In this fan fiction video, Grad Admiral Thrawn holds a briefing and discussion about why the first Death Star was destroyed by thirty obsolete starfighters. The above video, set in the "Legends" universe and not part of the official Disney canon, is not an official Disney or Lucasfilm production but is meticulously researched, and includes this list of sources: SOURCES Wookieepedia (Star Wars Legends) Battle of Yavin: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Batt... Death Star: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Deat... Tarkin Doctrine: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Tark... Destruction of Alderaan: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Dest... Great Temple: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Grea... Massassi: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Mass... Yavin 4: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Yavi... Black Squadron: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Blac... Mithel: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Mith... Biggs Darklighter: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Bigg... Tenn Granee...

" The Uplift War " by David Brin, which was first published in 1988, is the third in the "Uplift" series of science fiction novels and was originally presented as the concluding part of a trilogy, though Brin went on to write three further novels in the series. It follows on from "Sundiver," reviewed on this site  here , and "Startide Rising," reviewed n this site here . " The Uplift War " won the Hugo award. Like the first two books in the series, this novel thinks big, asking huge questions about man's place in the universe and coming up with answers - true in the context of the novel - which are quite terrifying, yet it remains entertaining, accessible and easy to read, and manages to address issues of the need to cherish our planet and environment without becoming in the slightest degree preachy.  "The Uplift War" begins in the late 25th century within an imagined and very scary future, 238 years after the events of th...

In this fan fiction discussion - clearly set in the "Star Wars Legends" universe during the "Heir to the Empire trilogy" and not part of the Disney Canon timeline - Grand Admiral Thrawn debates with Captain Pellaeon and Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth, the masterly execution, and the disastrous long-term consequences, of Order 66.  Thrawn argues that the coup by which Chancellor, and immediately thereafter Emperor, Sheev Palpatine wiped the Jedi Order off the board, was at one and the same time the most brilliant military operation in the history of the galaxy far, far, away and a long-term disaster for the Empire. Some of the arguments are a bit repetitive - particularly from Master C'baoth and therefore Thrawn's replies to him - he was that way in the books, too.

We have just got back from watching Nolan's Odyssey film. There have been a great many comments on this film but few if any on the most interesting thing about it - the way it links the legends from Homer's mythic poem to real historical events, e.g. the civilisational collapse at the end of the late Bronze age. Archaeological evidence is consistent with Troy VII having being sacked in the early 12th century BC, possibly around the date for the fall of Troy proposed by the ancient Greek philosopher Eratosthenes, which was 1184 BCE. E.g. shortly before the late Bronze age collapse which the historian Eric Cline dates to 1177 BCE. He wrote a book on the collapse which nails his colours firmly to the mast on that date: 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, by Eric H Cline IF Eratosothenes and Eric Cline both got their dates right for the fall of Troy and the late Bronze age civilisational collapse respectively, (which is an absolutely enormous "if,") then those da...

I've posted before about the remarkable history of the Royal Navy battleship, HMS Warspite. Here is a video about her important contribution to the D-Day campaign, working alongside monitors such as HMS Roberts.