With all the chatter about whether these modern “Tea Parties” have anything in common with the famous Boston Tea Party, it is very easy to get lost in political interpretations. Much like Michael Keating’s musings over the RNC’s twisting of historical truths, Publick Occurrences is deepening our understanding of the historical associations, or lack thereof, with the current tea partying crowd.
A lot of talk over how to combat these new age pirates has been going on for a few years, with the only major action being the increase of foreign warships in the waters off western Africa. Has this helped? Anyone following the news this week is well aware of the capture of an American merchant vessel by pirates of the coast of Somalia. So in short, no, using modern warships has not helped. Much of the blame can be attributed to the lack of sufficient numbers in armed ships as well as the rules of engagement agreed upon by many of the nations taking part in the anti-piracy patrols.
more →
A most crucial lesson to learn before heading off to graduate school is the ability to read a book strategically. The higher level undergraduate history courses may have had a fair number of books to be read during the semester, but professors often choose to not instruct their students on how to read the books properly. Upon entering ones first graduate seminar, with a reading list of a dozen books, a student might start to question how they are ever going to finish each book while remembering any arguments. If one reads only the most critical portions of any book, then it is possible to complete even the most daunting of reading lists.
more →
Twitter is a fun means of conveying simple thoughts, but the value of such a tool is debatable. A lot has been said about the academic usefulness of Twitter, read Cameron Blevin’s perspective. It has been argued that Twitter, in its current form, has limited academic value. The web tool is able to facilitate communication amongst individuals, so why not historians? Aiding in the exchange of ideas and opinions could have a positive impact on the general growth of the field. As discussed by Cameron,
more →
Back in September, during my honeymoon to Mexico, my wife and I visited Chichen Itza. While visiting Chichen Itza, we experienced Mayan acoustic/engineering accomplishments as well. This was the first time either of us had seen non-European ruins, and we were in awe of the architectural achievements of the Maya. Having spent a considerable amount of time in Germany and Austria, we had seen impressive Roman ruins. But seeing comparable structures in the New World had a different feel to it. In terms of engineering, here was a civilization capable of building very advanced structures.
more →
Synopsis
The purpose of Thompson Werk is to present the musings of a US War and Society doctoral student. Discussion topics principally center around the World Wars and Vietnam.
The opinions expressed on this site are not be confused with those of my colleagues, employers, friends, family, and/or anyone else associated with me.
Contact me with any comments, complaints, and/or questions.
Comments
- Robert: Throughout Vietnamese history there are
- Chris: "Hopefully most people outside of
- Gulmira: You have more ufseul info
- Gennarino: Recurring bad dreams and the
- Robert: I’ll be happy to get
