Military History
Harald “Land Waster” Hardradi
by Kenneth ClineFor many history buffs, the date 1066 conjures up an image of Norman knights breaking through the shield wall of the ax-wielding Anglo-Saxons at Senlac Hill. Read more
Military History
Sponsored By: The Navigator's Letter
Military History
Famous Marines: Smedley Butler
By Edward L. BimbergThe annals of the United States Marine Corps are filled with the names of mavericks known not only for their fighting skills, but for their offbeat personalities as well. Read more
Military History
‘Israel’s Survival at Stake’
By John E. SpindlerLieutenant Zvi “Zvicka” Greengold raced back to Nafakh, commanding his fifth or sixth Sho’t Kal, an Israeli-upgraded Centurion main battle tank, having had the previous ones knocked out beneath him. Read more
Military History
U.S. Navy Pilot Lieutenant E. Royce Williams
By Mark CarlsonOne of the most remarkable events in modern naval aviation was kept a secret for almost half a century. Read more
Military History
Con Thien: Hell on the Hill of Angels
By Al HemingwayLieutenant General Lewis Walt was not a happy man. The burly III Marine Amphibious Force commander had just been ordered by Commanding General William C. Read more
Military History
The Korean War’s Counterfire Platoons
By Richard E. EckerIn March 1953, a battle-scarred United Nations outpost called “Old Baldy” was attacked by elements of the Chinese Army and captured from the Colombian soldiers occupying it. Read more
Military History
The History of the U.S. Coast Guard
By Blaine TaylorOn August 4, 1790, at the urging of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, the United States Congress authorized the construction of 10 armed revenue cutters. Read more
Military History
A Storm of Terrors: Alexander the Great at Halicarnassus
By Jeffrey A. EastonA major dilemma confronted Alexander the Great and his 35,000-man Macedonian army in the summer of 334 bc, as they moved to secure the northwestern corner of Asia Minor. Read more
Military History
The Origins of Dracula: Vlad the Impaler
By Mark S. LongoTo millions of people, the name Dracula is synonymous with horror. The mere mention of Dracula invokes terrifying images of bats, Gothic castles and, of course, vampires. Read more
Military History
Frederick the Great at Zorndorf: Mauled by the Russian Bear
By Eric NiderostOn December 5, 1757, Prussian King Frederick II crushed the Austrian Army at Leuthen, Silesia, a masterpiece of military skill and maneuver that established Fredrick’s reputation as one of the great commanders of the 18th century. Read more
Military History
David Bushnell’s Turtle: The World’s First Submarine
By Brandt HeatheringtonThe world’s first combat submarine was something of an afterthought on the part of its creator. The revolutionary craft, known as the Turtle for its odd profile, was the progeny of David Bushnell, who was born in 1742 in West Saybrook, Conn. Read more
Military History
The Eagle at Asculum: General Pyrrhus of Epirus
By Jeffrey A. EastonBy the middle of the 4th century bc, the Roman Empire had steadily expanded its reach into the southern half of Italy. Read more
Military History
Mad Mike Hoare: How a Businessman Became a Legendary Mercenary
By John W. Osborn, Jr.With the exception of the French Foreign Legion, the concept of the mercenary, or soldier of fortune, seemed extinct after World War II. Read more
Military History
James Douglas’ Audacious Plans after the Trent Affair
By William SilvesterOn November 8, 1861, two distinguished diplomats from the newly established Confederate States of America were arrested and removed from the British mail steamer Trent by the American ship San Jacinto in the Bahama Channel near Havana, Cuba. Read more
Military History
Zeebrugge: A Gallant Raid on Saint George’s Day
By Robert Barr SmithIn the spring of 1918, World War I was well into its fourth year, and still the armies struggled and died in the glutinous mud of Flanders. Read more
Military History
Slaughter in the Park: The Battle of Pavia
By William E. WelshFrom the moment he was crowned King of France in 1514, Francis I shared the same obsession with the rich Italian territories of Milan and Naples that his predecessors, Charles VIII and Louis XII, had shown during their time on the throne. Read more
Military History
The Hungry War: German East Africa in World War I
By Michael VogelWorld War I evokes dreary images of trench warfare, where both sides’ strategy was simply to feed more and more troops into the mincing machine. Read more
Military History
Military Weapons: The Origin of the Combat Flamethrower
By Brandt HeatheringtonPerhaps the most primal and profound fear of men and animals alike is the fear of fire. With that in mind, fire has been a mainstay of combat for thousands of years, from burning arrows to scalding cauldrons of oil. Read more
Military History
Fort William Henry, 1757: a Massacre of Misunderstanding
By Eric NiderostLieutenant Colonel George Monro of the 35th Regiment of Foot was a tough Scotsman, a career soldier who had served in the British Army for many years. Read more
Military History
Gonzalo de Cordoba: Grand Captain of Renaissance Warfare
By Louis CiotolaThe Spanish Empire is best remembered for its great voyages of exploration, its conquest of the New World, and its mighty Armada. Read more
