Archive for April, 2022


A review of a war film with a difference: “The Forgotten Battle”

April 12th, 2022 by Roger Darlington

There have, of course, been numerous films about the Second World War, but this 2020 offering is a bit different: the conflict in question was in The Netherlands, it is a Dutch production, and it is the first Dutch film from Netflix.  Inspired by true events, this is a portrayal of the Battle of Scheldt […]

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Ever heard of the Suwalki Gap?

April 11th, 2022 by Roger Darlington

I doubt that you have – but many people in the Baltic States and in the Russian military are well aware that this is a short stretch of land, a mere 50 miles (100 kms), which is the only connection between the Baltic States and the rest of the European Union. On one side is […]

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The latest suffering by the people of Sri Lanka

April 7th, 2022 by Roger Darlington

“Over the past few months, Sri Lanka has been facing a dire financial crisis on multiple fronts, triggered partially by the impact of Covid-19, which battered the economy, as well as mounting foreign debts, rising inflation and economic mismanagement by the government, led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The country barely has any foreign currency reserves […]

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A review of “Operation Finale”, a film on the abduction of Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann

April 6th, 2022 by Roger Darlington

I was 13 when, in 1961, the Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann – a major architect of the Holocaust – was tried in Israel and I remember reading about the proceedings in the newspaper. This 2018 film is largely about the operation, conducted by agents of Mossad and Shin Bet, to abduct Eichmann from his home […]

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New Zealand is losing its glaciers

April 5th, 2022 by Roger Darlington

A recent article in the “Guardian” news paper noted: “New Zealand’s glaciers are becoming “smaller and more skeletal” due to the effects of climate change and scientists predict many could disappear within a decade. An annual end-of-summer survey that records the snowline of more than 50 South Island glaciers has revealed continued loss of snow […]

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What is the sacred secret of what women want?

April 4th, 2022 by Roger Darlington

I recently caught up with the 2007 film “P.S. I Love You” [my review here] and I enjoyed this exchange of dialogue: Daniel Connelly: I don’t meant to throw this at you from left field, but what do women want? I mean, I can’t figure it out. They want us to ask; they, they don’t […]

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Have you ever visited – or wanted to visit – the Peruvian site of Machu Picchu?

April 4th, 2022 by Roger Darlington

Well, as this recent article explains, a new academic paper argues that, since its rediscovery in 1911, the site has been known by the wrong name. A Peruvian historian and a leading US archaeologist argue that the UNESCO world heritage site was known by its Inca inhabitants as Huayna Picchu – the name of a […]

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A review of a history of Ukraine: “Borderland” by Anna Reid

April 1st, 2022 by Roger Darlington

On 24 February 2022, Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale Russian invasion of the independent state of Ukraine and immediately I was keen to learn more about the history of the country being violated. I was pleased to find this work which is immensely informative and very accessible. “Borderland” was first published in 1997 and republished […]

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