The USS Constitution – Leading The Power Of The US Navy For The First Time
Sweat poured down the brows of eight American sailors, their white-knuckled fists gripping long oars. The bosun bellowed at them to pull for their lives…
Death at Long Range: Some of the Deadliest Snipers Of World War II
Highly trained and deadly, snipers are and have been an important aspect of warfare. The term, however, first came into use in British India in…
Leonardo’s War Machines – The Italian Genius May Have Deliberately Sabotaged His Own Designs
Born in the Tuscan town of Vinci on the 15th of April, 1452, Leonardo Da Vinci is perhaps best known as the painter of the…
The Ambitious Scotsman Who Used A Tiny, War-Scarred Brig To Capture A Huge 32-Gun Frigate
On March 28th, 1800, a Scottish aristocrat took command of the small Brig-Sloop HMS Speedy, based at Port Mahon. The Scotsman, Thomas Cochrane, was an…
The War Could Not Have Been Won Without This Wonderfully Simple Piece Of Design – The Humble Bailey Bridge
Picture an Allied tank commander in Europe, during Autumn, 1944. Advancing for days, destroying the German resistance. Nothing has been able to stop the invasion;…
The Beautiful American Ship USS Constitution Was Built In 1797 And Is Still Afloat Today
“Old Ironsides”, the USS Constitution, has been through it all and lived to tell about it – as her nickname suggests. Built of a study oak,…
The Tank Museum: Sydney Hadley’s Glass Eye
One of the personal objects on display in The Tank Men exhibition is emblematic of the personal sacrifice made by so many men in World…
Five Influential Historical Generals Who Were Actually Mad
A shocking number of military leaders have suffered from mental health issues, even as they held the lives of the men they led in their…
The Disastrous Attack Which Led To George Armstrong Custer’s Last Stand
George Armstrong Custer is one of the most infamous figures in American military history. A cavalry commander whose style was based on instinct and showmanship…
When Winter Saved The American Revolution At The Battle Of Trenton
Fought on 26 December 1776, the Battle of Trenton was a small but significant battle in the American Revolution. At a time when the forces…
“Hell hath no fury…” – The Women’s March On Versailles
The city of Paris, in early October 1789, was a like a smoldering fire, just waiting for the gust of wind which would kindle it…
Heroes of America: The Red String Band Rebelled Against the Confederacy in the Civil War
It is easy to think of wars from earlier centuries in rather simplistic terms, especially as they fade further into the past. The American Civil…