linked to before. She also has this piece specifically about famous pirates: But why confine yourself to just one pirate historian? Enter Rebecca Simon, who has a whole host of insights to give you that’ll…

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