Category Archives: History

Film Review: The Great Escaper (2023) (Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson)

Posted on October 18, 2023 by odeboyz

Two great actors come together to make a wonderful film. It’s a biopic of Bernie Jordan who, aged 89, ‘broke’ out of his care home to attend – as an unofficial guest – the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landings.1 … Continue reading →

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Education, Education, Education

Posted on October 9, 2023 by odeboyz

Ask me my three main priorities for Government, and I tell you: education, education and education. Tony Blair’s speech at the Labour Party Conference, 1 October 1996 “[Gove] apologised, however, when the list of terminated school-building projects he had released … Continue reading →

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The Tragedy of the West Bank Conflict

Posted on September 7, 2023 by odeboyz

It’s internationally accepted that Israeli sponsored settlements in the West Bank are illegal. Israel have, nonetheless, made them a central policy for their coalition government. Settler townships only exist because of this political commitment. The full panoply of surveillance drones … Continue reading →

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A KGB* joke

Posted on August 19, 2023 by odeboyz

The regional KGB headquarters in Arkhangelsk suffered a major fire and was almost completely destroyed. Shortly after, a man phoned. “I’m sorry, we can’t do anything,” said the receptionist. “The KGB has burnt down.”Five minutes later, the receptionist received another … Continue reading →

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How Wars Are Won

Posted on August 17, 2023 by odeboyz

Conventional war is more-or-less equal armies slugging it out. The paradigm is the First World War. This ended when Germany was outnumbered with the entry of the USA. The European Second World War ended with Germany outnumbered once more. Japan … Continue reading →

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Film Review: Oppenheimer (2023) (Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey jr)

Posted on August 7, 2023 by odeboyz

At three hours long I nearly avoided this film. A grave error of judgement. Three hours flew past leaving me with a warm sense of privilege. Why? I felt that I’d been part of something, which was out of the … Continue reading →

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Israel’s Medieval Defence System

Posted on July 27, 2023 by odeboyz

The Normans conquered England in 1066 and built castles to protect themselves. Their sophisticated castles were a brilliant, functional response to threats from a hostile population. Castles were successful until the civil wars of the 17th century.1 Cromwell’s New Model … Continue reading →

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The Importance of the Death of Oliver Cromwell, 1658

Posted on July 10, 2023 by odeboyz

The transition of power in monarchies is brutally simple: The king is dead, Long live the king. After Charles the First’s execution, Charles his son, became king1. Power remained with parliament and the army as he was a fugitive in … Continue reading →

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A book for every decade: 1920 ~ 2020

Posted on July 3, 2023 by odeboyz

This list obviously flawed and contentious but put it down to boyish ambition if you will. 1920s All Quiet on the Western Front: Erich Maria Remarque (1929) The carnage of WW1 left a bitter legacy for which Germany was blamed. … Continue reading →

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Black Lives Matter: Nat ‘King’ Cole, 1956

Posted on June 22, 2023 by odeboyz

Nat King Cole was an enormously popular crooner, earning $4,500 a week1 in Las Vegas in 1956. He headlined at the whites-only Thunderbird Hotel, where he wasn’t allowed to venture beyond the showroom and the cook’s resting area behind the … Continue reading →

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