Tag Archives: books
I Beg of You… Don’t Hate History
Let the following numbers sink in and then I’ll explain why they’re horrifying… – A mere 20% of American fourth-graders (~10-11 years old) passed a National Assessment of Educational Progress U.S. history test with a “proficient” knowledge of their country’s … Continue reading
WWII: Fed Up on Feeble Rations
Limited food rations in Britain during World War II meant a lot of creativity in the kitchen. If you didn’t have eggs, which are essential in baking, you had to learn to use dehydrated powdered egg in your recipes. If … Continue reading
Eating Up World War II
Could you live on 1 fresh egg every two weeks? Could you live on 2 oz. of tea every week? How about 4 oz. of meat per week (that’s the size of 1 small steak, by the way), 2 oz. … Continue reading
Filed under British, Culinary, Daily Life, WWII
The Book: History or Religion?
Today at sunset begins Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement for the Jews, followers of Judaism, and for a few Christians who recognize the call to convene on certain feast days found in the Old Testament scriptures – texts … Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Near East, Book Reviews, General
English is Two Languages
You can learn a lot about a person from the way they speak. You can learn a lot about a country by the language they use. In this case, by the language that is shared by two countries. The English … Continue reading
Roamin’ with the Romans
I recently acquired a thin volume called The Romans and their Empire, book two of the “Cambridge Introduction to the History of Mankind” edited by Trevor Cairns. I have lamented my lack of detailed knowledge of the Classical world and … Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Near East, Book Reviews
Collecting History: Old Sayings
Some people collect antiques. Some collect old cars. Many collect old books. There are innumerable items to collect and most often we associate certain things with history, like antiquities. As exciting as ancient pieces of statuary may be, they are … Continue reading
Filed under American, Culinary, Daily Life, General
The Clive Cussler Effect: More Gateways to History
A while back I wrote a post about gateways to history. These are sneaky ways to get interested in history if you weren’t blessed with splendid history teachers. It’s time to revisit. Specifically, fiction books. How can fiction and history … Continue reading
Filed under Book Reviews, General
July the 4th: Illuminating Independence
The flag of the United States adorns a small flower arrangement in my dining room and bits of red, white, and blue are to be seen inside and outside my house. I may even have an illumination or two. But … Continue reading
Ignorance Is Disaster: Why It Pays To Know History
“Those ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it.” – variation of a quote by George Santayana Those ignorant of this quote are doomed to hear it repeated also. I’ve heard history professionals praise and condemn this concept. Those who … Continue reading
Filed under General
