Posts

Instant reaction to Christopher Nolan's "Odyssey"

Image
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...
Post a Comment
Read more

HMS Warspite at D-Day

Image
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.
Post a Comment
Read more

Thrawn and Xanatos discuss the need for ambition to be combined with wisdom

Image
Another fan fiction video, using Grand Admiral Thrawn and Xanatos, who was the primary antagonist in the 1990s Disney animated series "Gargoyles," as reference points for a discussion about power, ambition and why both need to be tempered with wisdom.
Post a Comment
Read more

Thrawn on the Chiss homeworld Czilla and how it affected his people

Image
A fan fiction video in which the Grand Admiral discusses with Captain Pellaeon how the deadly climate of the Chiss homeworld affected his people's culture.
Post a Comment
Read more

Thrawn briefs his captains on his fleet tactical doctrine

Image
Fan fiction video in which, after his return at the end of Ahsoka series one, and having put a new imperial fleet together, Grand Admiral Thrawn briefs his captains.  
Post a Comment
Read more

The story of HMS Rodney: the ship which wrecked the Bismarck and avenged the Hood.

Image
HMS Nelson and HMS Rodney were the only Roya Navy battleships to mount 16-inch guns. They were nicknamed the "Cherry tree" class - e.g. cut down by Washington - after their size and configuration was dramatically altered as a result of the Washington naval treaty. HMS Rodney was on her way to America when HMS Hood went down in the Denmark straight and the admiralty sent out the order to all ships, "Sink the Bismarck." It is possible - though it was never confirmed - that Rodney hit Bismarck with a torpedo. She had them, she fired them, Rodney's officers thought they got a hit. If so this was the only instance in the whole existence of dreadnaught battleships that one battleship hit another with a torpedo. What is not in doubt, however, is that Rodney's nine sixteen-inch guns quickly turned the Bismarck, one of the most formidable battleships in the world, into a blazing wreck. Here is her story.
Post a Comment
Read more

Thrawn explains the need for the Tie Defender

Image
Reposting the fan fiction film in which Grand Admiral Thrawn, Pellaeon, and Colonel Tor Phennir dissect the failures of Imperial starfighter doctrine — and the starfighter that could have changed the entire Galactic Civil War, the Tie Defender which Morgan Elspeth designed and Thrawn was putting into production.
Post a Comment
Read more