“Every contractor is a thief.”: Logistics, Insurgents, and the Art of War in Early Napoleonic Spain, 1808–9
Unexpected setbacks to Napoleon’s plan to control Spain at the onset of the Peninsular War (1808–1814) required the emperor to launch a 270,000-man counteroffensive into the heart of the country in late 1808 – culminating with the British defeat at the Battle of Corunna, January 16, 1809.
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Benjamin Franklin, “The Morals of Chess,” and History’s “Most Universal Game”
One of the most popular and novel games among educated citizens in colonial America was chess, and one of its most prominent advocates was the polymath and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.
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Cold War’s End: How Did Winds of Change Shape Pop Culture?
The Cold War in film, literature, and music from the late 1980s and early 1990s is a valuable remembrance of a world in transition and the public’s perceptions of those changes.
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From Mediator to Hostage: Terry Waite’s Odyssey Through the Turbulent 1980s
Terry Waite, an English humanitarian and negotiator, is best known for his peacekeeping efforts and the time he spent as a hostage in Lebanon. However, the early years of his life set the foundation for his later work and resilience.
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The Ottoman Empire, Hungary, and the Protestant Reformation (I)
The fall of Constantinople in 1453 thrust the Ottoman Empire to the center of European affairs. News of the final collapse of the old (Eastern) Roman Empire spread rapidly throughout the continent and calls to fight the infidels were made by kings, nobles, and clergy alike.
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