How long did the Hundred Years War last?
August 4th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
This was the long-running war between the English and the French in the 14th & 15th centuries. As I learned on a course this week, actually the war lasted 116 years (1337-1453) – more information here.
You see, most of what we think we know of history is very much an approximation of what actually happened.
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Why do we study history?
August 4th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
This is a question I asked myself again this week when I attended a one-day course at the City Lit college in central London on “Henry V And The Battle Of Agincourt”. One answer to the question is: to illuminate our understanding of the present because we are writing the first draft of history now.
What any study of history reveals is that: all history is very partially understood with very fragmented evidence; all history is written by the victors so we have a very biased account of events, especially where conflict and war is concerned; most history is presented from a very nationalistic perspective, most especially when a country is trying to rediscover a ‘golden age’ such as former states of the USSR.
We tend to think of so much history as almost deterministic and ‘big’ events – especially when ‘we’ won a battle or a war – as inevitable, but so many events could so easily have gone another way. Luck or chance was often a major factor.
Properly understood, history should teach us that we rarely know the full picture and, upon examination, everything is more complicated than it seems. The version of history propagated in our schools and our media is only one version and we would do well to bring critical thinking to our study of both historical events and current affairs.
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A review of the new comedy film “Hot Pursuit”
August 1st, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Don’t rush to see this movie at the cinema, but you might to catch it on DVD, streaming, or television. It tries to be different. You can read my review here.
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A review of “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation”
August 1st, 2015 by Roger Darlington
The “Mission: Impossible” film franchise has now been running almost two decades and produced five movies. I’ve seen them all and reviewed the latest one here.
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What do these three political campaigns have in common?
August 1st, 2015 by Roger Darlington
1) In the American race to select a Republican candidate for the presidential election next year, 69 year old Donald Trump is currently leading the field of 17 runners.
2) In the American race to select a Democratic candidate for the presidential election next year, 73 year old Bernie Sanders is drawing exceptional support even though he is running against a firm favourite in Hillary Clinton.
3) In the British race to elect a new leader of the Labour Party, 66 year old Jeremy Corbyn is currently the clear favourite.
What do these three political campaigns have in common?
- Hardly anyone expected these three candidates to make much of an impact on their respective elections.
- Each is seen as speaking with an authenticity that is a contrast to the usual cautious political language of establishment figures.
- Each is offering a more radical agenda than the other candidates in the election which appeals to a significant section of their political party.
- Many observers feel that, even if he won the current election, he could not possibly win the subsequent general election.
What do you think?
Posted in American current affairs, British current affairs | Comments (1)
My 21st short story: “More Than Lust But Less Than Love”
July 31st, 2015 by Roger Darlington
We think that the one thing we know for sure is our own lives. But maybe we don’t know it all. This is the inspiration for my short story “More Than Lust But Less Than Love”. You can read it here.
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A review of the new movie “Southpaw”
July 30th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Jake Gyllenhaal makes this movie and confirms his status as a major star. You can read my review here.
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
A review of the novel “Before I Go To Sleep”
July 29th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
I saw the film adaptation and found it intriguing and so I’ve now read the novel which is a real page-turner. You can read my review here.
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A review of the film “The Hundred-Foot Journey”
July 29th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
If the only movies you enjoy are action-packed, stunt-filled blockbusters, look away now. If on the other hand, you are open to a quiet and humorous look at rivalry between French and Indian eating establishments, this is a film worth watching on television. You can read my review here.
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When President Barack Obama completes his second term, what will he do with the rest of his life?
July 28th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Barack Obama will step down from the US presidency in January 2017. At that point, he still only be 55. So what is going to do?
I suspect – and hope – that he eschew the opportunities to make lots of money from private sector appointments and that instead he will return to being an academic. But I have a dream …
Hillary Clinton becomes the next presidency and, during her term of office, has the opportunity to appoint a judge to the Supreme Court. She appoints Obama. Remember where you heard it first …
Is this possible, you ask? There are no formal qualifications for membership of the Supreme Court, but Obama has all the legal knowledge necessary for the post. And there is a little-known precedent …
William Howard Taft (1857-1930) was the 27th President of the United States (1909-1913) and later the 10th Chief Justice of the United States (1921-1930). He is the only person to have served in both of these offices.
You can read more about William Howard Taft here.
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