U.S. Grant Goes On The Offensive: The Fall Of Forts Henry And Donelson

20160807_234208

War brought out the bulldog in U.S. Grant.  A decent man but a failure in civilian life, he was good at one thing, and one thing only:  war.  His method was to hone in on his enemy, get in close, and figuratively grab him by the belt to keep him close.  So positioned, he would then hammer away at his opponent relentlessly.  He may not have had the panache and elan of some of his more exalted (or overrated) contemporaries, but he did have a quick mind that could grasp the military essentials of situations in ways that very few others could.

Continue reading

Dreams As Memories And Endowments

dreams1

I was recently corresponding with a reader on the topic of finding inspiration for creative activity.  The conversation veered into the subject of dreams.  In what way, we wondered, do dreams inspire or retard development of the creative impulse?  And what is the source of dreams?  The subject is one of general interest, and seems to come up over and over again.

Continue reading

The Struggle For Little Round Top: Tipping The Scales Of Fate

20160804_223933
Little Round Top

There is a scene in the 1987 film Wall Street when the Charlie Sheen character (Bud Fox) is about to meet the formidable Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas).  He says to himself, “Well, life all comes down to a few moments.  This is one of them.”

Continue reading

“Am I Too Indecisive?” (Podcast)

decisive

A reader has a high-powered job and is able to function effectively in what he does.

But he’s concerned that he may not be as decisive as he needs to be in his personal life.

Continue reading

General Slim’s Afterthoughts On Victory

slimjack

At the conclusion of his memoirs, General William Slim, the British commander in the Second World War’s Burmese and India theaters, had some pungent observations on the conduct of the war and its ultimate outcome.  Originally defeated in the field, he came back to hammer the Japanese decisively in some of the most remarkable ground combat of the entire Pacific War.

Continue reading

Vitruvius Discusses Water Prospecting

water2

The Roman engineer and architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (c. 75 B.C.–c. 15 A.D.) wrote an extensive and invaluable work (De Architectura) that describes all types of topics in construction and building.  We will here describe his interesting (and somewhat amusing) method of locating water springs.  This information can be found in book VIII, ch. 1 of his treatise.

Continue reading

Idealism Vs. Practicality In Career Choices: How To Find The Balance (Podcast)

ideal1ideal2

When choosing or pursuing a career, should we base our decision on “idealism” or on “practicality”?

What is the balance between doing what you love, and what can earn you a living? And how do we find this balance?

We explore some answers.

Continue reading

Service Rifles Of The First World War

rifle

The armies of the belligerents who went to war in 1914 carried rifles that today might be considered quaint.  They had handsome wooden finishes, were designed for long-range fire, and were so robust that they could withstand all manner of abuse in the harsh trench environments in which they were used.

[To read the rest of article, click here.]