Category Archives: History

War Studies: American Exceptionalism and war by other means: 2011 and 2025

Posted on November 19, 2025 by odeboyz

On May 2nd 2011,1 Obama watched Osama bin Laden being assassinated. Fourteen people watched the snuff movie with him, President Obama said, “Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of … Continue reading →

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Latch Key Kid, Leeds, 1950s

Posted on November 12, 2025 by odeboyz

During the war my father worked brutal hours building bombers. He worked for 20 days and then had a day off. His shifts were 12 hours on, 12 off, which alternated every 20 days between days and nights. He made … Continue reading →

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War Studies: Britain’s ‘White Feather’ Campaign 1914-16

Posted on October 1, 2025 by odeboyz

The declaration of war in August 1914 was popular because everyone knew Britain was unbeatable. They’d been fed a century of triumphs in colonial wars. Even the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade, 1854,was seen as a success….(a bit like … Continue reading →

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The sublime Oscar Wilde

Posted on September 24, 2025 by odeboyz
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Britain’s Old Age Pension: From altruism to bribery

Posted on September 24, 2025 by odeboyz

The Old Age Pension Act (OAP), 1908, was an altruistic reward for good paupers. It was intended to give dignity to their final years but it wasn’t an entitlement. There were eligibility rules to be met before receiving the OAP. … Continue reading →

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Nigel’s Triumph

Posted on September 10, 2025 by odeboyz
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War Studies: Britain’s Civil War (aka The Troubles), 1968-98

Posted on August 26, 2025 by odeboyz

The British civil war was centred in northern Ireland and later migrated to the mainland. Assassinations, atrocities, the breakdown of law and order, internment, loss of civil liberties and state repression occurred over 30 years. These techniques had failed when … Continue reading →

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Why weren’t Auschwitz’s railway lines bombed?

Posted on August 20, 2025 by odeboyz

In desperation, some Jewish leaders asked the Allies to bomb the railway lines  leading to the extermination camps and even Auschwitz itself. The response…was negative…In fact, Allied aircraft  were already flying over Auschwitz, bombing nearby industrial targets and dropping supplies … Continue reading →

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Winston Churchill in Casablanca, 1943

Posted on July 19, 2025 by odeboyz

“Hopkins meanwhile, had found Churchill in bed washing down his breakfast with a bottle of white wine. Asked what he meant by this. Churchill replied that he had a ‘profound distaste on the one hand for skimmed milk and no … Continue reading →

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Defining a terrorist organisation is interesting

Posted on July 16, 2025 by odeboyz

Proscribing Palestine Action makes them terrorists. This ‘feels’ wrong. Terrorists, like Hamas, slaughter and try to change governments by violence. On 7th October 2023, Hamas slaughtered 1200+ Israelis, provoking a war. In Britain, The Troubles, dominated daily life for forty … Continue reading →

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