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The Victory Of General Typhus: Napoleon’s Catastrophic Invasion Of Russia
By 1810 Napoleon was the master of continental Europe. He had been unable to force the British to accept an accommodation, but nevertheless remained confident that his “Continental System” would bring the recalcitrant islanders to heel. The system, in effect a massive blockade, forbade European merchants from having any economic intercourse with Britain. Prussia and…
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Revealing Anecdotes On The Character Of Abraham Lincoln
We have earlier stated that anecdotes often reveal more about a man’s thinking and character than might a long recounting of his deeds. About Abraham Lincoln many stories have been told, some no doubt apocryphal, others not. I will present here a few true anecdotes that most readers are not likely to be familiar with;…
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The Wisdom Of Fakhr Al-Din Al-Razi
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149–1210) was a Persian theologian and philosopher whose fecundity was only surpassed by his depth of understanding of various disciplines. He is credited with over one hundred works, although it is likely that this number was considerably higher. Learned in astronomy, philosophy, theology, chemistry, and a variety of other subjects, he was…
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Focus On Causes, Not On Pretexts
The great Irish statesman and political theorist Edmund Burke wrote a seminal essay of political theory in 1790 entitled Reflections on the Revolution in France. His purpose was to attack the intellectual underpinnings of the revolution and show, by reasoned argument, that the French revolutionaries were engaged in the height of folly by consciously turning…
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The Loss Of Memory And Attention (Podcast)
As individuals and as a society, we are steadily losing our long-term memories. Endless stimulation and “choices” have nearly turned us into the protagonist in the film Memento (2000), whose memory-loss condition puts him at the mercy of others’ manipulations. Rote memorization–unfairly maligned by modern educators–has its merits, and deserves a reconsideration.
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Scott Joplin: A Musical Visionary
Those who have seen the classic movie The Sting (1974) may be aware that the film’s ragtime score set off a revival of interest in the music of Scott Joplin. Despite the incongruity with the setting of the movie (The Sting is set in the Depression of the 1930s, while ragtime is music of the…
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Theodore Roosevelt Reforms The Coinage
Theodore Roosevelt was not just a president, he was a dynamo. He initiated anti-trust legislation to break up the plutocratic monopolies that threatened the nation’s economic life; he set aside vast tracts of western lands as national parks to protect the nation’s natural heritage against plunder by rapacious business interests; he advocated a muscular foreign…
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Some Humorous Epitaphs
Many forget that we should learn to be wise enough to laugh at the world and ourselves. Without laughter–the universal tonic for all melancholic maladies–it becomes ever easier to take ourselves too seriously, and to retreat into comfortable recesses of our own minds that promise nothing but stagnation and sterility. This may be the unconscious…
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The Dream Of Maxen: A Celtic Myth Of “The Mabinogion”
The Mabinogion is a name given to a collection of medieval Welsh tales drawn from the rich mythology of Celtic Britain. The earliest manuscripts date from around 1325, but it is certain that the tales on which they were based have roots that go back centuries before this time to an age in which Welsh…
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Edgar Allan Poe’s Sinister Inspiration For “The Cask Of Amontillado”
Most readers will be familiar with Edgar Allan Poe’s macabre tale The Cask of Amontillado. It is a dark tale of revenge, in which one man deliberately intoxicates a hated enemy and then walls him up alive in a crypt. Like most writers, Poe took his inspiration from his life experiences, and then mixed those with…
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We Can’t Expect Too Much From People (Podcast)
One big frustration we can experience in life is having unrealistic expectations of other people. That is, we can want people to behave in ways that are just not within their desires or capabilities. What is the best way to deal with this? We use the example of the humanist Petrarch’s strained relationship with his…
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The Importance Of Theodore Roosevelt’s “New Nationalism” Speech
This past weekend, I visited the John Brown cabin and museum in Osawatomie, Kansas. This historic former residence of the abolitionist–a key figure in American Civil War history–is now a state park. What I had not known was that the park was dedicated in 1910 by none other than Theodore Roosevelt, a man who is…
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Sometimes It Is Not Advisable To Question Authority Or Tradition
While it may be good in some instances to question inherited tradition and authority, there are many times when one should not. Free-thinking individualism has its place, but there is an equally valid place for respecting the power of authority and tradition. This point is amusingly illustrated in the two anecdotes presented below. They are…
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Using Your Ingenuity To Accomplish Your Goals
Those who are resourceful will find ways of carrying out their purposes. They will not be deterred by momentary setbacks or obstacles. The lazy man or the dullard will take refuge behind the natural obstructions that life places in his path and, using such problems as excuses to avoid work, take comfort in his failures.…
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Wednesday Film Roundup (6/21/2017)
Fury of a Patient Man (Tarde para la ira) (2016) Director: Raúl Arévalo This is a very well done Spanish noir revenge thriller that combines realism and narrative power. The plot: José is a taciturn guy who likes to hang out at a drab neighborhood bar. He spends enough time there to catch the…
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Julius Caesar’s Speech To The Senate In “The Conspiracy Of Catiline” (Podcast)
This podcast is a reading and commentary on the speech of Julius Caesar found in Sallust’s “Conspiracy of Catiline.” Caesar’s address to the senate made important points about the value of precedent, leniency, and how abuses of power can follow from seemingly good intentions.
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The Plague Of Justinian
During the reign of the eastern Roman emperor Justinian, the Mediterranean world was hit by a pandemic whose virulence was exceeded only by the outbreak of the Black Plague in western Europe many centuries later. The pandemic–commonly known today as the Plague of Justinian–only lasted from A.D. 541 to 542, but there were residual aftershocks…
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The Search For The Real Anwar Sadat
Immediately after he was assassinated in 1981, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was canonized by the Western media. He was portrayed as a brave crusader for peace who had taken bold steps to overcome his people’s alleged resistance to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. By single-handedly flying to the Israeli Knesset and embracing Menachem Begin, he had…
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Mentorships And Career Choices (Podcast)
In this podcast we deal with questions from two reader emails. The first question asks about mentorships. The second question deals with the concerns one guy is having about his career path.
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Sunday Film Roundup (6/11/2017)
Some very good results this week.
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Cover Art For My Books Is Now Available In Special Products
In response to some questions I’ve been getting since the release of Sallust, I’ve decided to offer the cover art for all of my books in a variety of products. The website can be found by clicking here. Once there, click on the “Products” tab to see all the different merchandise available. Imagine having the…
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On Forming Our Own Judgments
When we need to form our own estimates of others, we should learn to trust our own judgments, and not be swayed by the criticisms or slanders of others. Behavior is better verified by observation, rather than by the rumors and innuendos of others.
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Sunday Movie Roundup (6/4/2017)
Gilles’s Wife (La Femme de Gilles) (2004) Director: Frédéric Fonteyne
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You Do What You Have To Do To Survive (Podcast)
A recent news article talks about how young, unemployed urban Greeks are leaving the city to return to agricultural work in the countryside. They’re producing and marketing their own products directly to consumers. It’s part of a wider economic trend that has a lot of positive features. In life, you do what you have to do…
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Limits Must Be Imposed On Our Desires
Among the many problems that we are faced with today is the lack of restraint, the lack of moderation, that is actively supported and encouraged by our culture. If you have something, you are told that you deserve more. If you want something, you are told that you deserve to have it. If something stands…
Original copy of Cicero’s De Officiis (On Duties) published in Holland in 1642. From the collection of Fortress of the Mind.
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