William Mclaughlin

William Mclaughlin is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by William Mclaughlin:

Some of the Best Catchphrases Of The Ancient Spartans

“Spartans, Eat Well, for Tonight We Dine in Hades” is a memorable line from the movie, 300. The movie should get credit for fitting in…

The Hannibalic War would make an Excellent Movie

There are an infinite number of great stories to be found in history. Fantasy tales such as the hit series, Game of Thrones, can be…

Why Total War Rome 2: Total War Has The Perfect Historical Starting Date

The long-running Total War series has gone in a wildly fictional direction with its latest entry Total War: Warhammer, but their core has always been…

Four Military Operations Which Were Fought In Abominable Weather Conditions

Rain and snow tend to make people stay inside with a nice cup of tea, hot chocolate, or maybe something stronger. As you would expect,…

Gladiator: The True History Behind The Movie

Are you not entertained? The Gladiator is now seventeen years old, but it has stuck around in modern culture quite well. We know that huge…

Fighting To The End: Heroic Last Stands Of Military History

The Battle of Thermopylae is the ultimate example of a heroic last stand. The few mighty warriors stood against hundreds of thousands of Persian troops,…

When Spartacus and His Renegade Gladiators Gave the Romans All They Could Handle

The War of Spartacus was violent and disturbing. Gladiators and other slaves were fighting for what modern society views as the inalienable right to freedom.…

Enemies Within And Without – Caligula, Arminius and Vercingetorix – Most Hated Men Of Ancient Rome

Rome hated a lot of people over the thousands of years it held power, so this list is far from comprehensive, feel free to add…

Siege of Vienna: Led by a Mercenary, This Desperate Army Turned the Tide on the Ottoman Empire

For four hundred years, the Crusades had seen European powers take war deep into lands far from home, under the banner of Christianity. The clash…

Solid as a Rock: Holding Gibraltar Against All The Odds

Gibraltar is a small place, but it is full of history. Its total area is only 2.6 square miles, and this tiny landscape is dominated by…

The Battle Of Marignano: The Reason For Almost 500 Years Of Swiss Neutrality

In November of 2016, Switzerland will have had a strict policy of neutrality for five centuries. Even during the World Wars, Switzerland was able to…

The Samnite Wars, Paving the Way for the Might of the Roman Empire

The Roman Republic was a magnificent entity. It had its problems, as all governments do, but the men served it proudly and it took many…