Archive for the ‘History’ Category
Should the atomic bomb have been dropped on Japan in 1945?
May 8th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
I am currently in the process of watching on Sky Atlantic the series “Oliver Stone’s Untold History Of The United States”. It’s a fascinating, if controversial, project and I have just seen the third of the 10 episodes. This deals with the end of the Second World War in the Pacific and the dropping of [...]
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The North Korean spy who blew up a plane
April 22nd, 2013 by Roger Darlington
In the current climate of international tension between North Korea and most of the rest of the world, it is no bad thing to be reminded of the true nature of this regime. Today the BBC web site publishes this remarkable story of outright terrorism in 1987. Of course, North Korea is more than capable [...]
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A short history of coffee
April 18th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
I am in my favourite cafe – “Gaby’s” in central London. I am drinking my favourite drink – cappuccino. I am browsing the web on my iPhone and I found this.
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One more view on Margaret Thatcher
April 9th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
In my time, I’ve met four British Prime Ministers. Given my politics, they were all Labour: Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. I never wanted to meet Margaret Thatcher. This was not just a matter of ideology, but also an issue of personality. While I accept that she modernised Britain in some important [...]
Posted in British current affairs, History | Comments (1)
A review of a new biography of Adolf Hitler
February 25th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
A N Wilson is perhaps more accomplished as a novelist than an historian, but I have just completed his short biography “Hitler” which I’ve reviewed here.
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Where did the United Nations have its first meeting?
February 23rd, 2013 by Roger Darlington
Everyone knows that the United Nations is headquartered in New York City where meetings of the General Assembly and the Security Council are held. But very few people realise that the first meeting of the General Assembly took place in my home city of London in the Methodist Central Hall opposite Westminster Abbey. I met [...]
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When did Mississippi ratify the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery?
February 22nd, 2013 by Roger Darlington
If you’re American, you probably know the answer to this question. But, if you live anywhere else in the world, the answer may well surprise you.
Posted in History, US current affairs | Comments (0)
Word of the day: meteorism
February 20th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
“Hitler suffered acutely from meteorism: perhaps he did not suffer so acutely as those around him, since meteorism is uncontrolled farting, a condition exacerbated by Hitler’s strictly vegetarian diet.” This is a quote from a book I’m currently reading: “Hitler: A Short Biography” by A N Wilson.
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How the Japanese bombed Darwin in Australia
February 16th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
In a couple of weeks time, Vee and I will be visiting Australia (and New Zealand) with stops in Bangkok and San Francisco that will literally take us round the world. To put us even more in the mood, this weekend, we rented the Baz Luhrmann film “Australia” [my review here]. The movie features the [...]
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The assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich
February 8th, 2013 by Roger Darlington
The killing of the SS leader Reinhard Heidrich by Czechoslovak parachutists in 1942 was the most high profile assassination of the Second World War. Who took the decision to mount the operation and why? How was the killing carried out and what were the consequences? These questions are answered by historian Callum MacDonald in an [...]
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