You can find a complete listing of all the articles on this site here. They are listed in reverse chronological order, and are all clickable links. Twenty-five articles are displayed per page, with the publication date included. To find older articles, click on the page numbers at the bottom.
To search the site by subject, topic, or name, you can use the “Search” function on the right sidebar.
_______________________________
-
Fortress Of The Mind Receives Rare 1642 Edition Of “On Duties”
The generosity of people never ceases to amaze me.
-
U.S. Grant Goes On The Offensive: The Fall Of Forts Henry And Donelson
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…
-
The Overcoat Of Alexander H. Stephens
Ulysses S. Grant relates the following anecdote in his memoirs.
-
Dreams As Memories And Endowments
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…
-
The Struggle For Little Round Top: Tipping The Scales Of Fate
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.”
-
“Am I Too Indecisive?” (Podcast)
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.
-
General Slim’s Afterthoughts On Victory
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…
-
Vitruvius Discusses Water Prospecting
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…
-
Idealism Vs. Practicality In Career Choices: How To Find The Balance (Podcast)
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.
-
Service Rifles Of The First World War
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…
-
Sunday Movie Roundup (7/24/2016)
Here’s a quick summary of some recent movies. The Witch (2015) Director: Robert Eggers One of the best experiences a movie lover can have is to stumble on a new talent or underappreciated gem. I had this experience when watching this carefully-made art-house horror film; it’s the debut effort of Robert Eggers.
-
The Uzi Submachine Gun: An Iconic Weapon
Small arms commentators have been predicting the demise of the submachine gun ever since the assault rifle made its inception at the end of the Second World War. And yet the weapon is still here with us. While not part of the front-line military outfit of most modern armies, it nevertheless has a role in…
-
Three Reader Questions Discussed (Podcast)
In this podcast episode, we address the following reader questions: 1. Are men becoming “infantilized” in today’s society? 2. What is the difference between a “loser” and someone who is just going through a rough period? 3. Do women “dislike” male self-improvement?
-
The Stoner 63 System
The Stoner 63 System was one of those “what ifs” of small arms weapons design. The basic concept behind the system was an attempt to make use of the modular idea of interchangeability: 17 core modular “units” could be assembled to produce various types of weapons for use in different roles.
-
General Slim On The Foundations Of Morale And Offensive Operations
Readers may know that I’ve written two previous articles here on General William Slim’s Burma campaign during the Second World War. His memoirs continue to provide me with gems of advice on morale, conduct, and taking action.
-
Greatness Of Soul: Becoming A Man Of Substance (Podcast)
On Duties deals with a very large number of topics. One of the most important unifying threads of the book is the idea of “greatness of soul.” What is it? Why is it relevant?
-
Disaster Can Be The Stimulus For Victory
In 1942, military forces of the Empire of Japan entered Burma and expelled the British from the country. It was one of many disasters of the war’s early years. At the time, few believed that Allied forces in Burma would be able to reconstitute themselves.
-
A Few Questions (Podcast)
We deal with two questions in this podcast. One question involves a reader’s concerns about procrastination. Another involves a question about a passage from my book On Duties.
-
General William Slim’s Challenges In The Burmese Campaign
If someone were to select the most forgotten and God-forsaken theater of the Second World War, he would unhesitatingly point to the Burmese theater, assuming he even knew it existed. In this obscure country, hard-pressed and dreadfully neglected British forces fought a tenacious campaign against the Japanese that deserves to be far better known. The general who…
-
Alexander’s Conquest Of Tyre
Alexander the Great knew that if he were to embark on his great project, the conquest of the Persian Empire, he would first need to secure his flanks near the Mediterranean. This meant the bringing of Syria and Egypt under his control; and to this end he moved south after subduing Asia Minor.
-
Finland’s Amazing KP/-31 Submachine Gun
Finland’s armaments industry quietly produced one of the very best submachine guns of the Second World War. This weapon was the KP/-31 (also known as the Suomi m/1931). The design is not well-known now, but in its day it was the weapon that everyone else wanted.
-
Portugal: Making The First Modern Commercial Empire
Little Portugal, located at the western-most tip of Europe, was not endowed by fortune with natural resources (save for its Atlantic proximity). Yet it did have the daring, tenacity, and vision of great men, and that proved to be sufficient to propel it to world prominence.
-
Sunday Movie Roundup (7/3/2016)
It’s time to talk about a few recent movies I’ve seen.
-
The Worst Pistol Of The Second World War
Like most of the belligerents of World War II, Japan found itself faced with an explosive demand for weapons of all sorts in the first few years of the 1940s. Existing supplies of small arms were simply not adequate, and Japan had to improvise as best it could.
-
How Do I Know If My Goals Are Unrealistic? (Podcast)
Sometimes we should chase the gazelle, and sometimes we should not. A reader is concerned that he may be setting expectations and goals for himself that are not in accord with reality or practicality. He is wondering if he should make adjustments, but does’t really know if he’s just at a sticking point, or if…
Original copy of Cicero’s De Officiis (On Duties) published in Holland in 1642. From the collection of Fortress of the Mind.
You must be logged in to post a comment.