Category Archives: History

The Purchase of Commissions in the British Army, 1683-1871

Posted on September 29, 2022 by odeboyz

The 17th century was transformative. It began with the attempted assassination of James I and ended with a successful invasion and three quasi-legitimate monarchs. The century included three civil wars, the execution of a king, a warrior class seizing power, … Continue reading →

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Hitler copied the USA’s segregation policies…and then some

Posted on September 12, 2022 by odeboyz

‘Segregation Forever’ documents the legal establishment of a racial purity regime as strict as any of its 20th-century European competitors. North Carolina required not only separate schools for black and white children but segregation of textbooks (‘Books shall not be … Continue reading →

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An Awe-Inspiring Tudor Church: Lavenham, Suffolk

Posted on September 5, 2022 by odeboyz

All the people you live among will see the Lord’s work, for what I am doing with you is awe-inspiring. Exodus 34:10 Lavenham church was completed in 1525 immediately before the religious upheavals of the 16th century.1 As a parish … Continue reading →

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17th century snowflakes were protected

Posted on August 25, 2022 by odeboyz
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When did the Second World War Begin?

Posted on August 25, 2022 by odeboyz

British school children are taught the Second World War began on 3rd September, 1939. Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister, declared war on Germany after they invaded Poland.1 Britain began a European war not the world war. The Second World War … Continue reading →

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The Execution of Charles the First: 30th January, 1649

Posted on August 4, 2022 by odeboyz

The axe was raised, it struck and Charles was beheaded. Charles died after being found guilty of a crime, which didn’t exist until Oliver Cromwell and his followers created it. They then appointed themselves as judge and jury adding a … Continue reading →

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Britain’s Nuclear Deterrent, 2022

Posted on July 14, 2022 by odeboyz

Ben Wallace’s1 belief in Britain as a global military power is reflected in his justification for nuclear weapons. “It is vital for our national security and your safety that the UK continues to be an independent global actor, able to … Continue reading →

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Black Lives Matter: Billie Holiday’s song ‘Strange Fruit’

Posted on June 13, 2022 by odeboyz

Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” is now recognized as one of the greatest recordings of all time, being named to the Songs of the Century list by the National Endowment of the Arts. But this powerfully mournful song was almost never … Continue reading →

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Book Review: William Ryan ~ The Holy Thief (2010)

Posted on May 30, 2022 by odeboyz

The death of Phillip Kerr left a hole in my reading of historical novels. His principal character, Bernie Gunther,1 a Berlin policeman becomes embedded in the Nazi regime whilst maintaining his integrity (sort of). Ryan’s Moscow Noir novels are set … Continue reading →

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Royal Navy Punishments in the 18th Century

Posted on May 19, 2022 by odeboyz

“…naval authorities sought to attain social control by normalizing flogging as a form of deterrent punishment….[captains] were permitted to flog at their own discretion.”1 Shipboard punishments were inflicted by captains who had absolute authority. Only a sentence of capital punishment … Continue reading →

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