tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32943906736900118812024-03-17T14:18:33.841-04:00History Book ReviewsJeremy A. Perron's silly attempt to organize his thoughts on all the history books he has read. This is being done for reasons only he can really understand.Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-67582826444528519972022-08-05T13:24:00.006-04:002022-08-05T13:24:49.622-04:00THE END OF A HOT WAR AND THE BEGINNING OF A COLD ONE<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi73-euP8ZZSaNjDQzvKb-DHgIkyYPSjA6CsyRkoDCgaZgEWtdI_9pQofiLbJQt7iDkM5w9dplA8_aCXg5U_ajte73DbHVBGelKBT_CMiYcm10c3TGUPeaYzCKHoXs5Enu4dqDg4YMAwDr3bO9n4BYi31J9JmpQtHivAQwdWoC3yGao-Mc-4s/s350/Triumph%20and%20Tragedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="239" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi73-euP8ZZSaNjDQzvKb-DHgIkyYPSjA6CsyRkoDCgaZgEWtdI_9pQofiLbJQt7iDkM5w9dplA8_aCXg5U_ajte73DbHVBGelKBT_CMiYcm10c3TGUPeaYzCKHoXs5Enu4dqDg4YMAwDr3bO9n4BYi31J9JmpQtHivAQwdWoC3yGao-Mc-4s/s320/Triumph%20and%20Tragedy.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">My review of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Triumph and
Tragedy </i>(1953)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Part VI of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War II memoirs<o:p></o:p></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">(Rating 4 of 5)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
final volume in his memoirs of World War II Winston Churchill takes us from the
beginnings of D-day to the final destruction of Hitler’s Germany and the
creation of the bi-lateral post-war world that would consumed by what we refer
to as the Cold War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the final
books in this volume you feel that Churchill is more and more the man
abandoned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On side he has Roosevelt
dying on him and having to cultivate a new relationship with Truman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other side he has Stalin ever
increasing his grip on Eastern Europe building what Churchill would later the
call the Iron Curtin. In the end he is ultimately abandoned by the British
people who had led to victory in this conflict when in their first opportunity
to choose a government in ten years they toss him out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
beginning of the book D-Day is ongoing Churchill sees all of this through
letters of the various commanders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
the allies push through he makes the point that it was in Allies’ good luck
that Hitler focused less on bombers and instead just missiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For as the Allies pushed through German
forces’ abilities proved inefficient compared to the technological prowess of
the Allies. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the
war pushes on it becomes clear that the Allies are going to win it is no longer
of ‘if’ but ‘when.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point plans
are going to have to be made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if
Hitler himself offers unconditional surrender?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a strong feeling that they should not negotiate with war
criminals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they refuse Hitler’s
hypothetical offer and anyone else who was in the Nazi hierarchy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead wait for some other government to
come to power to surrender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder
however if by holding this view Churchill would be subjecting this hypothetical
peace government to the same blame the Weimar Republic had after the last
war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/akEogd2cFPI" width="320" youtube-src-id="akEogd2cFPI"></iframe></span></div><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was
important to come up with a plan and be able to adapt to changing circumstances
but on the Atlantic Churchill’s most powerful friend was becoming weaker and
weaker as his physical condition continued to deteriorate. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“I lunched there on September
19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harry Hopkins was present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was obviously invited to please me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He explained to me his altered position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had declined in the favour of the
President.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a curious incident
at the luncheon, when he arrived a few minutes late and the President did not
even great him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was remarkable how
definitely my contacts with the President improved and our affairs moved
quicker as Hopkins appeared to regain his influence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In two days it seemed to be like old
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said to me, ‘You must know I
am not what I was.’ He had tried too much at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even his fullness of spirit broke under his
variegated activities.” (p. 161)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFISIcMNNg08LPMTnR8aZ95tByuSxCNBxR8X6QNpSwiIyInq6V7fYdOetsXtXMwCfCFdVsyVIfKR6r6KuiFGdxgoJS7s2qLcvqA_YVWbDQqzNWZmaNUdmvMoO9mMpiCnKWn263r4ifCZjNgzbDlqxB4zHjfRL5eT2BYONS5241C4J8ryRV2s/s121/FDR%20toward%20the%20end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="100" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFISIcMNNg08LPMTnR8aZ95tByuSxCNBxR8X6QNpSwiIyInq6V7fYdOetsXtXMwCfCFdVsyVIfKR6r6KuiFGdxgoJS7s2qLcvqA_YVWbDQqzNWZmaNUdmvMoO9mMpiCnKWn263r4ifCZjNgzbDlqxB4zHjfRL5eT2BYONS5241C4J8ryRV2s/w165-h200/FDR%20toward%20the%20end.jpg" width="165" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roosevelt with little time left.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">One thing Churchill tries to dispel
is the myth of Yalta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That Roosevelt’s
growing weakness contributed to the Allies getting fleeced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing Churchill would later point out of
the agreement itself was so bad why did Stalin violate it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also has to defend against the point that
Britain went to war to protect Poland but when it came to Poland it seemed that
Stalin got his way almost every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churchill would continue to defend the decisions that were made while
reminding everyone that they still needed the help of the Soviet Union. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It is not permitted to those charged with
dealing with events in times of war or crisis to confine themselves purely to
the statement of broad general principles on which good people agree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have to take definite decisions from day
to day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have to adopt postures
which must be solidly maintained, otherwise how can any combinations for action
be maintained?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is easy after the
Germans are beaten, to condemn those who did their best to hearten the Russian
military effort and to keep in harmonious contact with our great Ally, who had
suffered so frightfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would have
happened if we had quarreled with Russia while the Germans still had three or
four hundred divisions on the fighting front?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our hopeful assumptions were soon to be falsified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still they were the only ones possible at the
time.” (p. 402)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58D8BBBYh-YcKQqeAc9q_SN4p9oUGoqwv727U2j4HjRB6GPAtIVEYdcofzv0-L-nepDDBxbhzIcsEA3DXgdKqCC8j9I13GE6xhTKneF0m3GcE7S5QgsGqWSFkw_sr_FRm0pzlhhCBVgXla1X081h1PS4CDBmbBs0af4m9ad0_VqQOK8L8tes/s275/Yalta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58D8BBBYh-YcKQqeAc9q_SN4p9oUGoqwv727U2j4HjRB6GPAtIVEYdcofzv0-L-nepDDBxbhzIcsEA3DXgdKqCC8j9I13GE6xhTKneF0m3GcE7S5QgsGqWSFkw_sr_FRm0pzlhhCBVgXla1X081h1PS4CDBmbBs0af4m9ad0_VqQOK8L8tes/s1600/Yalta.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yalta</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">On his new American ally in
President Harry Truman, he was very impressed how quickly Truman seemed to
grasp matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did have some
suspicions on some issues he may have been just piggy-backing off of
Roosevelt’s policy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“President Truman’s first political
cat which concerned us was to take up the Polish question from the point where
it stood when Roosevelt died, only forty-eight hours earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The document in which this was set fourth
must of course have been far advanced in preparation by the State Department at
the moment the new President succeeded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nevertheless it is remarkable that he felt able so promptly to commit
himself to it amid the formalities of assuming office and the funeral of his
predecessor.” (p. 486)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGImGXXY13yGGH5bsAPA5tiHzncBp3Qm-iccKwKCcY4t5U58SHUzUMI2fMvsIe7otq2eUDEm5qKULaXrTjdDvswuZ6bsFNdu5c3t9avuErnTGHGxlBy0U4Yy8Y0DDDzOE0tyPjH7Shp-6A3IRj0TOCfjpFU4vTEWWDcyiS5iGS6Ybw8elXDU/s144/President%20Harry%20Truman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="115" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGImGXXY13yGGH5bsAPA5tiHzncBp3Qm-iccKwKCcY4t5U58SHUzUMI2fMvsIe7otq2eUDEm5qKULaXrTjdDvswuZ6bsFNdu5c3t9avuErnTGHGxlBy0U4Yy8Y0DDDzOE0tyPjH7Shp-6A3IRj0TOCfjpFU4vTEWWDcyiS5iGS6Ybw8elXDU/w160-h200/President%20Harry%20Truman.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Ally</td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Churchill was not given the
opportunity to finish his own story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
they were heading to the Conference to which the post-war world was to be build
his party was defeated at the poles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
should be noted that when this volume was printed Churchill was once again the
prime minister but the defeat in the election after victory in war hurt
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can easily detect his
bitterness in his statements about his resignation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“In ordinary circumstances I should
have felt free to take a few days to wind up the affairs of the Government in
the usual manner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Constitutionally I
could have awaited the meeting of Parliament in a few days’ time, and taken my
dismissal from the House of Commons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This would have enabled me to present before resignation the
unconditional surrender of Japan to the nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The need for Britain being immediately represented with the proper
authority at the Conference, where all the great issues we had discussed were
now to come to a head, made all delay contrary to the public interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, the verdict of the electors had been
so overwhelmingly expressed that I did not wish to remain even for an hour
responsible for their affairs.” (p.675)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></blockquote><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">In closing I have to admit I found
Mr. Churchill’s memoirs somewhat difficult to get through they lacked the
narrative appeal of his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the
English Speaking Peoples</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often
things would be dragged down with long drown out letters that he easily could
have summarized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I will take a
break from memoirs for a little while. <o:p></o:p></p>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-21233077445357331172022-07-28T21:59:00.005-04:002022-07-28T21:59:31.262-04:00RUNNING UP TO D-DAY<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACQPpIKH3tll8vXs-JybaXXWfylvEMLc31btEvOY8yEdEWBjdZz6wkEzewl-ZdhtihVCiOz4kYpqGGD_hrhr0XAcZqAyKYtym0j0vs0gzLfIUqUx_TRqOUj2iumOlBP8t7oaN6M-340DnXSXpvXoDTKJ_pPMJtfpryYkdAhIrpptzUGq9f5E/s1582/Closing%20of%20the%20Ring.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACQPpIKH3tll8vXs-JybaXXWfylvEMLc31btEvOY8yEdEWBjdZz6wkEzewl-ZdhtihVCiOz4kYpqGGD_hrhr0XAcZqAyKYtym0j0vs0gzLfIUqUx_TRqOUj2iumOlBP8t7oaN6M-340DnXSXpvXoDTKJ_pPMJtfpryYkdAhIrpptzUGq9f5E/s320/Closing%20of%20the%20Ring.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">My review of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Closing the Ring </i>(1951)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Part V of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War II memoirs<o:p></o:p></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">(Rating 3 of 5)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Churchill’s
fifth volume goes over the remainder of the 1943 and the first half of 1944
leading up to the D-day invasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
focus of the book has to maintaining the alliance the three great powers of the
United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union; the fall and future of
Italy; with a little bit of the Pacific theater thrown in for good
measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the previous volumes I
find Churchill’s personality clashes with other historical figures to more
interesting than his description some of the events that were happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the
allies hopped from Africa to Italy and toppled the dictator Mussolini there was
now a concern about control of the peninsula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would be good for locals to cooperate and the best way for that to
occur was for a local popular based authority to emerge from the
population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the allies needed to find
local support quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_GcIotmybjI5cGuqb1pzHv1Fg5LKWT3U-8-MrzjwDrMFdeJ5QmTo__GBn505LheSua7kFRsiUtthDlZ1oL58QOjnHqx9lJCymKWKVPGzn6AEHmj-KuJW98pqvX03uxc5cgXjLYGJv9h8m_y0N8_qekPa7KI6MmBxfXghh2Xc-b2k_9bdrJk/s259/Operation%20Torch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="259" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_GcIotmybjI5cGuqb1pzHv1Fg5LKWT3U-8-MrzjwDrMFdeJ5QmTo__GBn505LheSua7kFRsiUtthDlZ1oL58QOjnHqx9lJCymKWKVPGzn6AEHmj-KuJW98pqvX03uxc5cgXjLYGJv9h8m_y0N8_qekPa7KI6MmBxfXghh2Xc-b2k_9bdrJk/s1600/Operation%20Torch.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Operation Torch</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“My position is that once Mussolini
and the Fascists are gone, I will deal with any Italian authority which can
deliver the goods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not in the least
afraid for this purpose of seeming to recognize the House of Savoy or Badoglio,
provided they are the ones who can make the Italians do what we need for our
war purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those purposes would
certainly be hindered by chaos, Bolshevisation, or civil war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have no right to lay undue burdens on our
troops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may well be that after the
armistice terms have been accepted both the King and Badoglio will sink under
the odium of surrender and that the Crown Prince and a new Prime Minister may
be chosen.” (p. 64)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgkc3y7ATU83C_t7qIluQE64S3EN_BaLvS04geGImHfBqi7v83x5MMJyE8oo6aDsNSZiiQ54e2GK3KOalhsD1LO9FXEYqJgVoVcVHOLS7cFoH2-IbcKp8Cb2HYI6G4ALKSGZPSm7SNsduMdk4KfEJUGpMFHZGf1UG8iLs8zY2qRJRyWReBqg/s259/Mussolini.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgkc3y7ATU83C_t7qIluQE64S3EN_BaLvS04geGImHfBqi7v83x5MMJyE8oo6aDsNSZiiQ54e2GK3KOalhsD1LO9FXEYqJgVoVcVHOLS7cFoH2-IbcKp8Cb2HYI6G4ALKSGZPSm7SNsduMdk4KfEJUGpMFHZGf1UG8iLs8zY2qRJRyWReBqg/s1600/Mussolini.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needed some local support to complete Mussolini's overthrow</td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The local was in the person of King
Victor Emmanuel III and his Prime Minster Pietro Badoglio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the former cooperation with
Mussolini, they proved to the best option in a bad situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Churchill’s view they were allies who came
through. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“From the moment when the Armistice
was signed and when the Italian Fleet loyally and courageously joined the
Allies, I felt myself bound to work with the King of Italy and Marshal Badogio,
at least until Rome should be occupied by the Allies and we could construct a
really broad-based Italian Government for the prosecution of the war jointly
with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was sure that King Victor
Emmanuel and Badoglio would be able to do more for what had now become from the
exiles or opponents of the Fascist regime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The surrender of the Italian Fleet was solid proof of their authority.”
(p. 188)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwbL9Kr0ezZPuMPUTFzS0pG1uwpmd0xnVyM2RKoxSN7gUDlUeGT9nnLS97tio72H3qAyVEqDmcGdHslT78zDQEolD8Lds5iMV4lmMf3w1YL0ENEQhP2co6sRL_8FVBMgwocF2IBy3w4mxjZKg_nKf69wC70lcaM2DkpEN6f6h2IRc9reQIlc/s242/Victor%20emmanuel%20III.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="208" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwbL9Kr0ezZPuMPUTFzS0pG1uwpmd0xnVyM2RKoxSN7gUDlUeGT9nnLS97tio72H3qAyVEqDmcGdHslT78zDQEolD8Lds5iMV4lmMf3w1YL0ENEQhP2co6sRL_8FVBMgwocF2IBy3w4mxjZKg_nKf69wC70lcaM2DkpEN6f6h2IRc9reQIlc/s1600/Victor%20emmanuel%20III.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Victor Emmanuel III</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Nevertheless Churchill still felt
that Italy was going to be a strong challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still with German troops, Italian fascists, and other various forms of
resistance, Churchill tried to properly inform the Parliament of the tough road
that they would be facing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“The battle of Italy will be hard
and long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not yet convinced that
any other Government can be formed at the present time in Italy which could
command the same obedience from the Italian armed forces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should we succeed in the present battle and
enter Rome, as I trust and believe we shall, we shall be free to discuss the
whole Italian political situation, and we shall do so with many advantages that
we do not possess at the present time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is from Rome that a more broadly based Italian Government can best be
formed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether a Government thus formed
will be so helpful to the Allies as the present dispensation I cannot tell.”
(p. 498)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOBZRcAYCIi_GtIKQI81QPjjMu7pm8AezaItJBPJnrUiWDNhIz3iElK9BSKwOyqjv-hiwKHT54PAled9oVEfrwQzOzOgit5Fy32-BqcPKzemTTG43r2kCOscCYP5gAOp0nog92s6Sc93hLuW3gNyZsIwLO4IAaQ3wjZuYB-gfxvldEDyvcq0/s258/Pietro%20Badoglio.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="195" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOBZRcAYCIi_GtIKQI81QPjjMu7pm8AezaItJBPJnrUiWDNhIz3iElK9BSKwOyqjv-hiwKHT54PAled9oVEfrwQzOzOgit5Fy32-BqcPKzemTTG43r2kCOscCYP5gAOp0nog92s6Sc93hLuW3gNyZsIwLO4IAaQ3wjZuYB-gfxvldEDyvcq0/s1600/Pietro%20Badoglio.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prime Minster Badoglio</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">As always what I enjoy most about
these books are Churchill’s interactions with other world leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FDR often had to be the go-between when it
came to his fellow titans, as Churchill would often be badgered by Stalin
frankness of who and what he was,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>such
as his suggestion the execution of German officers as a way of upsetting
Churchill, where Roosevelt treats it as a joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">In Churchill’s retelling he never
loses his cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it joked that the
unwritten British Constitution is what “Mr. Churchill wants it to be at any
moment” he is quick to remind his colleagues that the House of Commons could
dismiss him at any moment while Mr. Roosevelt’s term is fixed and Stalin is a
dictator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill also denies reports
that the British were against a second front in France, instead keeps the focus
on overlord and joins with Stalin in pressuring Roosevelt to choose his
commander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“The President remarked on the
importance of the timing of operations in all the theaters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that the three Staffs had got together,
he hoped they would keep together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
had informed Marshal Stalin that the next step was to appoint the Commander for
‘Overlord.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After consultation with his
own Staffs and with me, it should be possible to make a decision within three
or four days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that the main military
decisions had been taken, it seemed right for the British and American Staffs
to return to Cairo as soon as possible to work out the details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this Stalin and I agreed.” (p. 383)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRZPr08eylFmQm4gXBNu3sa-6UimFryWGQhBokv_radZjNTYR50zeYXYsYHvJ8F7vj7_KY3ZajJGypopvf-4xk8oEko00JW8RHnR1lB67wt1fWBmpKv0n7aLnNzewTsOvl_lcFxikDXzpa1z9ifn_ZRjmOLQCEHfcrs2IA0gDnBMbU_Skj7Q/s259/Churchill%20and%20Stalin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRZPr08eylFmQm4gXBNu3sa-6UimFryWGQhBokv_radZjNTYR50zeYXYsYHvJ8F7vj7_KY3ZajJGypopvf-4xk8oEko00JW8RHnR1lB67wt1fWBmpKv0n7aLnNzewTsOvl_lcFxikDXzpa1z9ifn_ZRjmOLQCEHfcrs2IA0gDnBMbU_Skj7Q/s1600/Churchill%20and%20Stalin.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchill and Stalin are pressuring Roosevelt to appoint a Commander for Overlord </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">There has been since World War II a
nice little story about King George VI and Churchill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This old story repeated by General
Eisenhower in his own memoirs and also by his grandson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is shown in many bio films about
Churchill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story goes that Churchill
wants to take an active part in the D-day operations from one of the British battleships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generals are opposed but Churchill
insists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is when the King
intervenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Informing Churchill that he
wants to lead the troops as King, His Majesty is opposed by Churchill citing
the very reasons the generals didn’t want him to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill sees the King’s point and they both
agree not to go. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">However in Churchill’s own account
of it, that he provides with the King’s permission to correct the record, it
was not one event but a series of exchanges between the King and the Prime
Minister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically the King had to
almost beg Churchill not to go. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I want to make one more appeal to you not to
go to sea on D-Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please consider my
own position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a younger man than
you, I am a sailor, and as King I am the head of all these Services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing I would like better than to
go to sea, but I have agreed to stay home; is it fair that you should then do
exactly what I should have liked to do myself?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You said yesterday afternoon that it would be a fine thing for the King
to lead troops into battle, as in the old days; if the King cannot do this, it
does not seem to me right that his Prime Minister should take his place.” (p.
622)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61DM35HDjoj88mrkgJb3ieXqtgl-lGJhIy3iyXqw6WRYsM3zzxL_U0q6Tj4367rDYRm6Y6KNEL90XhYYQck0Qz5l5y78PJWsZUiwDyl3qICyq_DQwlBFhfDDr2i2kN0KCLDDwnnllosFuUpWhkRA0jijvnuw_0svudkcSHb2lG0NzmxS0DNI/s300/Churchill%20and%20King%20George.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61DM35HDjoj88mrkgJb3ieXqtgl-lGJhIy3iyXqw6WRYsM3zzxL_U0q6Tj4367rDYRm6Y6KNEL90XhYYQck0Qz5l5y78PJWsZUiwDyl3qICyq_DQwlBFhfDDr2i2kN0KCLDDwnnllosFuUpWhkRA0jijvnuw_0svudkcSHb2lG0NzmxS0DNI/s1600/Churchill%20and%20King%20George.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchill's owed King George a little more respect </td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></blockquote><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Churchill relents but in a passive
aggressive fashion notes that the ship he was going to be on board did not take
fire during the attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an attempt to
clear the record on this matter he comes off as a totally jerk to a King who
was doing his best to help him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">As the book ends the Countdown to
D-Day has begun. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-81615474774161994482022-07-12T20:41:00.002-04:002022-08-05T13:00:23.655-04:00THE WAR WAGES ON<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9fazuwF4p6HtpZWs9BPoEEyEU1A0pWj2mg8BZdSyZymH5COlDbpKiAe-R0E4iCuaHhH02a2ai7K0sB5Hw_qG555ph2uPclronIvWHf7kwwCv1gVQuBGaZBhco_VDcNsxZjMg8v3AaWqILByweay-XLiFREE4AWVHBEjMcBQf4BMLevs0dJ0/s248/The%20Hinge%20of%20Fate.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9fazuwF4p6HtpZWs9BPoEEyEU1A0pWj2mg8BZdSyZymH5COlDbpKiAe-R0E4iCuaHhH02a2ai7K0sB5Hw_qG555ph2uPclronIvWHf7kwwCv1gVQuBGaZBhco_VDcNsxZjMg8v3AaWqILByweay-XLiFREE4AWVHBEjMcBQf4BMLevs0dJ0/w262-h320/The%20Hinge%20of%20Fate.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">My review of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hinge of Fate </i>(1950)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Part IV of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War II memoirs<o:p></o:p></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Rating 3 of 5)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
<a href="https://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2022/07/great-britain-stands-alone-at-least.html" target="_blank">third book</a> in Sir Winston Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World
War II memoirs</i> covers the year 1942 and most of 1943.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point the Grand Alliance was formed
the United States of America, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain were
combining their strengths to bring down the regime of the Axis leaders Adolf
Hitler and Benito Mussolini.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also on the
Pacific the American and Royal Navies are waging war against the Japanese
Empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Most of
this book consists of is Churchill’s communications between his allies
President Roosevelt and Premier Stalin, as well as numerous communications back
and forth between him and his subordinates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The book is a middle chapter with neither a real beginning nor real
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill mostly discusses the
military campaigns in Africa, pressure from the Soviets for a second front in
Europe, sea battles with the Japanese, and some internal political struggle
within Great Britain itself. There are points where the book focus not on the
main events at the time but on plans and discussions for what is about to
come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be especially dark when
reading about the discussions on weapons research.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“I told the President in general
terms of the great progress we had made, and that our scientists were now
definitely convinced that results might be reached before the end of the
present war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said his people were
getting along too, but no one could tell whether anything practical would
emerge till a full-scale experiment had been made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knew what efforts the Germans were making
to procure supplies of ‘heavy water’—a sinister term, eerie, unnatural, which
began to creep into our secret papers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What if the enemy should get an atomic bomb before we did!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However skeptical one might feel about the
assertions of scientists, much dispute among themselves and expressed in jargon
incomprehensible to laymen, we could not run the mortal risk of being
outstripped in this awful sphere.” (p. 380)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sGalZTP1sT8" width="320" youtube-src-id="sGalZTP1sT8"></iframe></div><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <a href="https://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/05/die-is-cast.html" target="_blank"> </a></span><a href="https://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/05/die-is-cast.html" target="_blank">Julius
Caesar</a> may have a mocked his defeated rivals for making plans about what they
were going to do when they came to power after his defeat, but in actuality is
actually smart to make plans for what is to come after the conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is how you win the peace after you have
won the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amongst the allies there
was a good deal of talk about what the postwar world was going to look like
especially in Europe.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“In the course of a general talk I
said that the first preoccupation must be to prevent further aggression in the
future by Germany or Japan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this and
I contemplated an association of the United States, Great Britain, and Russia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the United States wish to include China in
association with the other three, I was perfectly willing that this should be
done; but, however great the importance of China, she was knocked comparable to
the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On these Powers would rest
the real responsibility for peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
together, with certain other Powers, to form a Supreme World Council.” (p.802)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGu4vS66FMSZvVbqq6Eumj2ilgEDcc4yMmd8Xb9KNVvxe4mdjWVezk5RcricQczpc-1-B9TKx0ww83xxyJnPrq8fTn7p2H_kjvemS0fIDP0uUuK4eYQEbQMlLeaU89r4CN2FjLRZM1T4RkJe45E-xACYIvsF0A5Cq4lZP8wesm18BuEIbkx_U/s400/THE%20BIG%20THREE.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="400" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGu4vS66FMSZvVbqq6Eumj2ilgEDcc4yMmd8Xb9KNVvxe4mdjWVezk5RcricQczpc-1-B9TKx0ww83xxyJnPrq8fTn7p2H_kjvemS0fIDP0uUuK4eYQEbQMlLeaU89r4CN2FjLRZM1T4RkJe45E-xACYIvsF0A5Cq4lZP8wesm18BuEIbkx_U/s320/THE%20BIG%20THREE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FDR, Churchill, and Stalin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">At times during these discussions
the future of a defeated Germany did not look very good for the Germans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Germany, having only been unified since the
Franco-Prussian war of the 1870s, was not naturally viewed by either Churchill
or Stalin as being necessary to continue as a unified state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know now that Germany would spend over
four decades split apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However the
division between East and West Germany could have been far worse.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“I said that I would like to see
Prussia divided from the rest of Germany, forty million Prussians being a
manageable European unit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people
wish to carry the process of division further and divide Prussia itself into
component parts, but on this I reserve judgment. Poland and Czechoslovakia
should stand together and friendly relations with Russia. This left the
Scandinavian countries and Turkey, which last might or might not be willing,
with Greece, to play some part in the Balkan system.” (p.803)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKaG-WGerIU27qw8rckanBN9m8IMdeeWKKOtO3Es9P4x0VSThXe-ACkBJMZA-TLK4CYIf6DM7WZpByi1hay26j8h8IT0DkwZI2rJwSinIayxHQAMO8THQlghQch35LmVgfKzxQL7x3mKkz_3Ex7f9CCcobJruxV_mmtSHQYk0g8jYvJcZ1QE/s263/Germany%20coming%20together.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="263" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKaG-WGerIU27qw8rckanBN9m8IMdeeWKKOtO3Es9P4x0VSThXe-ACkBJMZA-TLK4CYIf6DM7WZpByi1hay26j8h8IT0DkwZI2rJwSinIayxHQAMO8THQlghQch35LmVgfKzxQL7x3mKkz_3Ex7f9CCcobJruxV_mmtSHQYk0g8jYvJcZ1QE/s1600/Germany%20coming%20together.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's undo this!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Some of the things I enjoyed about
this book happen not to be the great events that we already know happened but
some of the smaller ones. For example, Churchill citing from memory American
poetry from the US Civil War and impressing his audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More practically I love Churchill’s comments
about when traveling across time zones biplane they should keep their eating
routines identical to the time zone where they first got on the plane in order
not to create confusion.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Having finished this book we are
now two thirds of the way to completion of this entire series. Although I
enjoyed his earlier books I am really more excited for the coming chapters as
we come to the fall of Hitler and the rise of the United Nations.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> [Video posted by the YouTuber <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/britishpathe" target="_blank">British Pathé</a>]</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-51413699889922678072022-07-06T23:51:00.001-04:002022-08-05T13:00:03.638-04:00GREAT BRITAIN STANDS ALONE (AT LEAST UNTIL THE USSR AND THE USA JOIN HER)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxKaOdM54qxjG4umPkzeXu5PQb9HlGWtA-dWWjCdjJfS-eH2rguhT-YUSfKaaayF7z5L0rWPl-jZmePG8N0w6nH-NtXJoMYCb1xboeQyIbQ6c4ao_IW8YNx7I2srAyRCZfXe6Cib8Eg-gxwrm3hOngzivnd0sWMuJLi6EpXEdnVhe2Kaqb9Y/s274/The%20Grand%20Alliance.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="184" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxKaOdM54qxjG4umPkzeXu5PQb9HlGWtA-dWWjCdjJfS-eH2rguhT-YUSfKaaayF7z5L0rWPl-jZmePG8N0w6nH-NtXJoMYCb1xboeQyIbQ6c4ao_IW8YNx7I2srAyRCZfXe6Cib8Eg-gxwrm3hOngzivnd0sWMuJLi6EpXEdnVhe2Kaqb9Y/w215-h320/The%20Grand%20Alliance.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">My review of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Grand Alliance </i>(1950)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Part III of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War II memoirs<o:p></o:p></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Rating 3 of 5)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sir
Winston Churchill’s third volume of his memoirs on World War II show him
leading the British Government through its darkest days when all the major
allies had fallen and they are fighting seemingly outnumbered and outgunned with
their very surveil is in doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
continues on until the Germany in an act of stupidity decides to attack the
USSR before they finish the British off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then after the Japanese attack the United States, the United Kingdom forms
with them and the Soviet Union “the Grand Alliance.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Unfortunately
the book itself is not very exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
mostly consists of messages sent back and forth between Churchill and his
various subordinates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is just
receives, shouts back orders, and moves on to the next thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coverage is broad. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Churchill’s eyes you see the fighting in
theaters all across the globe making it easy to understand why this is a “World
War.” However Churchill is at his best as a writer when he gives his analysis
on what is going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is available
in this book but there is little of it.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHTZR-r62GlbBcycWTCOqi94zUqcXLT4c_E6UyUbitD8W2Xcey6VWxZqBEtVyI5lsNWt1kBvh5_ywR8B5ROWzatipqyraZmdKWETSCJUgP1WU4J5yqeM8rVZ8F5TSjx3OD6SQG-rEWhW224DWx05WNyLpmmfWPo4efEGf6G8qHok-fIl7770/s247/WC%20painting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="247" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHTZR-r62GlbBcycWTCOqi94zUqcXLT4c_E6UyUbitD8W2Xcey6VWxZqBEtVyI5lsNWt1kBvh5_ywR8B5ROWzatipqyraZmdKWETSCJUgP1WU4J5yqeM8rVZ8F5TSjx3OD6SQG-rEWhW224DWx05WNyLpmmfWPo4efEGf6G8qHok-fIl7770/s1600/WC%20painting.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchill in his Air Force Uniform</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">A good example of some of
Churchill’s better writing is in first section of the book where he discusses
the Japanese threat to the British Empire.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The Japanese Empire, who were already on friendly terms and taking
suggestions from Hitler’s Third Reich, had a lot to gain at the expense of the
British.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Nevertheless they did not seem
to take the Germans suggestion to ignore the Americans in the present.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“This was for very different
reasons also the German view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Germany
and Japan were both eager to despoil and divide the British Empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they approached the target from different
angles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The German High Command argued
that the Japanese ought to commit their armed forces in Malaya and the Dutch
East Indies without worrying about the American Pacific bases, and the main
fleet which lay or their flank.” (pg. 181)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YrP39IKD4NEirV4501NVbuDW_8P_IkJnuwzgLBSw0Z9w1V-SvwmIFsjgBhsy9Pv5uHhZTVDFcgVX7j0lDJqpJWZQiyQR32LgRrgQErzZKw5nel0Oer6c8EtVA34pAGnloZFM_QO8xtPgwc260DEoXq5DVRuStVq1RhSYmWp7krzhlNePkQQ/s270/Hideki%20Tojo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="187" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YrP39IKD4NEirV4501NVbuDW_8P_IkJnuwzgLBSw0Z9w1V-SvwmIFsjgBhsy9Pv5uHhZTVDFcgVX7j0lDJqpJWZQiyQR32LgRrgQErzZKw5nel0Oer6c8EtVA34pAGnloZFM_QO8xtPgwc260DEoXq5DVRuStVq1RhSYmWp7krzhlNePkQQ/s1600/Hideki%20Tojo.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hideki Tojo, Prime Minster of Japan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">My favorite part of the book had to
do with the sinking of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bismarck </i>in
a great sea battle with the Royal Navy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is a type of perverse beauty of a battle with great military and nautical minds
going at it with fate of nations at stake.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“A northwesterly gale was blowing
when the daylight came on the twenty-seventh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rodney</i> opened fire at 8:47
AM, followed a minute later by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">King
George V</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The British ships quickly
began to hit, and after a pause the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bismarck</i>
too opened fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a short time her
shooting was good, although the crew after four grueling days, were utterly
exhausted and falling asleep at their posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With her third salvo she straddled the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rodney,</i> but thereafter the weight of the British attack was
overwhelming, and within a half an hour most of her guns were silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fire was blazing amidships, and she had a
heavy list to port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rodney</i> now turned across her bow,
pouring in a heavy fire from a range of no more than four thousand yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 10:15 all the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bismarck’s</i> guns were silent and her mast was shot away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ship lay wallowing in the heavy seas, a
flaming and smoking ruin; yet even then she did not sink.” (pg. 318-9)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M1Ufc2hI4FM" width="320" youtube-src-id="M1Ufc2hI4FM"></iframe></div><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except
she did sink, as Churchill found out the next morning and was happy to have
everyone find that out when he announced it to the House of Commons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was one of the most daring adventures
that the British had as they stood alone against the Nazi menace.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ76sC7hPIforYSkMG9nW_KzyDWbfsc9SOh05o7uyUiE0EyTsWNlle2KIl0ifhdGzLdh4QxNBisTS7Qp3Od-_U3zqOifIDj5d8f57nBHMMtd3vqkwReFWZtYaaUj_Ok3uSarc05LGNsZZnDp5Cr3DZO-L3-SInillsNnWpLhZ2VXsNpq7AwL4/s259/Hitler.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ76sC7hPIforYSkMG9nW_KzyDWbfsc9SOh05o7uyUiE0EyTsWNlle2KIl0ifhdGzLdh4QxNBisTS7Qp3Od-_U3zqOifIDj5d8f57nBHMMtd3vqkwReFWZtYaaUj_Ok3uSarc05LGNsZZnDp5Cr3DZO-L3-SInillsNnWpLhZ2VXsNpq7AwL4/s1600/Hitler.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hitler, the ever present threat </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then
Hitler decided he didn’t like Stalin anymore and attacked the Soviet
Union.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though the Russians were
huge help as an ally, Churchill never liked Stalin or the Soviet state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They British originally went to war to defend
the rights of Poland and the two major aggressors were Hitler and Stalin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the book Churchill pivots back and forth
from praising Russia as a great and important ally to calling them a burden and
more trouble than they were worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
real life they extremely important and Churchill himself used the line of enemy
of Hitler is our ally and even making an analogy to the biblical Satan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the book you can feel his contempt for
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“The Soviet Government had the
impression that they were conferring a great favour on us by fighting in their
own country for their own lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
more they fought the heaver that debt became.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was not a balanced view.” (pg. 388)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XLM3C8L5zNppt0-T0pnuNzvY7LYX9ks16hph_qEMl-Uxm8wP-blG9Tl7ttRBCFyy6xW2c1tV-AqZnrv10ZnFz6get7MfseFU38WDnYhTvq8HTU5wj0lbJu0uyotpkTxKwbcGUfoIYvQqpexbyTu8VEe-9P9S5n1b9ZiGr4ZyacmXs1R03Vk/s283/Stalin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="178" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XLM3C8L5zNppt0-T0pnuNzvY7LYX9ks16hph_qEMl-Uxm8wP-blG9Tl7ttRBCFyy6xW2c1tV-AqZnrv10ZnFz6get7MfseFU38WDnYhTvq8HTU5wj0lbJu0uyotpkTxKwbcGUfoIYvQqpexbyTu8VEe-9P9S5n1b9ZiGr4ZyacmXs1R03Vk/s1600/Stalin.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchill didn't really want to be friends but didn't have much of a choice. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">A completely opposite view of the
United States entering the war is giving by Churchill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the United States enters he basically
declares victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill’s mother was
an American and for those of us who read his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">History of the English Speaking Peoples</i>, <a href="https://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2020/01/not-end.html" target="_blank">we know Churchill considers the United States to be part of that group</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“No American will think it wrong of
me if I proclaim that to have the United States at our side was to me the
greatest joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could not foretell the
course of events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not pretend to
have measured accurately the martial might of Japan, but now at this very
moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the
death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we had won after all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, after Dunkirk; after the fall of
France;….England would live; Britain would live; the Commonwealth of Nations
and the Empire would live.” (pg. 606-7)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XSb1a6ag3ea9BbwHHmKup607JroMLvzoMrOaykAM4sL7VHge78mGrwXSQBpC6UV082-rCeiAg8sF4gKYplth2v_Bj75dRSrI-lmQiZ-UFPMpU_Cx1OIbuU7Yw-ztJnmFgHUub-9-ec2rMpWDb6geTzYJlFZEbQjCeIPvs0eV7tWlb6r5HfY/s300/Pearl%20Harbor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XSb1a6ag3ea9BbwHHmKup607JroMLvzoMrOaykAM4sL7VHge78mGrwXSQBpC6UV082-rCeiAg8sF4gKYplth2v_Bj75dRSrI-lmQiZ-UFPMpU_Cx1OIbuU7Yw-ztJnmFgHUub-9-ec2rMpWDb6geTzYJlFZEbQjCeIPvs0eV7tWlb6r5HfY/s1600/Pearl%20Harbor.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl Harbor </td></tr></tbody></table><br />
</span></blockquote><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
rest of the book deals with the formation of the Grand Alliance, the Agreement
that no peace be made without the consent of all, and the taking of the name
“United Nations” that would later be the banner to which a new group that would
form to maintain the peace after the war had drawn to a close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
closing the memoirs thus far are not for the casual reader you have to have a
strong appreciation for this topic to follow along in with this book. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">[Video was put up by YouTube user <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/hherlevdk" target="_blank">Henrik Herlev</a>}</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-71940954349177906172022-07-01T23:46:00.005-04:002022-08-05T12:59:42.189-04:00GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE (THEN JUST GREAT BRITAIN)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibF-GaoGfjMoGlmTK7BjJJcjyySMRXQxQirpf5U1KI61BthRYXXYlS5O3633eIagWo2Tixf8b2hBMFuTWmTtsBnUlYAV18gaGRsnUZlMbdx4Jau9CBfAXPCORhayYjZLXA5Lo93rl3HT4YUCcUSE3R6QlZLUpHVzFUF0NFpaKDxAHXH1nyQFA/s274/Their%20Finest%20Hour.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="184" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibF-GaoGfjMoGlmTK7BjJJcjyySMRXQxQirpf5U1KI61BthRYXXYlS5O3633eIagWo2Tixf8b2hBMFuTWmTtsBnUlYAV18gaGRsnUZlMbdx4Jau9CBfAXPCORhayYjZLXA5Lo93rl3HT4YUCcUSE3R6QlZLUpHVzFUF0NFpaKDxAHXH1nyQFA/w215-h320/Their%20Finest%20Hour.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">My review of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Their Finest Hour </i>(1949)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Part II of Winston
Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War II memoirs</i><o:p></o:p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">(Rating 4 of 5)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Like
many people 2016 was rather ruff for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The loss of couple close relatives, chaos at work, and other issues
forced my reading to take a huge hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That said I could go weeks without even touching one of my books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I normally try to make myself at the very
least read a chapter a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this
year that didn’t happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I
am writing this at the end of January I don’t expect to post it for a long
while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (In fact, we are now in July of 2022 folks!)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Well on
with my review.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Their Finest Hour</i> starts write where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2020/01/getting-ready-to-fight-and-early.html" target="_blank">The Gathering Strom</a></i> left off, the fall of Chamberlin’s government
and the rise of Churchill as the Prime Minister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think American readers might be taken aback
by how British Prime Minsters can rise and fall not by an election by just a
reorganization of party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in the case
with both David Cameron’s predecessor, Gordon Brown, and successor, Theresa
May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May is the Prime Minister
currently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (Nope! Not anymore!) </span>The executive power changes
without the people having any say in it what so ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet in the United Kingdom it is the system
they have and it is viewed as quite natural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFFHah6Kk_SuW0zTwAWARpHfeo_HNUFm6txHD8OQupLphSP58bR3MjF-2K9PauUvNuRZBeH5i2nt7qu8iEvFwQ3H2akVqhCxbUWxCP_ose_OfscLo_xkkrOVNW6hEAPxAou4SRrZrk1bP_Amu-4OHuRxMRD0HFMtp81LsFHBzMwml3uLvXQo/s266/Neville%20Chamberlain%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="190" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFFHah6Kk_SuW0zTwAWARpHfeo_HNUFm6txHD8OQupLphSP58bR3MjF-2K9PauUvNuRZBeH5i2nt7qu8iEvFwQ3H2akVqhCxbUWxCP_ose_OfscLo_xkkrOVNW6hEAPxAou4SRrZrk1bP_Amu-4OHuRxMRD0HFMtp81LsFHBzMwml3uLvXQo/s1600/Neville%20Chamberlain%202.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chamberlin stood aside for Churchill </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It is
useful trivia that Churchill was the last Prime Minister not to be the leader
of party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chamberlin retained that for
six months until he resigned for health reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first Churchill wondered if he should take
it, since his government was an all talents government, but the more he thought
of it allowing someone else to be the leader of the majority meant giving
someone the power to bring down his government at will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he took the job.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/skrdyoabmgA" width="320" youtube-src-id="skrdyoabmgA"></iframe></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Despite
being a supporter of Nevil Chamberlin and having tried to prevent his
resignation, Churchill really enjoyed his new job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This type of person Churchill was: when there
was a crisis he wanted to be in the thick of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the job of Prime Minister he was able to
take on the challenge in the manner in which he most saw fit. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“In my long political experience I
had held most of the great offices of State, but I readily admit that the post
which had now fallen to me was the one I liked the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power, for the sake of lording it over
fellow-creatures or adding to personal pomp, is rightly judged as base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But power in a national crisis, when a man
believes he knows what orders should be given, is a blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any sphere of action there can be no
comparison of number one and numbers two, three, and four.” (p. 15)</blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">In taking command Churchill
reorganized the government to be more efficient in war time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He created a new ministry called the Minister
of Defense and gave himself, as Prime Minister, the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allowed all the military heads to report
to a single executive authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“In calling myself, with the King’s
approval, Minster of Defence, I made no legal or constitutional change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been careful not to define my right and
duties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked for no special powers
either from the Crown or Parliament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was however, understood that I should assume the general direction of the war,
subject to the support of the War Cabinet and of the House of Commons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key-change which occurred on my taking
over was, of course, the supervision and direction of the Chiefs of the Staff
Committee by a Minster of Defence with undefined powers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this Minster was also the Prime Minister,
he had all the rights inherent in that office, including the very wide powers
of selection and removal of all professional and political personages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus for the first time the Chiefs of Staff
Committee assumed its due and proper place in direct daily contact with the
executive Head of the Government, and in accord with him had full control over
the conduct of the war and the armed forces.” (p.16)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPgQc1bcgo64CniGHRWLGqtm-wXbEb9gk0MzCmp0i7v5RK3anGEet6z2wuCprQOwQ1zTWtGS0QlXElYb7EiB80GB7Cts7hGraSJNueybn_xy4Tv88OYtnC3VbL7-ge98HY2n2sbvE-GYIw3p9vdGHqQTJNqkSxKE5yo4Y_n53cIY6V2muIIE/s300/Churchill%20and%20King%20George.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPgQc1bcgo64CniGHRWLGqtm-wXbEb9gk0MzCmp0i7v5RK3anGEet6z2wuCprQOwQ1zTWtGS0QlXElYb7EiB80GB7Cts7hGraSJNueybn_xy4Tv88OYtnC3VbL7-ge98HY2n2sbvE-GYIw3p9vdGHqQTJNqkSxKE5yo4Y_n53cIY6V2muIIE/s1600/Churchill%20and%20King%20George.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchill with King George VI</td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The first half of this book
involves Great Britain and France against a revived Germany hell-bent on
conquest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They start at war against
Germany alone but quickly Italy, who was already invading other counties, joins
the fight as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Germany was prepared
and the allies were not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
consequence France found itself pushed back into their own county.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were beaten and at one point the Third
Republic realized their end came in the way it began, with a German
invasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all parties accepted this
however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“It was clear that France was near
the end of organized resistance, and a chapter in the war was now closing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The French might by some means continue the
struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There might even be two French
Governments, one which made peace, and one which organized resistance from the
French colonies, carrying on the war at sea through the French Fleet and in
France through guerrillas<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was too
early to tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though for a period we
might still have to send some support to France, we must now concentrate our
main efforts on the defence of our island.” (p. 159-60)</blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">There a couple of things about the
fall of France that I found fascinating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first was the state of the French Navy, where the main capital ships
sat in the water for duration of the war officially in the service of the Vichy
puppet government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second was the
fact serious consideration was given to the idea of combining the United
Kingdom and the French Third Republic would combine into one great
supernation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically reviving the old
Plantagenet claim for King George VI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“He hoped with us that this solemn
pledge of union and brotherhood between the two nations and empires would give
the struggling French Premier the means to carry his Government to Africa with
all possible forces and order the French Navy to sail for harbours outside
impending German control.” (p.209)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvpKYth0a978q5pQ9Pd3pL_LQcXcQkgd3PruYnRCt-0xD4qUEeA3dmWDVTT7vSDZFW0iRZMGkS84X9w5E54YivhIN4MifgEwRxfOHZHP_kBecJ38Rxsbvs3e3AbY3nVNA1OamAWfsEP0wkslN_Hlg8LXG-kXete90PPR6KII8Aiiq4st9JGg/s235/Edward%20III.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="215" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvpKYth0a978q5pQ9Pd3pL_LQcXcQkgd3PruYnRCt-0xD4qUEeA3dmWDVTT7vSDZFW0iRZMGkS84X9w5E54YivhIN4MifgEwRxfOHZHP_kBecJ38Rxsbvs3e3AbY3nVNA1OamAWfsEP0wkslN_Hlg8LXG-kXete90PPR6KII8Aiiq4st9JGg/s1600/Edward%20III.png" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Edward III's old French claim revived for the 20th century</td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The second part of the book is
“when England stood alone” against the German militarily might.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This part you get a view of Winston Churchill: war leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving orders to and
receiving reports from his subordinates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He also would write letters back and forth to President Roosevelt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As time went on Great Britain would get
pounded with bombs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill writes
with admiration about the people partially the public servants who continued
with their duties in the face of danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“It will always add to the renown
of the British Parliament that its Members continued to sit and discharge their
duties through all this period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Commons are very touchy in such matters, and it would have been easy to
misjudge their mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When one Chamber
was damaged, they moved to another, and I did my utmost to persuade them to
follow wise advice with good grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their migrations will be recorded in due course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, everyone behaved with sense and
dignity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also lucky that when the
Chamber was blown to pieces a few months later, it was by night and not by day,
when empty and not full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With our
mastery of the daylight raids there came a considerable relief in personal
convenience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But during the first few
months I was never free from anxiety about the safety of the Members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, a free sovereign Parliament,
fairly chosen by universal suffrage, able to turn out the Government any day,
but proud to uphold it in the darkest days, was one of the points which were in
dispute with the enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parliament
won.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(p. 356-7)</blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lIslekl0v4EMKT_3vSE-FW7mlvzLvPkv2HeAsygZQOctzD5iOjm8HnSmQ5y7c9tFiRfMMMZslrWjG55ghya44jBpr39lyYTytYOrYCZj7zHyEdl0tTvGvFySkNLBJDJSdY9-CLeglOlT1DLjdpn9FqrElc4WqBWcESPvD73ZON2xSgpgP_c/s272/Hitler%20Paris.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="272" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lIslekl0v4EMKT_3vSE-FW7mlvzLvPkv2HeAsygZQOctzD5iOjm8HnSmQ5y7c9tFiRfMMMZslrWjG55ghya44jBpr39lyYTytYOrYCZj7zHyEdl0tTvGvFySkNLBJDJSdY9-CLeglOlT1DLjdpn9FqrElc4WqBWcESPvD73ZON2xSgpgP_c/s1600/Hitler%20Paris.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hitler having conquered France</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The land lease was historically one
of the most important acts that President Roosevelt ever did.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It gave important aid to a past and future
ally at a difficult time.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Without the
British might of run out of capital before they ran out of bombs.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><blockquote>“Up till November, 1940, we had
paid for everything we had received.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
had already sold $335,000,000 worth of American shares requisitioned for
sterling from private owners in Britain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had paid out over $4,500,000,000 in cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had only two thousand millions left, the
greater part in investments, many of which were not readily marketable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was plain that we could not go on any
longer in this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if we divested
ourselves of all our gold and foreign assets, we could not pay for half we had
ordered, and the extension of the war made it necessary for us to have ten
times as much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must keep something in
hand to carry on our daily affairs.” (p. 557-8)</blockquote><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">By the close of the year the
British people had prevailed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
headed into the year 1941 with a continued great challenge in front of
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would get help from the nations
of their Empire and throughout the year the United States would provide arms
before joining the conflict at years end. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">{Video is from the 2017 film <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Hour-Blu-ray-Gary-Oldman/dp/B07BZC8BB3/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1HLYFMN27RYUB&keywords=the+darkest+hour+film&qid=1656733519&sprefix=the+darkest+hour+film%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-4" target="_blank">The Darkest Hour</a>}</p>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-37887210276930996962022-06-25T13:33:00.001-04:002022-06-25T13:33:49.053-04:00Roe V Wade 2022 and 2024<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAUyZBF-CL4_8vAVrFLjHM25yH0XZznISgPiHfwg94ME6I2mXn6ZJrdQaZyFr790EoKjMUiq5s98-eEvwDxIKsuCJe4wYUSorU--gEuNB5dvuSr18tdCl23TtaubjSR6hfnXOarC2a7Bg7yMwesiRfvrF4KghUMv9A62E2tEW1YqbiM7H-F-U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAUyZBF-CL4_8vAVrFLjHM25yH0XZznISgPiHfwg94ME6I2mXn6ZJrdQaZyFr790EoKjMUiq5s98-eEvwDxIKsuCJe4wYUSorU--gEuNB5dvuSr18tdCl23TtaubjSR6hfnXOarC2a7Bg7yMwesiRfvrF4KghUMv9A62E2tEW1YqbiM7H-F-U=w267-h400" width="267" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">To everyone who cares about right of women to have control
of their own bodies:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are on the defensive make no mistake about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0" target="_blank">yesterday morning</a>, half the women in
the United States will shortly lose control of their basic anatomy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I live in Maine, one of the “safe states”
where women still have that right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would prefer the term “Free State.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
we were called a free state for a very different reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will not say the two are comparable because
the evil that was fought before was clearly worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if someone is homeless and eating in
a soup kitchen saying to that person “at least you’re not starving” doesn’t
really do anything to cure the person’s homelessness does it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been worse things to happen in
this country but this is the problem we are facing right now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So please don’t confuse the analogy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 1858 Lincoln said, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">A house divided
against itself, cannot stand."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I believe this government cannot endure permanently half
slave and half free.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect
the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It will become all one thing or all the other.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further
spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that
it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it
forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new —
North as well as South.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjea_dJkftWF1dIM7FW23t0PZm9OLt5eSlFMoN7KltufvgsBUrhmysfSM-26TUPBBtwJv6BRb6ITh1u6Jux3DSZjOi63vomTCIE95MI9Hm0pgYhwytjeXxdwXuohYKOeaGrtYTP5oTAFt_oVctbbn1QvsKQd5zczTzrLjsjh1dwzYVcJQ8FaA/s134/Lincoln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="102" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjea_dJkftWF1dIM7FW23t0PZm9OLt5eSlFMoN7KltufvgsBUrhmysfSM-26TUPBBtwJv6BRb6ITh1u6Jux3DSZjOi63vomTCIE95MI9Hm0pgYhwytjeXxdwXuohYKOeaGrtYTP5oTAFt_oVctbbn1QvsKQd5zczTzrLjsjh1dwzYVcJQ8FaA/w181-h238/Lincoln.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I feel this is true for the nation today.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">At the moment women have the right to choose
a medical abortion in 37 states and will most likely lose it in other states within
the coming months.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> In the short term t</span><span style="text-align: left;">his will lead to a
nation that is only half free. I don’t think that is going to hold. It is either
going to become all of one or all of the other and that will be determined in
the 2022 and 2024 elections.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhc5B9lz5-TBOoG1T0FLgZl2mLJInzT9h19d5QW23uR1CqAM8pbEUcn9PGLbAGMtwLFkr6yWPhl2CbDd_qXLT6tWo1qn8Txj-qAZITIuit7pWCt9OsasxGpeO6zO4mug4OJ07RmDEIbnKPefUSBz0n9XxT9UeCXpdQN74daIQt9NgXfBq6JYc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhc5B9lz5-TBOoG1T0FLgZl2mLJInzT9h19d5QW23uR1CqAM8pbEUcn9PGLbAGMtwLFkr6yWPhl2CbDd_qXLT6tWo1qn8Txj-qAZITIuit7pWCt9OsasxGpeO6zO4mug4OJ07RmDEIbnKPefUSBz0n9XxT9UeCXpdQN74daIQt9NgXfBq6JYc" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To put it simply the
Republican Party needs to be punished and needs to be punished severely for if
they are not bad things will happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
they are only slightly damaged or even empowered, they will go for more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Republican controlled Congress with a
Republican President WILL pass a national law banning choice everywhere!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then they will come after contraception,
marriage equality, and anything else you can think. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, to simplify these are the three possible outcomes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Democrats win in the fall and win in 2024.</b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We can begin to fix this right away, with
solid majorities in both Houses of Congress and put Roe into statutory law and maybe
we can even work on expanding the Supreme Court to get this lawless court under
control.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <b>
</b></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Republicans take control of Congress in the fall
but the Democrats prevail in 2024.</b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This
means gridlock for two years while half the nation’s women are still living in
Anti-Choice sections of the United States. Reform begins in 2025 we have
recovered all that was lost by the end of the decade.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Republicans win in the fall and win in
2024.</b></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">By the end of the decade choice
will be dead in America and it will not be revived for a minimum of three
generations. Other rights will be on the defensive and most time will be spent
on defending those.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">With any luck women
three generations from now will win back the right that were once taken for
granted by their great-grandmothers. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-25016454134329388442021-02-06T21:42:00.000-05:002021-02-06T21:42:14.278-05:00Belichick vs Brady <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSAB60g2mbiNKINysYOWz9ttNp_3fyyY5hFJ92jISIU-OOD821w_VzAc6zb_zChI6yoLdxj_sz2xjjcaqiGyq1NfNp0GqyN6EzxFJ_8oufZA9iBsR55PpSAUrN76LHIqX8Fp9rNg/s225/BB+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSAB60g2mbiNKINysYOWz9ttNp_3fyyY5hFJ92jISIU-OOD821w_VzAc6zb_zChI6yoLdxj_sz2xjjcaqiGyq1NfNp0GqyN6EzxFJ_8oufZA9iBsR55PpSAUrN76LHIqX8Fp9rNg/w320-h320/BB+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span> </span>For twenty years we who are fans of the New England Patriots were blessed to have both the greatest Head Coach and Quarterback combination of all time in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. With the unprecedented success in winning six Super Bowls in nine trips to the big game also came a question: which one was more important? </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Celtics President Danny Anige has pointed out the stupidity of this debate. He stated that people don’t generally ask if Red Auerbach or Bill Russell was more important racking up all those earlier Celtic Championships. Yet the debate was often used as a form of attack when anyone wanted to downplay the accomplishments of one or the other. “Belichick isn’t that great of a coach, he just has Brady. Look at his record with the Browns anybody could look good with Brady as their quarterback.” or “Brady isn’t that great he just had Belichick all those years. If Peyton Manning had Belichick as his couch how many do you think he could have won?” <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwh3733x61-5J4LV-2VPqn3B5cGPqO0T1jwqsiCuQYT0tO_cwdViQsit4HDI7wSujHwj39BUmi90ntdDPIiS9wWA9Goi_OMAG0k4_BVgzgAQvf1-KgyCgqD-vM9YtAo94lEE_V1lw/s280/BB+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="280" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwh3733x61-5J4LV-2VPqn3B5cGPqO0T1jwqsiCuQYT0tO_cwdViQsit4HDI7wSujHwj39BUmi90ntdDPIiS9wWA9Goi_OMAG0k4_BVgzgAQvf1-KgyCgqD-vM9YtAo94lEE_V1lw/w320-h206/BB+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mutual admiration</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> When asked the two normally will give credit to the other one. Belichick will often utter the line, “Players win games, not coaches” and Brady will say that he owes Belichick for teaching him everything he knows. </p><p> With Brady leaving the Patriots for the Buccaneers this year and leading them to the Super Bowl this Sunday the debate is now tipping in Brady’s favor and will continue to do so if they win. If the Bucs lose with Brady performing well but fail to keep up with Mahomes’s offensive onslaught, then it might swing back to Belichick with people remembering how the Patriots defense handled the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game two years ago. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> In my own view the two compliment each other they both bring a certain level of success to the team and together they augment each other's greatness. I have watched every game that the two were in together and saw nine trips to the Super Bowl. My take of the six victories three of them both men were equally responsible for, two Belichick was more responsible for, and one Brady was primary. Of the three losses one was more Belichick’s fault, and two were Brady’s. Let us take a look at each of these to explain why.</p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 36<br /></b><b>2001 New England Patriots<br /></b><b>2/3/2002<br /></b><b>More responsible for win: Belichick</b></div><p><span> </span>The memory that most have about Super Bowl 36 is Brady in the final minutes of the game driving his team down the field to set up the winning field goal with no time remaining. It had been a hell of a year. The franchise quarterback, Drew Bledsoe had been injured in the first game following a return to football after the 9/11 attacks. Taking over the backup quarterback, a sixth round draft pick named Tom Brady, showed some promise by almost winning that game. The Patriots went on a Cinderella run, a team that never won the Super Bowl before was going to become one of the positive stories about the year 2001. To his critics Brady was a game manager who made quick short passes and whose long ball was questionable at best. However he was effective and supported by a shutdown defense, Belichick elected to keep him in even after Bledsoe was healthy to return. Although Bledsoe got to come in and have some heroics in the AFC Championship game after Brady was hurt, Brady was still selected to start the Super Bowl after some debate.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmcFkjikMdhtRvB-Qh8oIdri2sANhzfCGnphEAUIlhI7u104jX5s8_OuhN6BmSuO97DMYD_lwvfgq0YjXt-sLaIuXLCPZNP_ZVnm68lQCy1kgctrmd1Q7Q_e5wacc8fZnxLRXdd4/s275/BB+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmcFkjikMdhtRvB-Qh8oIdri2sANhzfCGnphEAUIlhI7u104jX5s8_OuhN6BmSuO97DMYD_lwvfgq0YjXt-sLaIuXLCPZNP_ZVnm68lQCy1kgctrmd1Q7Q_e5wacc8fZnxLRXdd4/s0/BB+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moment of Victory!</td></tr></tbody></table><span> </span>I have seen Super Bowl 36 more than any other. I would do a Patriots victory marathon every time they got back to the Super Bowl. One of the most shocking things to people who go back and watch this is just how badly Tom Brady played. </p><p><span> </span>He may have been selected MVP but you would hardly see why watching the first 50+ minutes of the game. During this time the Patriots offense was like a car with a poor starter. They were repeatedly three and out, and when they actually got a first down it was normally followed by a punt three plays later. I think they may have had one drive in the first quarter where they had two first downs but I am not sure. The story of that Super Bowl was not its offense but its defense.</p><p><span> </span>The Rams of this era were known as “The Greatest Show on Turf” but the Pats defense, led by the likes of Ty Law, Richard Seymore, and Lawyer Malloy, overwhelmed them. Kurt Warner was able to move his offense up and down the field but were prevented from scoring with forced stops and turnovers. As the first quarter came to a close the Rams offensive juggernaut was limited to just two field goal attempts, and one of them was missed. </p><p><span> </span>In the second quarter the Pats offense was not providing much assistance while the defense was doing all that it could. Not only did they hold the Rams scoreless but Ty Law intercepted Warner for a pick-six to put the Patriots on top with a 7-3 lead. As the quarter came to an end Antwan Harris forced the Rams to fumble in their own territory and the Pats were able to recover. Starting in their opponent’s territory Brady was able to drive it down the field and complete his first touchdown pass to David Patten. The first half ended with the Pats up 14-3.</p><p><span> </span>The third quarter was a replay of what the earlier game had been with the Rams moving it up the field with no result but still holding on to the ball longer than the Patriots. Otis Smith intercepted a pass and brought it back to the Rams 30. Brady and the offense went three and out again, so the Patriots settled for a field goal. 17-3.</p><p><span> </span>By the fourth quarter the defense of the Patriots started to show signs of exhaustion but they weren’t done yet. With the Rams at the Pats goal line about to score, the Patriots forced another fumble and Tebucky Jones ran it all the way back for another 97 yards touchdown to put the game out of reach for the Rams. Or would have if there hadn’t been a penalty for holding on the play. The Rams now had first and goal from the goal line and were able to punch it in to put them down by a score. When the Pats had the ball back they did a quick three and out and it went back to the Rams again. The Rams marched down the field and tied the game with a 1:30 left in the quarter. The Rams comeback win seemed inevitable. The way the Patriots were playing it didn’t seem like they had it in them to win by way of their offense. But then they did. In a now legendary drive Brady drove it up the field to set up a game winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri.</p><p><span> </span>Brady deserves credit for those last minute plays to secure the victory but the lion’s share of credit for that win belongs to Belichick. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 38</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2003 New England Patriots</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2/1/2004</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Both evenly responsible for win</b></div></b></div><p><span> </span> If I were a sports documentarian I think a good documentary would be about the 2003 New England Patriots and the 2003 NFL season as a whole. After the Bucs beat the Raiders in Super Bowl 37 there was a good deal of discussion about how the era of great quarterbacks was over and from now on it was going to be strong defenses with okay or moderate quarterbacks. It turns out we were heading into the Brady-Manning era which would be led by great quarterbacks with the rivalry between the top two as the centerpiece. Yes the two had faced off twice in 2001 but those were Brady’s first start and first road start with no one expecting anything from him and the Colts were an off year that would lead to the firing of their head coach, Jim Mora. </p><p><span> </span>Despite the disastrous start where they were blown out 31-0 in the opener they rallied back and finished with a 14-2 record. In the playoffs they beat the co-MVPs that year Payton Manning and Steve McNair. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13PnBejUQj7ATlBHfNweMvYh3BGfaXVEm9h4pi6tR7pXqeMmh2xc7Eo4PRt_q9rQJE7xEKd62YuFzE0hacYI6dAJ725L8zYl2Ne7f7Ubi7cn_eHbrJjs6W4bVKU9uCUBbCAV4s7w/s284/BB+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13PnBejUQj7ATlBHfNweMvYh3BGfaXVEm9h4pi6tR7pXqeMmh2xc7Eo4PRt_q9rQJE7xEKd62YuFzE0hacYI6dAJ725L8zYl2Ne7f7Ubi7cn_eHbrJjs6W4bVKU9uCUBbCAV4s7w/s0/BB+4.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy?</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span> </span>The Super Bowl against the Panthers was one of my favorites. Two great defenses tore into the offenses at the start of each half and continued half way into the 2nd and 4th quarters respectively. It was nearing the end of each half that the two defenses were worn down leading to a quarterback duel between Tom Brady and Jake Delhomme. At the end of the first half Brady and the Pats were on top 14-10, but during the shootout in the second half Delhomme and Panthers managed to see it tied 29-29. That is when Brady led the Pats offense on another miracle drive that ended with another game-winning Vinatieri-kick. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxotyC8MnFXTitnzT2SH7t0jM0WsKYyzet_DxNSyXwCjwPlfR_7uXPZe-YNpBqj_dzKYEnpSzq8ptD4sQSEYVaG4I35U_IicpTSzrppk0NCQutwkyOVmkSU8vJ2CDys7eEhA2YXaQ/s275/BB+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxotyC8MnFXTitnzT2SH7t0jM0WsKYyzet_DxNSyXwCjwPlfR_7uXPZe-YNpBqj_dzKYEnpSzq8ptD4sQSEYVaG4I35U_IicpTSzrppk0NCQutwkyOVmkSU8vJ2CDys7eEhA2YXaQ/s0/BB+5.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span> </span>That year the offense and defense were equals that complimented on another. Both the Head Coach and Quarterback deserve equal credit for this one. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 39</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2004 New England Patriots</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2/6/2005</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Both evenly responsible for win</b></div></b></div><p><span> </span> “Yes, it is a dynasty!” The announcer said after the Patriots secured their third win in four years. Very much like the previous year’s team, except for a better running game with the acquisition of Corey Dillon, the Patriots finished this season 14-2 and took down the Colts and Steelers led by the likes of Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger respectively.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_hyejAQ6Zq2jhTwO6hrgvMPE8ni3L4qsRHfTodHFVhAqZYxG0tIGFzdKbAjSINETzxL0VPJGEj4t2tp_qE-nDRfVdHU93jw1lRW0bS6-fGADLsfnPM9EJhLiltyczalfBicwL6Y/s275/BB+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_hyejAQ6Zq2jhTwO6hrgvMPE8ni3L4qsRHfTodHFVhAqZYxG0tIGFzdKbAjSINETzxL0VPJGEj4t2tp_qE-nDRfVdHU93jw1lRW0bS6-fGADLsfnPM9EJhLiltyczalfBicwL6Y/s0/BB+6.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A master at work!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span> </span>The Super Bowl was a duel between two evenly talented teams who in the first two quarters matched each other score for score. In the fourth quarter the Pats were able to pull ahead by ten and the Eagles were only able to pull within three as the game ended on a Rodeny Harrison interception. Like the season before the offense and defense were perfect complements and the Head Coach and Quarterback deserve equal credit. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiTweOuGTEGxduTf9cfnbvSEgzkU2Gni7tsCXZvnatD_xnIaCDOkl_ZwnV7R_aEPyB21CzcCQDaqbvwl9Yofc01jFQZUBzAkP02yMgUSCrhE41LGEXpxti-nt2ujLIkGJdBN7sa0/s275/BB+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiTweOuGTEGxduTf9cfnbvSEgzkU2Gni7tsCXZvnatD_xnIaCDOkl_ZwnV7R_aEPyB21CzcCQDaqbvwl9Yofc01jFQZUBzAkP02yMgUSCrhE41LGEXpxti-nt2ujLIkGJdBN7sa0/s0/BB+7.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the wrong side of sack for Mr. McNabb</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 42</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2007 New England Patriots</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2/3/2008</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>More at fault for loss: Brady</b></div></b></div><p><span> </span>The Super Bowl that we Patriot fans hate talking about the most: the loss of the perfect season. I am going to make this quick. In Brady’s defense you could say he had his team up by four with less than three minutes to go. However like Super Bowl 36 I am judging this by the whole performance not just then end of the game. If your defense holds your opponents to under twenty points and you have one of the most explosive offenses in the history of the game (with Randy Moss and Wes Welker as your star receivers)then that needs to be a win. Yet, they were only able to put up two scores. Ironically, earlier that week Brady joked about a Giants player’s 20-17 Giants prediction when he said, “You think we’re only going to score 17 points?” If they did they would have tied and gone to overtime. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghj3NzFsacAgkMFRu1BTK1NMc2AFU5p62DAvbnYDkTtdpOf0PPefs7Nw8Am2CNDBfFBKJjuwRJ0cweCMdxH0bYIucJNz2tvYObNmkWC-MqSJhiWtfyS6zyBarqDweShRmALoMaqmk/s258/BB+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghj3NzFsacAgkMFRu1BTK1NMc2AFU5p62DAvbnYDkTtdpOf0PPefs7Nw8Am2CNDBfFBKJjuwRJ0cweCMdxH0bYIucJNz2tvYObNmkWC-MqSJhiWtfyS6zyBarqDweShRmALoMaqmk/s0/BB+8.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the worst days of my life!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 46<br /></b><b>2011 New England Patriots<br /></b><b>2/5/2012<br /></b><b>More at fault for loss: Brady</b></div><p><span> </span>Rubbing salt in the wound the Patriots fall again to the same team that denied them their perfect season four years prior. The same thing almost happened again. The Pats got three more points this time but you had a great offense that for some reason couldn’t beat a team who your defense held to under twenty points. (Yes I understand the Giants scored 21 but 2 of those came on a safety when Brady threw out of bounds in his own end zone on the opening their drive.) God, it was an ugly game.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8LWiHLwt3nnzlrM_n4OUEqgDLPVgO-p7rs3bYUyb-MZy7SbrBqrnZwWO-YqZkodIXy8M9cGWWygkKN16KmC_Hevoqaw1ZiSH1qshEqatPgEdw9ySKCqVfhzqHHSN7OEbpGd4H5M/s267/BB+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8LWiHLwt3nnzlrM_n4OUEqgDLPVgO-p7rs3bYUyb-MZy7SbrBqrnZwWO-YqZkodIXy8M9cGWWygkKN16KmC_Hevoqaw1ZiSH1qshEqatPgEdw9ySKCqVfhzqHHSN7OEbpGd4H5M/s0/BB+9.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are again.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 49</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2014 New England Patriots</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2/1/2015</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>More responsible for win: Brady</b></div></b></div><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Like Super Bowl 36 everyone remembers how this one ended. The Malcolm Butler interception at the goal line the game’s last moments to seal the win. You might think we would credit Belichick more. The Coach gets credit but the lion’s share of this one belongs to Tom Brady. The way the sliced threw the so-called “Legion of Boom” leading the team back from a ten point fourth quarter deficit to a four point lead by the way of two touchdowns. The game that truly ended the Manning/Brady debate as the same defense had squashed Manning’s Broncos in the previous Super Bowl.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ljVzAIKBePcUMLRcRrakVy0J1nBmM5ZFOo-QuibRaaHAEsPVBCyM8nJAjwOFFp_ce9nzMrhVSikh6AH7q_M1wNJp346arb7-bYrwjjq0kUUT0yzl0sep8j0-H2ItL-Tw56O8Iy8/s283/BB+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ljVzAIKBePcUMLRcRrakVy0J1nBmM5ZFOo-QuibRaaHAEsPVBCyM8nJAjwOFFp_ce9nzMrhVSikh6AH7q_M1wNJp346arb7-bYrwjjq0kUUT0yzl0sep8j0-H2ItL-Tw56O8Iy8/s0/BB+10.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whose the GOAT?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 51</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2016 New England Patriots</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2/5/2017</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Both evenly responsible for win</b></div></b></div><p><span> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTM0H5VDUJxXVKghgXqHRBN21evE5sVqNtqbKDnT8qFgMzmiuUn87k5vxq4p9c2DlT7ZtZuiHUjYsuTGL4KDlQ75xGsWsAOp8ABRknocEh8SJwLaR2LPhcuXdGzk_qevQah3UBsw/s301/BB+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTM0H5VDUJxXVKghgXqHRBN21evE5sVqNtqbKDnT8qFgMzmiuUn87k5vxq4p9c2DlT7ZtZuiHUjYsuTGL4KDlQ75xGsWsAOp8ABRknocEh8SJwLaR2LPhcuXdGzk_qevQah3UBsw/s0/BB+11.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No chance...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span>28-3 that is what everyone remembers about this game and for good reason. The Patriots down 28-3 in the third quarter rallied to the greatest comeback in the history of the Super Bowl. With this game, both Brady and Belichick were both equally responsible for both getting themselves in the deep hole and also equally responsible for getting them out. It was a unique combination of offense to assemble the points combined with a defense that held the other side to none and created opportunities with turnovers. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqmNoR49i09CPPIEzPaANMETA2qNU56gDrhT00Onscp55oHUKKMKkPGVb3SLFcyweSY9V2LWRBIr7SSsaT-vYvqL9rIDCo6Te3v1OgUqAjm-lclnBLydnmdqrnStIWyD3476ORBA/s273/BB+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqmNoR49i09CPPIEzPaANMETA2qNU56gDrhT00Onscp55oHUKKMKkPGVb3SLFcyweSY9V2LWRBIr7SSsaT-vYvqL9rIDCo6Te3v1OgUqAjm-lclnBLydnmdqrnStIWyD3476ORBA/s0/BB+12.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...at all</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 52</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2017 New England Patriots</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2/4/2018</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>More at fault for loss: Belichick</b></div></b></div><p><span> </span>Yeah this loss is on Belichick. When your quarterback throws for over 500 yards and the offense scores 33 points and you’re supposed to be a defensive genius then it is on you to win. When your big decision before the game is to bench one your top corners who won you the Super Bowl three years ago. I don’t know who else to blame but the coach in this situation. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAK-RkHrT2djITvRTcinxJJ2BknsL6dkLxENM0dBbnNYGLOZviCgW-BuQKimYmbugNXN5EPzVvIStPcUA2Imv_V4Jb5S92Gk6iGwa1OqRpcifruo2TspwgVlJjEPKBIVuynb4taRo/s275/BB+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAK-RkHrT2djITvRTcinxJJ2BknsL6dkLxENM0dBbnNYGLOZviCgW-BuQKimYmbugNXN5EPzVvIStPcUA2Imv_V4Jb5S92Gk6iGwa1OqRpcifruo2TspwgVlJjEPKBIVuynb4taRo/s0/BB+13.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is on the coach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Bowl 53</b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2018 New England Patriots</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2/3/2019</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>More responsible for win: Belichick</b></div></b></div><p><span> </span> Like their first Super Bowl appearance when they also played the Rams, Brady and his offense couldn’t score more than 13 points. Those are normally losing numbers but when you have a defense that performed as well as theirs did that day it was nine points more than needed. That one was “In Bill We Trust.”<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF8d3rVyLtm19m9Dt2GrRY7T3H8EC6VGDYWYHSfmH2x-2_39eFSzlidHTp09LgDoO4t-l5IFCaxIRVtDht-nEdUqmf3jvNB6xuGWtDLI2Bqlqr212wGzQBLAIj5foq8m_5BkDpLQ/s275/BB+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF8d3rVyLtm19m9Dt2GrRY7T3H8EC6VGDYWYHSfmH2x-2_39eFSzlidHTp09LgDoO4t-l5IFCaxIRVtDht-nEdUqmf3jvNB6xuGWtDLI2Bqlqr212wGzQBLAIj5foq8m_5BkDpLQ/s0/BB+14.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Defense wins championships!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div><br /></div>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-15143753496606107612020-07-22T19:53:00.001-04:002020-08-23T02:53:13.580-04:00HAMILTON AND JOHN ADAMS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSD7q3fMXtO-bzUtqWSSlsbax3F-2ft-r-0IX92ay0Olvn-B69Tgxi0Ykm-uahPmUrnHdt8lJRStgTuHPIE6gftdKE21fNvkBssDLif-DzHG5XMSPrq2KFFLDNvxzYmVd1ltP_OE/s1600/JAAH+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSD7q3fMXtO-bzUtqWSSlsbax3F-2ft-r-0IX92ay0Olvn-B69Tgxi0Ykm-uahPmUrnHdt8lJRStgTuHPIE6gftdKE21fNvkBssDLif-DzHG5XMSPrq2KFFLDNvxzYmVd1ltP_OE/s1600/JAAH+1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpeOSDO3s7SfPc-jCq873rge0QDsZ6uGX9ZOL_xBdMttn5ZH5JzCbmBeEFhISeAAG_n9yBwstjONvGi4dMmj72nKU9daKcn91Ql4OUum3y_t6vc16KCmRy0c-tm3_yOe7Yv5kxIs/s1600/JAAH+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpeOSDO3s7SfPc-jCq873rge0QDsZ6uGX9ZOL_xBdMttn5ZH5JzCbmBeEFhISeAAG_n9yBwstjONvGi4dMmj72nKU9daKcn91Ql4OUum3y_t6vc16KCmRy0c-tm3_yOe7Yv5kxIs/s1600/JAAH+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
After seeing the great musical <i>Hamilton</i> when it premiered on Disney+
earlier this month I found myself enjoying it immensely. I thought it would be fun to do a short compare
and contrast with another great work that I have enjoyed: <i>John Adams</i>. This was a miniseries that HBO produced and aired in 2008, which like <i>Hamilton</i> was met with rave reviews from critics and was given
numerous awards. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The
differences are immediate and visually obvious <i>Hamilton</i> is a stage play while <i>John Adams</i> is mini-series for
television. <i>John Adams</i> has seven episodes each slightly over an hour making
the entire project over eight hours long, where <i>Hamilton</i> total run time is two and half hours. It is true that Hamilton only lived about
half as long as John Adams but that the play has less than a third of the time
to tell his story. The star of <i>Hamilton</i>, Lin-Manuel Miranda, also wrote the play, while John Adams
starred Paul Giamatti and was written by Kirk Ellis.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsK7Z0g-wluNYzYgWRilD6zBaBt_mRcwA8xhs0SKor7cZb2iXBO2Hxzd6WA-H4KlWzo-pou1j50sSHpvrlECk7Pk5OWImtbl_ldC0qnf82zvlrFacyOGivs1QNJKl-uVXfHNEQW4/s1600/JAAH+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsK7Z0g-wluNYzYgWRilD6zBaBt_mRcwA8xhs0SKor7cZb2iXBO2Hxzd6WA-H4KlWzo-pou1j50sSHpvrlECk7Pk5OWImtbl_ldC0qnf82zvlrFacyOGivs1QNJKl-uVXfHNEQW4/s1600/JAAH+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Morse as George Washington in <i>John Adams.</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then
there are the aesthetics. <i>Hamilton</i> is a musical and it bills
itself as “the story of America then told by America of today.” The genre of
music is a diverse selection of R &B, soul, hip-hop, and traditional-style
show tunes. The casting of <i>Hamilton</i> is revolutionary diverse with
roles of white historical figures going to actors who are people of color. This is done following the “America then told
by America today” standard. The nation
is a much more diverse place then it was in the late 18<sup>th</sup> and early
19<sup>th</sup> centuries. Not only has
the diversity increased, but as a measure of the country’s progress, the
positions people of color now have the opportunity to fill has changed as
well. The play was written and premiered
during the presidency of Barrack Obama.
It was a powerful message of inclusion in a narrative where people of
color were traditional excluded. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEzamRe7SWGV-KFM30nxh0n-y_jF4r3CPFakdEInMGgGBL-h-AQgVYGUHfba4nn1xuDIR8h46SK137j7Z7wreKYd67YgT8azLumVeu9azb3NCvr524PiMOD1-InrRzjDoWGlbjzI/s1600/JAAH+4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEzamRe7SWGV-KFM30nxh0n-y_jF4r3CPFakdEInMGgGBL-h-AQgVYGUHfba4nn1xuDIR8h46SK137j7Z7wreKYd67YgT8azLumVeu9azb3NCvr524PiMOD1-InrRzjDoWGlbjzI/s1600/JAAH+4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christopher Jackson as George Washington in <i>Hamilton</i>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>John
Adams</i> on the other hand is a period piece which does its best to retain an
authentic look from the period. This can
be seen from the wardrobe trying to replicate the type of fabrics of the period; to the
props trying to insure authentic appearance to the carriages, fire arms, etc;
finally to the make-up trying to make the actors look more like the historical
figures they are trying to represent. In short, their
set tries to re-create the world as it existed in the late 18<sup>th</sup>
century.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynNcHLO6jESBlbza6OE0yJGGrH-ow2Abo7KkZX9SUa3DkvOH3cu5Y-hsW43WU1KbQiTtZlbn8SFRdG36NMfyUMTX9UnPAstnmJ4MlWXJii3EW0H3iYxj4qgIAkdsWKKn6DqF4omk/s1600/JAAH+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynNcHLO6jESBlbza6OE0yJGGrH-ow2Abo7KkZX9SUa3DkvOH3cu5Y-hsW43WU1KbQiTtZlbn8SFRdG36NMfyUMTX9UnPAstnmJ4MlWXJii3EW0H3iYxj4qgIAkdsWKKn6DqF4omk/s1600/JAAH+5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson in <i>Hamilton</i>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now
we come to the similarities. Both works
are based on a life of an American Founding Father. Both works are closely based on popularly
written biographies about those founders.
<i>John Adams </i>was based on David
McCullough’s 2001 biography of <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/champion-of-independence.html" target="_blank">the same name</a>, while <i>Hamilton</i> was based on Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography titled <i><a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-favorite-founding-father.html" target="_blank">Alexander Hamilton</a></i>. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8f2WD-V6Cji2BczE1i_nldpUgOxaoFq4hyYD2qlTZUM4Dpd625-fBpiv1zwwF7TXZa6WljHUzVNBKzifYkejLRlX82I32saTEcmGwq5QnFVS1RmDLhYf7Ralrnghl6kmK8IW2yw/s1600/JAAH+6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8f2WD-V6Cji2BczE1i_nldpUgOxaoFq4hyYD2qlTZUM4Dpd625-fBpiv1zwwF7TXZa6WljHUzVNBKzifYkejLRlX82I32saTEcmGwq5QnFVS1RmDLhYf7Ralrnghl6kmK8IW2yw/s1600/JAAH+6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson in <i>John Adams</i>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The
most important similarity between the two works (and if you take anything away
from this review let be this) is while the settings of these works are the
<a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/it-was-glorious-cause.html" target="_blank">American Revolution</a> and the <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2012/05/making-america.html" target="_blank">establishment of the U.S. Constitution</a> these events are not what either is about. Both are about its principal subject be it
Alexander Hamilton or John Adams. Every
event we witness and every other historical figure we meet is based on what the
subject perceived. However when one
glances back with that in mind it again brings us to important distinctions in
each work. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ax9MDFEH1Qw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ax9MDFEH1Qw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">In </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">John Adams</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> the American Revolution is a
gruesome and undesirable necessity carried out in order to defend the rights of
the colonists as citizens, because that is what the Revolution was to Mr.
Adams.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">In </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Hamilton</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">, the American Revolution is exciting and wonderful
opportunity for talented people born without high privilege to “rise up” and
above their station.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">This is because
that is what Revolution meant to Alexander Hamilton.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Hamilton</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">
presents <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/washingtonthe-human-being.html" target="_blank">George Washington</a> as this courageous general who doubles as a father
figure, because that is who he was to fatherless Alexander Hamilton.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">While the </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">John
Adams</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> George Washington is a noble, stoic, and often distant figure
because that is how he appeared to Adams.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0-j4b-wUTxo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0-j4b-wUTxo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Then
there is <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/author-of-declaration.html" target="_blank">Thomas Jefferson</a>.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">The Thomas
Jefferson of </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Hamilton</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> comes off as
the villain of the piece.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Easily one of
the most enjoyable characters of the play Jefferson is exciting to watch and he
is foil to poor Mr. Hamilton in every instance of the play’s second act. Again
this is who Jefferson was to Alexander Hamilton so they play presents him as
such.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">In </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">John Adams</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">, Jefferson is often quiet and self-conscious, Adams is
one of those who help him find his voice. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">He recruits him to write the Declaration of
Independence.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Once Jefferson has his
voice and once America becomes a nation complete with a new Constitution the
two friends become rivals.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">The
relationship of Adams and Jefferson as one time friends who turn on each other
mirrors the relationship between Hamilton and Burr in the play, except for that
disastrous ending.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Speaking of
Burr, he had no role in the HBO miniseries.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Not only was Aaron Burr absent but <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/primary-founder.html" target="_blank">James Madison</a>, the Father of the
Constitution, is mentioned only in passing.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">This has little to do with the historic importance rather their impact
on the life of John Adams in comparison with other figures.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Likewise the play </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Hamilton</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> does not include the John Hancock, Samuel Adams (mentioned
only as the name of a drink) and most importantly does not have a character of
<a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/one-and-only-benjamin-franklin.html" target="_blank">Benjamin Franklin</a>. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">This is not an
over-site of Lin-Manuel Miranda just a reflection of those historical figures
impact on Alexander Hamilton.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U0_3KzuYuh0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U0_3KzuYuh0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">What is most
interesting is how Adams and Hamilton are presented in each other’s drama.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">In </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Hamilton</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">
Adams never makes an appearance, but he comes up in discussion and song a
number of times.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">He first mentioned by
Eliza as she tries to get her husband to come out to the country pointing out
that Adams does this for his wife.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">To
which Hamilton responds that, as Vice President, Adams does not have a real
job.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Later after Adams becomes
President, Jefferson and Madison are discussing how he and Hamilton had a fall
out leading to Adams dismissing Hamilton and Hamilton coming out and publicly
attacking the leader of his own party.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">This damages the Federalists so badly that it practically hands the
election to the Democratic-Republicans.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">After Jefferson and Madison are done talking it over the audience sees Hamilton from the raised flat of the stage and dropping a book down to the floor
shouting John Adams name.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha7QKm8YwZW7fWRQE_VVM7e91M1Rb_uBTRkzx2dSG4qrpgEXI1CrwMlxpUg3d8wvxuWFNblpeZpRlZCUJR2Sgmc45F21LdPGEKCK65wKSSvB3yrteYWzPHzvQnvZ7S9lhk1J3XoQ/s1600/JAAH+7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha7QKm8YwZW7fWRQE_VVM7e91M1Rb_uBTRkzx2dSG4qrpgEXI1CrwMlxpUg3d8wvxuWFNblpeZpRlZCUJR2Sgmc45F21LdPGEKCK65wKSSvB3yrteYWzPHzvQnvZ7S9lhk1J3XoQ/s1600/JAAH+7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufus Sewell as Alexander Hamilton in <i>John Adams</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">In </span><i style="text-indent: 0.25in;">John Adams</i><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">, Hamilton as a character
appears in two episodes.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">His first
appearance is in the fifth episode “Unite or Die.” In this episode Hamilton
appears at an early meeting of George Washington’s cabinet.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">During the meeting he basically schools
Thomas Jefferson on economics and lays out plans to set up a National Bank and
assume the states’ debts.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">This of course
laid the ground work for stability of the United States Government.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> A success from the Washington Administration
that when Jefferson became President in 1801 he found that messing with it
would be detrimental to the Union.
Hamilton’s second appearance is in the sixth episode “Unnecessary War” in
which shows the clash between Adams/Hamilton more sympathetically to
Adams. Their fallout shows a Hamilton who
has bitten off more than he can chew and needs Adams to bring him back to
reality.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Yv74V1k4gA8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yv74V1k4gA8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KaWBs46USqE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KaWBs46USqE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">In c</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">losing I highly enjoyed both works and would encourage anyone to watch
them.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Just remember when doing so with
each presentation you are learning about a great historical figure who existed
in an extraordinary setting of the American Revolution.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">The setting and the characters in it are seen
only from the view of the main character.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">This is not to say you might not learn a thing or two about these
periods but just keep in mind how it is slanted.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"> </span></div>
Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-69853552243784539382020-05-03T14:11:00.000-04:002020-05-05T01:19:46.772-04:00“YOU ARE SPAM!” MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH FACEBOOK AND MY LOST LITTLE STAR TREK BLOG<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeHhKKrgs78bZwcWdgucGhqfc6OGmuGr-iDLSPXncsd1uH7FE882dG9H0ZWr41YLwUNucUXzElxnJGjUuZfr-5WcxjSEGSBiN3700YN0UB8KRwjh9NlZ_btldtePgheWuF7OhxFw/s1600/spam+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="220" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeHhKKrgs78bZwcWdgucGhqfc6OGmuGr-iDLSPXncsd1uH7FE882dG9H0ZWr41YLwUNucUXzElxnJGjUuZfr-5WcxjSEGSBiN3700YN0UB8KRwjh9NlZ_btldtePgheWuF7OhxFw/s400/spam+image.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span> One of
my most enjoyable hobbies is blogging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am not a big time blogger by anyone’s standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I first started blogging about 12 years ago
when I started this blog where I would review history books I had been reading,
an occasional political opinion I would want to strongly express, or an
occasional tribute to a lost loved one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around that same time I joined Facebook and
one of the things that I loved about it, in addition to being able to contact
with lost-by-distance friends and relatives, was being able to share your likes
and hobbies with other like-minded people.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In 2016
with the new Ghostbusters movie coming out I decided <a href="http://jeremyreviewstheghostbusters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">to go down a trip</a> in
memory lane and watch the classic films and animated series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started a blog documenting that journey and
would share it with my friends on Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lately with the 2020 movie, now moved to 2021, I started re-watching
episodes, re-editing posts (that Ghostbusters blog was a rushed job it
needs it), and re-sharing with my current Ghostbusters Facebook groups.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Around
this time last year I decided to work on a life dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With my CBS subscription giving me access to
the entire franchise I would start a new blog where I would cover the entire
Star Trek universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not on a time limit set to make a new movie or series date, just in order bit by bit putting quality over
quantity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chip away at it as a
hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like with my other blogs, I also
chose to share the posts on Facebook with my fellow fans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In my short time plugging away on
my blog I had written an article on it about <a href="https://jeremysstartrekreviews.blogspot.com/2019/07/star-trek-continuity-and-canon.html" target="_blank">Continuity and Canon</a>, made
reviews for <a href="https://jeremysstartrekreviews.blogspot.com/2019/10/star-trek-season-1-episode-list.html" target="_blank">every episode in the first season</a>, an article about <a href="https://jeremysstartrekreviews.blogspot.com/2020/04/when-it-comes-to-classic-star-trek.html" target="_blank">why production order</a> is the best way to watch The Original Series, and I started posting
episode reviews from season two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when
I shared them with my Facebook groups I received positive and constructive
feedback from my fellow fans, which was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a bump or two in the road when one group didn’t approve my review
for “Mudd’s Women” because I called Harry Mudd a pimp!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However it is their group and they can
approve whatever they like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also enjoy
being able to respond with a written review if anyone randomly asks what I
thought of an episode I already covered.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I am currently a member of seven
Star Trek Facebook groups: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Trek1701/" target="_blank">Star Trek</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/125735774771959/" target="_blank">Star Trek Forever</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1619977821557200/" target="_blank">Everything Star Trek</a>,
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/allstartrekfans/" target="_blank">Star Trek Forever and Always</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/startrekkers/" target="_blank">The Original Star Trekkers</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/starfleet.lgbtq.startrek/" target="_blank">The Star Trek Fan Pagefor Everyone</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Star.Trek.Universe.STU/" target="_blank">Star Trek Universe</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
want to point out that in these groups I will often like, comment on, or visit
links to other fan created content not just to air my own stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I wouldn’t always post the same reviews
to each group as I joined them at different times. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I joined a new group it seemed ridiculous
to me to post a bunch of post on that new group right away. I wanted to do so in the
same timing as I did with the older group.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I usually share a new post with my
own page then with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Trek1701/" target="_blank">Star Trek</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/125735774771959/" target="_blank">Star Trek Forever</a> over the course of the next
two days as those were the first two groups I joined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A day later I would share a post that was 4
posts older than the new on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1619977821557200/" target="_blank">Everything Star Trek</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A day after that I would share one that was
about 20 posts-old in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/allstartrekfans/" target="_blank">Star Trek Forever and Always </a>and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/startrekkers/" target="_blank">Original StarTrekkers</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then a day or so later I would
do the same in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/starfleet.lgbtq.startrek/" target="_blank">Star Trek Fan Page For Everyone</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Star.Trek.Universe.STU/" target="_blank">Star Trek Universe</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKxlmJZmCrbWwSL_ryTLPKK6-Eic9p38e21n33Z1KCmbUh5W0RLYcndzH0PSs2M8JilHVXvJ2hYFqfiFZUYh-KABgLLwP5zKnbvrwF0dfrwvr7ki0EwMH-wWbOXW4F6oZsWgOzLM/s1600/failing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKxlmJZmCrbWwSL_ryTLPKK6-Eic9p38e21n33Z1KCmbUh5W0RLYcndzH0PSs2M8JilHVXvJ2hYFqfiFZUYh-KABgLLwP5zKnbvrwF0dfrwvr7ki0EwMH-wWbOXW4F6oZsWgOzLM/s1600/failing.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay not my stairs but you get the idea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last
week I was in a horrible freak accident where I fell down a flight of stairs
while carrying a laundry basket and I broke my leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am writing from there now and I wanted to say
that the hospital doctors and staff at Central Maine Medical Center have been
incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was able to access to
social media again I got flood of loving messages from family and friends who
because of the outbreak can’t actually come and see me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However there was also a note on several
of my groups that a number of my posts were being pulled off as spam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I thought I was being spam-targeted
by a fellow fan upset by something I had written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That had happened once before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However after taking with several of the
administrators of the groups I am a part of we quickly determined that this was
not the case. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqFWWhB3Tt_csZ_L_AcJnI-D_fhVCnLZioXNf-LZscDuIkmvJHfCaQWZRRJuOykdTw756ZK-xERYsHlKn6MTWS8l_aRSmLxnCb375WUcoHgOb9ezkp-JJ53OWxBghGthyphenhyphenXcOGEKs/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqFWWhB3Tt_csZ_L_AcJnI-D_fhVCnLZioXNf-LZscDuIkmvJHfCaQWZRRJuOykdTw756ZK-xERYsHlKn6MTWS8l_aRSmLxnCb375WUcoHgOb9ezkp-JJ53OWxBghGthyphenhyphenXcOGEKs/s320/Capture.PNG" width="250" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
truth was worse: I was somehow caught up in an anti-spam algorithm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of my links in all seven of my groups and
my own personal page have vanished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
blog still exists safe at blogger.com but my connection to the Star Trek
Facebook community reduced to a whisper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now I want to be clear Facebook told me this was spam, it was not a trademark
or copyright issue which normally would be covered by fair use anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am very broken-hearten it is like getting
kicked when you are down, or in my view hospitalized after surgery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
messaged Facebook and they have not yet responded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be frank customer care was never their
specialty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As disappointed as I am by
Facebook I can never say they cheated me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had always been a defender of theirs and my defense was this: if you
don’t like the product ask for your money back for you always get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I am now going to be looking for a new
audience for my blog and I hope this can serve as a warning to others to be careful about sharing your posts too much you might not get invited back to the
party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-76375871945247844272020-01-23T23:28:00.001-05:002022-07-01T23:46:49.247-04:00GETTING READY TO FIGHT AND THE EARLY FIGHTING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzI_kQ89LLKdShN5KDeSwhwYYhIjYBqaqCWNtYzKj2gmAQXdUbW-xEIkIn8ps3d_wLO7_2ITcgTyMtfMLXQcdIn6EVKKETeOv3Zil58QMrzrztYGGFqrxTmZLFSo8Y2Ps-pCq7dU/s1600/The+Gathering+Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzI_kQ89LLKdShN5KDeSwhwYYhIjYBqaqCWNtYzKj2gmAQXdUbW-xEIkIn8ps3d_wLO7_2ITcgTyMtfMLXQcdIn6EVKKETeOv3Zil58QMrzrztYGGFqrxTmZLFSo8Y2Ps-pCq7dU/s1600/The+Gathering+Storm.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
A review of Winston Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Gathering Storm </i>(1948)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
Part
of Winston Churchill’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">World War II
memoirs</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
(Rating 4 of 5)</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the last few books I read by Winston Churchill he was discussing the history
of English-speaking peoples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is a
subject that he was not really that impartial about but he was certainly more so
than about this topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this is the
first volume of his personal war memoirs and World War II was the event that
was going to define his legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Primary
sources are always fascinating because you get into the head of the great
actors who performed on the world stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You get to see their point of view on everything, how they saw other
historical figures, and their thoughts on individual actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that Winston Churchill never disappoints.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
volume, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Gathering Storm</i>, divides
into two books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first book deals
with Churchill as a parliamentary backbencher battling against the
establishment, trying to alert the government and the people of the coming
threat of the Nazi menace, and getting beaten back each time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second book deals with Churchill as the
First Sea Lord, the British equivalent to the Secretary of the Navy in the
United States, managing the Royal Navy in the first year of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the two books I find the first and most
interesting, it deals with a lot of political intrigue and the nature of humans
particularly humans who have just gone through great conflict not too long
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second book I find almost kind
of dull. It consists Churchill’s day to day running of the Navy trying to
decide to place what admiral where,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>occasionally going to dinner with Prime Minister, and even though it’s
about a great conflict doesn’t seem to have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>much drama until the fall of the Chamberlain Government.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the beginning of this volume Churchill discusses the allotment of what led up
to the war, like any good World War II story and he begins of course with a
disastrous Treaty of Versailles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churchill points out the one hand the treaty left Germany practically
intact with the largest homogeneous racial block in Europe, while on the other
hand it ruthlessly punish the Germans trying to force them to pay these
indemnities that would give fuel to the anger in the average German that would lead
to the rise of Adolf Hitler.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
“The economic
clauses of the treaty were malignant and silly to the extent that it made the
modestly futile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Germany was condemned
to pay reparations on a fabulous scale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These dictates give expression to the anger of the victors, and to the
belief of their peoples the any defeated nation or community can ever pay
tribute on a scale which would meet the cost of modern war.” (pg. 7)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
He also
discusses in length of the Great Depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Americans tend to think of the Great Depression as an American event, it
begins with the administration of Herbert Hoover is finally chased away by
Franklin D. Roosevelt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in reality the
Great Depression was a worldwide phenomenon that hurt many nations including
those in Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As bad as it was the
American and British institutions survive the crisis, but many nations in
Europe had governments that were now far younger and far more
experimental.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those fragile regimes
the Great Depression would destroy them, for the people had very little faith
in them to begin with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whereas the
American and British Experience only saw the fall of politicians; both Herbert
Hoover and Ramsay MacDonald paid the political price for being in office at the
wrong time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is not to say that either one could not have done better but universal blame is beyond ridiculous.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
“The
consequences of this dislocation of economic life became world-wide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A general contraction of trade in the face of
unemployment and declining production followed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Care restrictions were imposed to protect the home markets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The general crisis brought with it acute
monetary difficulties and paralyzed internal credit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This spread of ruined unemployment far and
wide throughout the globe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr.
MacDonald’s government, with all their problems behind them, saw unemployment
during 1930 and 1931 bound up in their faces from one million to nearly three
millions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was said that in the United
States ten million persons were without work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The entire banking system of the great Republic was thrown into
confusion and temporary collapse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consequential disasters fell upon Germany and other European
countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, nobody starved in
the English-speaking world.” (pg. 35)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
I also found the
view of Winston Churchill on what Germany should have done to be very
interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever a loyal monarchist,
Churchill believed that many of the defeated European nations instead of
tossing off their old monarchies should just embrace the British model and
retained the sovereign for at the very least to be a rallying figurehead with
little actual power in practice even if substantial power was retained on
paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Churchill’s view Hitler and
the Nazi Party might have had a difficult time coming to power if Germany was
able to retain a Kaiser in some form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was disappointed in failure of German officials to carry that through. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
“This policy, if
achieved, would have filled the void at the summit of the German nation towards
which Hitler was now in evidently making his way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all the circumstances this was the right
course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how could Bruening lead
Germany to it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conservative element,
which was drifting to Hitler, might have been recalled by the restoration of
Kaiser Wilhelm; but neither the Social Democrats nor the trade-union forces
would tolerate the restoration of the old Kaiser or the Crown Prince.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bruening’s plan was not to re-create the
Second Reich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He desired a
constitutional monarchy on the English lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He hopes that one of the sons of the Crown Prince might be a suitable
candidate.” (pg. 63)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Churchill
was also does a great job explaining the political climate of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a very strong and powerful antiwar
movement in Great Britain; these were people who believe the tragedy of the
First World War was caused by nations running into the conflict with reckless
haste. If anything the lesson I think we should take from this is not to be
overly simplistic in politics. The antiwar movement in the 1930s was right
about the problems of World War I but they’re completely wrong about the
situation World War II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A generation
later that antiwar movement would be in the right again and would find
mainstream resistance mostly based on the legacies of the Second World
War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Churchill’s view although being
a politician in such climate is hard it is no excuse for negligence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
“It would be
wrong in judging the policy of the British Government not to remember the
passionate desire for peace which animated in the uninformed, misinformed
majority of the British people, and seem to threaten with political extinction
any party or politician who dared take any other line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This, of course, is no excuse for the
political leaders who fall short of their duty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is much better for the parties or politicians to be turned out of
office than to imperil the life of the nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Moreover, there is no record in our history of any Government asking
Parliament and the people for the necessary measures of defense and being
refused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, those who scared
the timid McDonald – Baldwin Government from their path should at least keep
silent.” (pg. 112)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgKjDFWfgQjq_0b05q9UhyphenhyphenH6Ih2Ig4FUHCTSfN5d_e4nRlL4_x4MviQPzQeAnfMQMubxPfMMM5qGQpiV4hJz6JJFUnFFpYMEAmKR2DVGM-3yaHvaUw4-WDaTXd6FioSNTRwdYv9s/s1600/Stanley+Baldwin+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgKjDFWfgQjq_0b05q9UhyphenhyphenH6Ih2Ig4FUHCTSfN5d_e4nRlL4_x4MviQPzQeAnfMQMubxPfMMM5qGQpiV4hJz6JJFUnFFpYMEAmKR2DVGM-3yaHvaUw4-WDaTXd6FioSNTRwdYv9s/s1600/Stanley+Baldwin+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who Churchill blames for Britain's failed state of readiness for World War II </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One of the most
interesting pieces of this book is the character of Neville Chamberlain. Most
people remember Chamberlain from his embarrassing press conference in which he
declared “peace in our time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
Americans tend to associate Chamberlain as the British Herbert Hoover, the out
of touch in at political leader who is pushed aside for a more dynamic
Roosevelt in the person of Winston Churchill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But nothing would be further from the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roosevelt was a Democrat and Hoover was a
Republican.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill and Chamberlain
belong to the same party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chamberlain
died shortly after leaving office, he had been set to hold a position Winston
Churchill’s Government and if he had he might’ve repaired his broken
legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since he can not, Churchill
takes it upon himself to defend him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churchill wants the reader to know that the true villain of the story
was not Neville Chamberlain but rather Stanley Baldwin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Churchill’s view Baldwin left the country
dangerously unprepared and Chamberlain had little to work with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chamberlain was tasked with buying time so Britain
could prepare to take on Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churchill says that Britain could never go to war for Czechoslovakia she
just didn’t have the means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chamberlain’s failure to block it was not a failure like most people
thought.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJr2cbzcH5xO-9tlceMGS6lFxrwQr2aMri9CwxrX5TQmAzBwsxH7ywGAi_htiHwSpi8cH5HDfbhJ21v8BOV9cPr0RqFdTluxtYLUHKvH3_-PB4_uRECAI_1U_hPA5diQa1tq0aGLA/s1600/Neville+Chamberlain+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJr2cbzcH5xO-9tlceMGS6lFxrwQr2aMri9CwxrX5TQmAzBwsxH7ywGAi_htiHwSpi8cH5HDfbhJ21v8BOV9cPr0RqFdTluxtYLUHKvH3_-PB4_uRECAI_1U_hPA5diQa1tq0aGLA/s1600/Neville+Chamberlain+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neville Chamberlain, not so bad?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
“Thus an
administration more disastrous than any other in our history saw all its errors
and shortcomings acclaimed by the nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was, however, a bill to be paid, and it took the new House of
Commons nearly ten years to pay it.” (pg. 180)<br />
“There was also
a serious and practical line of argument, albeit not to their credit, on which
the Government could rest themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
one can deny that we were hideously unprepared for war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who have a more forward in proving this and I
and my friends?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great Britain had
allowed herself to be far surpassed by the strength of the German Air
Force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All are vulnerable points were
unprotected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barely a hundred
anti-aircraft guns could be found for the defense of the largest city and
centre of population in the world; and these were largely in the hands of
untrained men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Hitler was honest and
lasting peace had in fact been achieved, Chamberlain was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, unhappily, he had been deceived, at least
we should gain a breathing – space to repair the worst of our neglects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These considerations, and the general relief
and rejoicing that the horrors of war have been temporally averted, commanded
the loyal sent of the masses of Government supporters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The House approved of the policy of His
Majesties Government, ‘by which war was averted in the recent crisis,’ by 366
to 144.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 30 or 40 dissident
conservatives could do no more than register their disapproval by
abstention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This we did as a formal and
united act.” (pg. 326-7)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UGfqxmTlm-k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UGfqxmTlm-k?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
As I mentioned
earlier the second part of the book is simply Winston Churchill as the First
Sea Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a very good account of
the day-to-day life of the First Sea Lord during World War II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This section of the book was hardly
interesting until the government battle at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That battle resulted in the fall Neville
Chamberlain’s Government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
interesting is that Chamberlain was not forced out of office in any sort of
landslide election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to
remember in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a parliamentary system they
have what is called a vote of no-confidence that has the power to bring down a
prime minister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chamberlain never
received a vote of no-confidence his majority prevailed in Parliament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had however gotten smaller and this
concerned him seeing as he was trying to fight a war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill urged him to stay on the Chamberlain
felt he was too much of a lightning rod and a new government had to be formed
with all the parties cooperating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chamberlain suggested to King George VI that Churchill be appointed his
place.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
“The King had
made no stipulation about the Government being nationally character, and I felt
that it my commission was in no formal way dependent upon this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in view of what happened, and the
conditions which had led to Mr. Chamberlain’s resignation, a Government of
national character was obviously inherent in the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I had found it impossible to come to terms
with the Opposition Parties, I should not have been constitutionally debarred
from trying to form the strongest Government possible of all who would stand by
the country in the hour of peril, provided that such a Government could command
a majority in the House of Comments.” (pg.665)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;">
So the book ends
with Winston Churchill becoming his nation’s Head of Government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would be the coalition of all the parties
against Nazi Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His actions in
that office are the subject of the following volumes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
{Video is from the film <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+Gathering+Storm+2002&ref=nb_sb_noss" target="_blank">The Gathering Storm 2002</a>}Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-67567192211138733802020-01-07T18:23:00.001-05:002020-01-20T00:17:29.529-05:00NOT THE END<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrkkjEovMDuIWyV6kPPvPgyNbw272BeCXZ2HgDkM2M7UD4_A58slI5qqKBrHMaYOVKtS7LVDO2jXLhgpJhWPMS793OYMxAm5ZRylr0N_syHx01oc2CQtXQx1PTSGfdLAu-Pax9vE/s1600/The+Great+Democracies+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="171" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrkkjEovMDuIWyV6kPPvPgyNbw272BeCXZ2HgDkM2M7UD4_A58slI5qqKBrHMaYOVKtS7LVDO2jXLhgpJhWPMS793OYMxAm5ZRylr0N_syHx01oc2CQtXQx1PTSGfdLAu-Pax9vE/s320/The+Great+Democracies+cover.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">A
review of Winston Churchill’s </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Great Democracies </i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">(1956)</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part
of the <i>A</i> <i>History of the English-Speaking Peoples</i> series<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>(Rating 4 of 5) </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>The <a href="https://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-start-of-britain.html" target="_blank">first installment</a> of the Winston Churchill's <i>English-Speaking Peoples</i> series covered
thousands of years, the <a href="https://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2019/12/brave-new-world.html" target="_blank">next two</a> volumes averaged <a href="https://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2020/01/right-of-revolution.html" target="_blank">two centuries.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final volume only covers a mere eight
decades, from the fall of Napoleon to the start of the 20th century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At no point does Churchill discuss his own
career but he does talk about his father's.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The book focuses on the changing political landscape in Great Britain,
the expanding United States that would tear itself in half before becoming a
world power, and wars in South Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When in Great Britain
itself, Churchill's main focus is on the rapidly changing society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main focus is on the ever expanding
franchise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As more people get to
vote-although still just men--it changes the foundation of society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Issues such as public education, workers’
rights, and Irish Home Rule were moved to the forefront of political
thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Politicians, much to the horror
of Queen Victoria, began to make direct appeals to the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two rival politicians who were masters of the
new age of politics were William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29mLmiYYo7j38N4_nJqhRlUFAlDZpmxhcqaeF55j5qovHEeBqy43HN0nkkOsLtE1A6GcN25yey8BJcKh_wVKouMcPBIHe9NKhy31A5VWU_-1L3RkHWadD8bjUw1qP3IYdQcd0SCo/s1600/Gladstone+and+Disraeli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29mLmiYYo7j38N4_nJqhRlUFAlDZpmxhcqaeF55j5qovHEeBqy43HN0nkkOsLtE1A6GcN25yey8BJcKh_wVKouMcPBIHe9NKhy31A5VWU_-1L3RkHWadD8bjUw1qP3IYdQcd0SCo/s1600/Gladstone+and+Disraeli.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We now enter
upon a long, connected, and progressive period in British history--the Prime
Ministerships of Gladstone and Disraeli.
These two great Parliamentarians in alteration ruled the land from 1868
to 1185. For nearly twenty years no one
effectively disputed their leadership, and until Disraeli died in 1881 the
political scene was dominated by a personal duel on a grand scale. Both men were at the height of their powers,
and their skill in oratory in debate gripped and focused public attention on
the proceedings of the House of Commons." (p.219)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Queen Victoria is one
of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>those historical figures whom there
seems to be very little agreement on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She reigned for a long time but it was also during that reign that the
crown lost a good deal of its actual power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was for a number of reasons one of which had to do with ministers now gaining or losing their jobs not
on royal favor but rather on the results of popular elections to the House of
Commons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill is very much in the
Pro-Victoria camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To Churchill, her
role as Queen was essential to the rise of the British Empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his view, if the British Governments had
been more willing to understand the peoples of the Empire as she did a lot of
their problems could have been avoided, especially in Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVlzP01iO4ezxgyMPEbQflRsGJS1eoXz4aOGMiS4ZznFbRa_pWpc5XwHnwSLUhc-yw1bfCZkBYEy7hjD7brwxhFdCOOy28AQlUx5kony4zLfRYFTsLOkoWlvRcYEpoMsA00IqgRE/s1600/Queen+Victoria+closer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVlzP01iO4ezxgyMPEbQflRsGJS1eoXz4aOGMiS4ZznFbRa_pWpc5XwHnwSLUhc-yw1bfCZkBYEy7hjD7brwxhFdCOOy28AQlUx5kony4zLfRYFTsLOkoWlvRcYEpoMsA00IqgRE/s1600/Queen+Victoria+closer.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Victoria</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /> </span>"The Sovereign
had become the symbol of the Empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
the Queen's Jubilees in 1887 and in 1897 India and the colonies had been
vividly represented in the State celebrations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Crown was providing the link between the growing family of nations
and races which the former Prime Minister, Lord Rosebery, had with foresight
christened the Commonwealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disraeli's
vision and Chamberlain’s enthusiasm had both contributed to this broadening
Imperial theme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Queen herself was
seized with the greatness of her role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She sent her sons and grandsons on official tours of her ever increasing
dominions, where they were heartily welcomed." (p.294)</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Churchill's take on
several of the American conflicts did not strike me as overly interesting, with
exception of his take on the American Civil War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill had no sympathy with the "Lost
Cause" of the South; however he did have a respect for Virginia's position
and admire Robert E. Lee for his principled stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of his view is very traditional and he
gives a good blow by blow account of the conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is one position he takes that I found
just amazing: he admired the military mind of George B. McClellan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of those things that I would
really like to talk to him about if I had a time machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I consider McClellan to be something of a
joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mediocre commander who was
better at making speeches than fighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churchill thought otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqP0uXM2XqU4eMlupqNw93femhEkSAiwQqPoci0_hK5NH-Z2-JCERTUURLW-znUasQf-AYpVtmrIf6lXsHWHouVrG2jPezx-AmfzmYn9im8A-ar1a1mrCLLFe0SiYRIN6_vh922s/s1600/Robert+E.+Lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="111" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqP0uXM2XqU4eMlupqNw93femhEkSAiwQqPoci0_hK5NH-Z2-JCERTUURLW-znUasQf-AYpVtmrIf6lXsHWHouVrG2jPezx-AmfzmYn9im8A-ar1a1mrCLLFe0SiYRIN6_vh922s/s200/Robert+E.+Lee.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchill had a rather traditional view of Lee: principled man with the wrong principles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /> </span>"If these two
Presidents had let McClellan and Lee fight the quarrel out between them as they
thought best the end would have been the same, but the war would have been less
muddled, much shorter, and less bloody." (p.170)</span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJVg7Vej5AB3aPdKUniXItsVKvspzKOsrXgKLMXEhR-PSmf3_tFjVOtT5LPkPLyXsHwbPVtcuPqUchgZC56eji5SwNWEzbcaO1s4DszSiwVZpZEuKdIVSAiAt77MXsBleyDcGgFo/s1600/Gen+McClellan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJVg7Vej5AB3aPdKUniXItsVKvspzKOsrXgKLMXEhR-PSmf3_tFjVOtT5LPkPLyXsHwbPVtcuPqUchgZC56eji5SwNWEzbcaO1s4DszSiwVZpZEuKdIVSAiAt77MXsBleyDcGgFo/s1600/Gen+McClellan.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">General McClellan, Churchill's views on him are outright bizarre </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span> Now that I have reached
the end of the series I must say that I am a little disappointed that we didn't
get into the World Wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The series was
excellent, but really learned anything new but I am some who is well read on
the subject anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the work is
a good 101 look into British history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The series has a much stronger focus on events after 1485 than before
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book is also an easy read not to
bogged down in vocabulary, Churchill's personality strongly comes through you
feel as if he is in the room with you explaining these events to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also want to make a small note on capitalization;
I much prefer Churchill's style with words such as king, president, minister,
general, etc. to be capitalized when referring to an actual person. ("The
King mounts his horse." as opposed to "The king mounts his
horse.")<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-16421730637910766322020-01-01T22:29:00.000-05:002020-01-07T18:20:02.782-05:00RIGHT OF REVOLUTION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmPUx78EPUssrKEARgf9orKO30pIalY1wvGCp-yALYvw8ZpfjVrtQNTuhsjPGuCS9R2S1X7hJLZ4S2TTi4krbn3AgN0NZkKaoD9yrNjCmjeVC2eqU3iouKJEzdqB88bQKf4Xulao/s1600/Age+of+Revolution+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmPUx78EPUssrKEARgf9orKO30pIalY1wvGCp-yALYvw8ZpfjVrtQNTuhsjPGuCS9R2S1X7hJLZ4S2TTi4krbn3AgN0NZkKaoD9yrNjCmjeVC2eqU3iouKJEzdqB88bQKf4Xulao/s1600/Age+of+Revolution+Cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A review
of Winston Churchill’s <i>The Age of Revolution</i> (1956)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part of
the <i>A</i> <i>History of the English-Speaking Peoples</i> series<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Rating 4 of 5)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Churchill’s
<a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-start-of-britain.html" target="_blank">first volume</a> in this series covered thousands of years (pre-history to 1485),
his <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2019/12/brave-new-world.html" target="_blank">second </a>covered only two hundred four (1485-1489), and this volume only
covers one hundred twenty-six (1689-1815).
Yet in this limited space of only three hundred pages Churchill covers
the War of Spanish Succession, the War of Austrian Succession, the Seven Years’
War, American Revolution and War of Independence, and the French Revolution and
Wars of Napoleon. Those are some pretty
large topics. As I mentioned in the two
previous reviews the most fascinating part about reading Winston Churchill’s
history is he is such an important historical figure himself that it leaves
everything with an added weight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> He
begins where he left off in the <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2019/12/brave-new-world.html" target="_blank">last volume</a>; King William III is establishing
his new government in England. Churchill
shows the King as being frustrated with England’s lack of enthusiasm
for international adventures. England is also becoming less enthusiastic about their new Dutch monarch. Politicians in the Kingdom would go back in
forth from supporting the monarch on the throne to the pretender over sea based on their
own circumstances. Churchill explained that William tolerated this out of
necessity, he had no heir and the people would naturally want to protect
themselves if his government fell. His
successor, Queen Anne, was even more tolerant of what could be viewed as
treason. Of course Churchill shows her as even more conflicted about her own place on the throne to judge harshly others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamWsyk5YiWPUNd_kMqyQof3G4rR9uCGIitD_26ukgRcNlEokYZHaKJQk4sm1f2yMgvnwQImVOPGKhLvI-zM_hRFodFOxdNZTqiNMk2gRsfFrJdpCdntQPQ0SQ8lHH9Ep-kIuy2S8/s1600/William+III.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamWsyk5YiWPUNd_kMqyQof3G4rR9uCGIitD_26ukgRcNlEokYZHaKJQk4sm1f2yMgvnwQImVOPGKhLvI-zM_hRFodFOxdNZTqiNMk2gRsfFrJdpCdntQPQ0SQ8lHH9Ep-kIuy2S8/s1600/William+III.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William III the Dutch King of England</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Queen Anne felt herself in her
inmost conscience a usurper, and she was also gnawed by the feeling that she
had treated her dead father ill. Her one
justification against that self-questionings was her absolute faith in the
Church of England. It was her duty to
guard and cherish at all costs the sacred institution, the maintenance of which
was bound up with her own title and the peace of the realm. To abdicate in favor of her Papist brother
would be not only to betray her religion, but to let loose the horrors of civil
war upon the land she ruled, loved, and in many ways truly represented.” (pg.
38)</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNT95hFKas3RsG4xgw1rr4NObIMw8wDj9SyLg1_bfnDEYIt-lZM1otr1y28K3ojVE_oyty-Fo0j32nxIZiJEr0TGZXQYTdLRBNQkxnLXOQ7q6kJWiL8J3sHXHa1WdqzkAAyDIBxz4/s1600/Queen+Anne+of+England.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNT95hFKas3RsG4xgw1rr4NObIMw8wDj9SyLg1_bfnDEYIt-lZM1otr1y28K3ojVE_oyty-Fo0j32nxIZiJEr0TGZXQYTdLRBNQkxnLXOQ7q6kJWiL8J3sHXHa1WdqzkAAyDIBxz4/s1600/Queen+Anne+of+England.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Anne, conflicted on the throne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Churchill
clearly enjoys writing about his famous ancestor John Churchill, the Duke of
Marlborough. He actually wrote a whole biography on him. Churchill writes about his
ancestors, the Duke and Duchess, and their contemporaries as if he personally
knew them. I assume he had to have
access to some of his ancestor’s documents and must also know of personal
family stories. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLjKnkwee_v-JYF7oHFGuuBMVOVpuyqxpVZG0gZWaOtfOvROaJK4y2sG7vmnY_YCKeA6R6DFMb7pMlirBAfaFb9YBNFQtCiafjEEUe5CuEnu6bXube4JhSq1V9DHuMTK3oInGfvU/s1600/Marlborough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLjKnkwee_v-JYF7oHFGuuBMVOVpuyqxpVZG0gZWaOtfOvROaJK4y2sG7vmnY_YCKeA6R6DFMb7pMlirBAfaFb9YBNFQtCiafjEEUe5CuEnu6bXube4JhSq1V9DHuMTK3oInGfvU/s1600/Marlborough.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchill's favorite ancestor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Marlborough’s reign was ended. Henceforward he had to serve. His paramount position in Europe and with the
armies made him indispensable to either party as long as the war continued. First he served the Whigs and afterwards the
Tories. He served the Whigs as
plenipotentiary and General, later he served the Tories as General only. His great period from 1702 to 1708, was
over. There still remained three
difficult campaigns, upon a scale larger than any yet seen; but he no longer
had control of the policy which alone could render fruitful the sombre
struggles of the Army.” (pg. 64)</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> With
the end of Queen Anne arrives Great Britain’s modern royal family, the
Hanoverians—though nowadays they call themselves the Windsors. The German speaking King George I was not
interested in the day-to-day workings of government, he was only concerned with
the final actions. Robert Walpole would,
in the reigns of Kings George I and II, single-handily create the office that
Churchill himself would one day serve.
Although he made the office, Walpole did not invent the title. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“By his enemies Walpole was now
mockingly called the ‘Prime Minister’—for this honourable title originated as a
term of abuse. The chances of a
successful Opposition seemed to be gone forever. ” (pg. 98)</span></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAEMbRSDDrC1IUiHjv7g-oFaEGzh1BlGvqsB-A3Uo96JF0JIr4CAmdWFkNMaVV4ZSzGWVF4XYZfFNAVEewFntbqlvhN0STJmU4xyzhsqOhfncG9HVFBPqJ-NRVDyJ0iqiVDp1jJk/s1600/Robert+Walpole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAEMbRSDDrC1IUiHjv7g-oFaEGzh1BlGvqsB-A3Uo96JF0JIr4CAmdWFkNMaVV4ZSzGWVF4XYZfFNAVEewFntbqlvhN0STJmU4xyzhsqOhfncG9HVFBPqJ-NRVDyJ0iqiVDp1jJk/s1600/Robert+Walpole.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Walpole, called "prime minister" as an insult and the name stuck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Walpole
might have been the first prime minister, but it was William Pitt the Elder,
who would be the first person called to that office by a popular mandate and
getting power through the support of the House of Commons. Churchill clearly admires Mr. Pitt, and I
would guess he would feel some sort of bond for Churchill calls the Seven Years’ War
that Pitt waged to be the true first world war.
Considering the role Churchill would play in those twentieth conflicts
he would naturally feel a connection between himself and the early prime
minister. He might also see a connection
with Pitt’s son William Pitt the Younger for the role he would play in the
Napoleonic Wars. </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Whether Pitt possessed the
strategic eye, whether the expeditions he launched were part of a considered
combination, may be questioned. Now, as
at all times, his policy was a projection on to a vast screen of his own aggressive,
dominating personality. In the teeth of
disfavor and obstruction he had made his way to the foremost place in
Parliament, and now at last fortune, courage, and the confidence of his
countrymen had given him a stage on which his gifts could be displayed and his
foibles indulged.” (pg. 124)</span></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zpaqR4Wb09H7nJ4W99Ub00fEibPbHibl3MEfVEh_8d-nwvisxLiuarkE3l_MtbyHujEXeTqQHNXli_E4sk_bBqGqYdhSblVAAgMnQLwNM9fVKS987u7c-Lw4FShiLXrmjMG4zXg/s1600/William+Pitt+Sr..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zpaqR4Wb09H7nJ4W99Ub00fEibPbHibl3MEfVEh_8d-nwvisxLiuarkE3l_MtbyHujEXeTqQHNXli_E4sk_bBqGqYdhSblVAAgMnQLwNM9fVKS987u7c-Lw4FShiLXrmjMG4zXg/s1600/William+Pitt+Sr..jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Pitt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> When
discussing the American Revolution Churchill gets quite interesting with his
writing. His father was British but his
mother was American, he once joked before Congress that if it had been the
other way around, he would have probably have stood at that podium on his own
merit. When discussing the Revolution he
takes a bit of a pro-American side, but he is quick to remind his readers of
the conflict that took place of both sides of the Atlantic. There were of course loyalists in America,
but there were also those in Britain and in the British Parliament who strongly
supported the cause of the Revolutionaries and felt that “no taxation without
representation” was a good excuse to take a look at Parliamentary reform at
home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the Revolution was over and the
former colonies, now the United States of America, put together a
constitution. Churchill would find that
the U.S. Constitution was one of the great accomplishments of the
English-Speaking Peoples. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Of course, a written constitution
carries with it the danger of a cramping rigidity.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">What body of men, however farsighted, can lay
down precepts in advance for settling the problems of future generations?</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The delegates at Philadelphia were well aware
of this.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">They made provision for
amendment, and the document drawn up by them was adaptable enough in practice
to permit changes in the Constitution.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">But it had to be proved in argument and debate and generally accepted
throughout the land that any changes proposed would follow the guiding ideas of
the Founding Fathers.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">A prime object of
the Constitution was to be conservative; it was to guard the principles and
machinery of State from capricious and ill-considered alteration.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">In its fundamental doctrine the American
people acquired an institution which was to command the same respect and
loyalty as in England are given to Parliament and Crown.” (pg. 210)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> As
I noted throughout this review the best part of reading Churchill’s history is
get to get his take on other historical figures. His writing on George Washington is basic but
nevertheless really interesting. After
all it can be argued that Washington dealt the biggest blow to the British
Empire in history, the Empire that Churchill himself held dear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“George Washington holds one of the
proudest titles that history can bestow.
He was the Father of his Nation.
Almost alone his staunchness in the War of Independence held the American
colonies to their united purpose. His
services after victory had been won were no less great. His firmness and example while first
President restrained the violence of faction and postponed a national schism
for sixty years. His character and influence
steadied the dangerous leanings of Americans to take sides against Britain or
France. He filled his office with
dignity and inspired his administration with much of his own wisdom. To his terms as President are due the smooth
organization of the Federal Government, the establishment of national credit,
and the foundation of a foreign policy.
By refusing to stand for a third term he set a tradition in American
politics which has been departed from by President Franklin Roosevelt in the
Second World War.” (pg. 283-284) </span></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWqepvi3g279CLuDrcoYAV7U_4DpZXRP-f06Adcea_MG_bvtid425bmYZhd3ymmfOVrnHUN3L9XmadoEgUbLFjcOMsypNBUiw1NG4CN4zI7mnuJflhewRbJzgGuKb6WRQ7TAqUuQ/s1600/George+Washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="123" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWqepvi3g279CLuDrcoYAV7U_4DpZXRP-f06Adcea_MG_bvtid425bmYZhd3ymmfOVrnHUN3L9XmadoEgUbLFjcOMsypNBUiw1NG4CN4zI7mnuJflhewRbJzgGuKb6WRQ7TAqUuQ/s200/George+Washington.jpg" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Washington</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When discussing the Napoleonic Wars
I did not find anything particularly unique on his views. Since it was reality recent—historically
speaking—I was hoping for more of a contrast between these wars and the wars
the Churchill had to deal with in his own time.
I suppose I might see more of that in his next volume. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In closing I must say that this was a great
follow up to the other two volumes. He tries
to cover a great deal of ground in very few pages but he does it rather well. </span>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-18432618712625403592019-12-24T12:36:00.000-05:002020-01-07T18:20:38.263-05:00BRAVE NEW WORLD<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCNoLXZSJea-EaBD1k83eaeZzEOzwVJR3VOTTrHbIrRg5QUFuhU-40-yDqhOLsUaCQEGqL-6787J9U2Y_bXaGhZSSSzz4Fwrez2Xy7ZW3RDDu3SIXl1jhTYPf-WYWBkcwhVcAsJs/s1600/The+New+World+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCNoLXZSJea-EaBD1k83eaeZzEOzwVJR3VOTTrHbIrRg5QUFuhU-40-yDqhOLsUaCQEGqL-6787J9U2Y_bXaGhZSSSzz4Fwrez2Xy7ZW3RDDu3SIXl1jhTYPf-WYWBkcwhVcAsJs/s1600/The+New+World+Cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A review
of Winston Churchill’s <i>The New World</i> (1956)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part of the <i>A</i> <i>History of
the English-Speaking Peoples</i> series<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(Rating 4 of 5)</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Churchill’s
first volume, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-start-of-britain.html" target="_blank">The Birth of Britain</a>,</i>
covers thousands of years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This second
volume covers only a little over two centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What a few centuries it was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
book begins with the rise of Henry VII and the Tudor dynasty and ends with the
fall of James II in the Glorious Revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In this volume the English monarchy rises to its highest of heights
achieving near absolute power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three
great Tudors Henry VII, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I were magnificent monarchs
whose power went unquestioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their
feeble replacements, the Stuarts, would struggle to hold onto what they had
inherited and the monarchy would fall to its lowest states with one king being
executed and another dismissed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churchill captures all with magnificent style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I noted earlier the best part about
reading Churchill’s work is you get to see how a famous historical figure views
other historical events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvK0dVhpVB_-YpSAcolb3Zci-LEi_2zg_26v35U9Xl17smAvsSu5Y56vyA3H1Fn2BryDR_UoYe0YpdyIvJnffuRqon-3wK4pl7nhmohG6UErpmIfCo5fFQF0w8OvZ0sdJ2YXfsWII/s1600/Henry+VII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvK0dVhpVB_-YpSAcolb3Zci-LEi_2zg_26v35U9Xl17smAvsSu5Y56vyA3H1Fn2BryDR_UoYe0YpdyIvJnffuRqon-3wK4pl7nhmohG6UErpmIfCo5fFQF0w8OvZ0sdJ2YXfsWII/s1600/Henry+VII.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry VII</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>The
book begins with the aftermath of the War the Roses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With his new crown, King Henry VII, picks up
the pieces of the short-lived York dynasty and sets the foundations of a
powerful monarchy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During his reign
Henry gave the reputation of being a something of a miser, but doing this help
stabilize his regime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill notes
that although he was nice famous as some of his European cousins his
achievements were no less impressive. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“His achievement was massive and
durable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He built his power amid the
ruins and ashes of his predecessors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
fiercely and carefully gathered what seemed in those days a vast reserve of
liquid wealth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He trained a body of
efficient servants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He magnified the
Crown without losing the cooperation of the Commons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He identified prosperity with monarchy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among the princes of Renaissance Europe he is
not surpassing achievement in fame by Louis XI of France or Ferdinand of
Spain.” (pg.20)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
any historian writes about King Henry VIII they all follow the same trap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you talk about?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Henry VIII had a lot of legitimate
achievements during his reign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He set
the foundation that would lead England on the road to become a modern
state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, we think of Henry is hard
not to go over the six wives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only the
first three are important those marriages and how they ended change the road
England would be on forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill
does a good job covering the reign despite his limited space. (After all he
still has over two centuries to cover with only a couple hundred pages to do
it.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Henry’s rule saw many advances in
the growth and character of the English state, but it is a hideous blot upon
his record that the rain should be widely remembered for its executions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two Queens, two of the King’s chief
Ministers, a saintly Bishop, numerous abbots, monks and many ordinary folk who
dared to resist the Royal will were put to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost every member of the nobility in royal
blood ran perished on the scaffold at Henry’s command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roman Catholic and Calvinist alike were
burned for heresy and religious treason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These persecutions, inflicted in solemn manner by officers of the law,
perhaps in the presence of the Counsel or even the King himself, <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">form a </span>brutal sequel to the
bright promise of the Renaissance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sufferings of devout men and women upon the faggots, the use of torture, and
the savage penalties imposed for even paltry crimes, stand in repellent
contrasts the enlightened principles of humanism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get his subjects to not turn from Henry in
loathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He succeeded in maintaining
order amid the turmoil in Europe without Army or police, and he imposed on
England a discipline which was not attained elsewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A century of religious wars went by without
Englishmen taking up arms to fight their fellow-countrymen for their
faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must credit Henry’s reign with
weighing the basis of sea-power, with a revival of Parliamentary institutions,
with the giving of the English Bible to the people, and above all with
strengthening a popular monarchy under which the seating generations worked
together for the greatness of England while France and Germany were wracked
with internal strife.” (pg. 66)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMXqdvPeBDvxCh9Sgx22mCbvg0mWuqtS054QHVCBEueXDbgvC3WG38s2i4oeti8x-dF1YRocbpYpWXB2NqH-rJW9vyvmZ6GdZrS-Dz8tQH1NilvcDi05ZVkS3O3wicJ4WfYn3ET0/s1600/Queen+Elizabeth+I+two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMXqdvPeBDvxCh9Sgx22mCbvg0mWuqtS054QHVCBEueXDbgvC3WG38s2i4oeti8x-dF1YRocbpYpWXB2NqH-rJW9vyvmZ6GdZrS-Dz8tQH1NilvcDi05ZVkS3O3wicJ4WfYn3ET0/s320/Queen+Elizabeth+I+two.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Elizabeth I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span> Like
any good English patriot Churchill has a warm spot for the year 1588 the defeat
of Spanish Armada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an important
victory from England, they were only all half an island against the great
imperial power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arguably, the threat the
Spanish represented was a greater threat to England as a threat Churchill
himself faced in his own time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite
his feelings he doesn’t go overboard with the legend, as fun as it would be to
tell the story of the smashing of the great Spanish fleet he realizes history
does not always work like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nevertheless, it was crowning achievement for Queen Elizabeth I.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“The English had not lost a single
ship, and scarcely 100 men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But their
captains were disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the last
thirty years they believe themselves superior to their opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had now found themselves fighting a much
bigger fleet than they had imagined the Spaniards could put the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their own ships have been sparingly
equipped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their ammunition had run short
at a critical moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gunnery of the
merchant vessels had proved poor and half the enemy’s fleet had got away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no postings; they record their
dissatisfactions.<br />
“But to the English people as a
whole the defeat of the Armada came as a miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For 30 years the shadow of Spanish power had
darkened the political scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A wave of
religious emotion filled men’s minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the metals strike to commemorate the victory bears the
inscription ‘Afflavit Deus et dissipantur’—‘ God blue and they were
scattered.’” (pg. 102)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_vs5JTHwxNSKeftUNdKCIbvjlbNjlXuFWNBJFWdU_7faIWCl25wjmOy3-ek3Fyq1wrexwKROnDNAswEo2wy1N-2ctu1spMiRf6NjGVUgVzfC7pJjZKmXoj3WsUNienVanqlSzFk/s1600/The+Spainish+Armada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_vs5JTHwxNSKeftUNdKCIbvjlbNjlXuFWNBJFWdU_7faIWCl25wjmOy3-ek3Fyq1wrexwKROnDNAswEo2wy1N-2ctu1spMiRf6NjGVUgVzfC7pJjZKmXoj3WsUNienVanqlSzFk/s1600/The+Spainish+Armada.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spanish Armada </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>As
England was getting to its feet the world the Europeans knew was expanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The voyages of Columbus opened up to new
continents that the people did not know existed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This created opportunity for the Europeans to
create colonies. For certain English subjects it represented the opportunity to
begin the world anew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who are
proud of their Englishness but found England unbearable due to whatever
corruption they viewed as inexcusable, such as the Puritans they no longer had
to hang out in Holland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They now
had the opportunity to build their own version of England in the form of a
colony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his previous work the
English-speaking peoples they were just one people confined to one island, now
they were many expanding across the globe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was this phenomenon that Churchill gives the books title.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
first half of the book covers the English monarchy at its highest; in the
second half we could see it at its lowest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Queen Elizabeth I died without heir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The crown of England passes to the King of Scotland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King James VI becomes King James I and moved
from Edinburgh to London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill had
some fun poking fun at this joke of a dynasty in his last volume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Stuarts come to England they do not
get any smarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill portrays
these sovereigns as being out of touch with reality and not up to the task of
governing England.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNvu_0cimEsFmEwIEusConUYOMlPW0LWlAHSe4KRQFal1g6Q4if5KpHEcFQe4mOAeS3UCv7uyZy_kbcpNI4AvDlXBmONCOAhACHJpcxDZbnKoX7_md94i3mwoc4ckQoBbRT5Ox3s/s1600/King+James+I+of+England.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNvu_0cimEsFmEwIEusConUYOMlPW0LWlAHSe4KRQFal1g6Q4if5KpHEcFQe4mOAeS3UCv7uyZy_kbcpNI4AvDlXBmONCOAhACHJpcxDZbnKoX7_md94i3mwoc4ckQoBbRT5Ox3s/s1600/King+James+I+of+England.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King James I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“James and his Parliaments grew
more and more out of sympathy as the years went by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Tudors have been discrete in their use of
the Royal Prerogative and had never put forward any general theory of
government, but James saw himself as a schoolmaster of the whole island.” (pg.
120)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Despite
his flaws, I personally have some sympathy for King Charles I and it appears in the
book that Churchill does as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
always found Cromwell to be an utter hypocrite and his regime to be more
tyrannical than any king ever dreamed of being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While reading this book it seems Winston Churchill was of the same
opinion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndT1kp7bSR89k3fBfQIljLuZZhnJRnoxp2FfXx2NbNJYkVOUS2NhT1UfzxDtFui1JSVCJ99-M7M1SpQL3ByrtbvQPWHhdc7kQPlXENfLNpq300BRdXyVsi2VZTaIyOS7RvCNKShQ/s1600/Charles+I+of+England.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndT1kp7bSR89k3fBfQIljLuZZhnJRnoxp2FfXx2NbNJYkVOUS2NhT1UfzxDtFui1JSVCJ99-M7M1SpQL3ByrtbvQPWHhdc7kQPlXENfLNpq300BRdXyVsi2VZTaIyOS7RvCNKShQ/s1600/Charles+I+of+England.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Charles I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2W_2R2A-QAkUSD33gL0yTpGRobbaedyKkJQX1aLMBFfdcSLjbtbTPYRxeVgyEb4ZsiSB484t9QtDGMmoN16okngicJaS2nIWgHw4H1-XFs6_kA2G-jEbT40oY1YkahCBEAEYU3U/s1600/Oliver+Cromwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2W_2R2A-QAkUSD33gL0yTpGRobbaedyKkJQX1aLMBFfdcSLjbtbTPYRxeVgyEb4ZsiSB484t9QtDGMmoN16okngicJaS2nIWgHw4H1-XFs6_kA2G-jEbT40oY1YkahCBEAEYU3U/s1600/Oliver+Cromwell.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oliver Cromwell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We must not be led by Victorian
writers into regarding this triumph of the Ironsides end of Cromwell as a kind
of victory for democracy and the Parliamentary system over Divine Right and Old
World dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the triumph of some
twenty thousand resolute, ruthless, disciplined, military fanatics over all
that England has ever willed or ever wished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Long years in unceasing irritations were required to reverse it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus the struggle, in which we have in these
days so much sympathy in part, begun to bring about a constitutional and
limited monarchy, had led only to autocracy of the sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The harsh, terrific, lightning – charged
being, whose erratic, opportunist, self- centered course is laid bare upon the
annals, was now master, in the next 12 years of the record of well – meant,
puzzled plungings and surgings.” (pg. 212)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Earlier
in this book we see King Henry VIII sending everyone and anyone including his
own ministers and two of his queens to the scaffold to have their heads cut
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a completely different turn of
events a King of England is sent to his death in the very manner that his
predecessor had imposed onto others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet this King, who many fought against him under the banner of fighting
against tyranny, would be viewed as a martyr for liberty.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“A strange destiny had engulfed
this King of England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None had resisted
with more untimely stubbornness the movement of his age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had been in his heyday the convinced
opponent of all we now call our Parliamentary liberties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet as misfortunes crowd upon him he
increasingly became the physical embodiment of the liberties and traditions of
England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His mistakes and wrong deeds
had arisen not so much for personal cravings for arbitrary power as from the
conception of kingship to which she was born it was along with the settled
custom of the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end he stood
against the Army which had destroyed all Parliamentary government, it was about
to plunge England into a tyranny at once more irresistible and more petty than
any seen before or since.” (pg. 216)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After the fall of the protectorate,
Churchill tells the story of how the monarchy was restored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The king in exile, Charles II, was simply invited
back by his people and not retuning at the head of conquering army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a Stuart, King Charles II was not that
bad of a ruler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was fairly competent,
unlike his younger brother, the Duke of York, who would succeed him as king, ruling
as James II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite his historical
importance Churchill tells the story of the Glorious Revolution very
quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expected it would be more
detailed considering the involvement of his famous ancestor, the Duke of
Marlborough.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I found this book to be a great
summary of two chaotic and messy centuries in the history of Great
Britain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It tells a story of a powerful
dynasty that rises and dies off, a Scottish dynasty which unifies the kingdoms,
and a civil war that tore the nations apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a brief and great read. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-29274848909936011562019-12-21T12:12:00.000-05:002019-12-21T12:14:12.014-05:00THE START OF BRITAIN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrv_W_RYEuw0U3OYvaWlP27dSwP8ELnHokMTk0KaeOm-GArKrXBt-D_-XYKFZSnbFNmWlNx-wHjTs6wisJbbkqKAm0a2yugxX8-gI2IfST-Jy9USPV8hKW8G1NEJz4SaREB1OvcaU/s1600/The+Birth+of+Britain+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrv_W_RYEuw0U3OYvaWlP27dSwP8ELnHokMTk0KaeOm-GArKrXBt-D_-XYKFZSnbFNmWlNx-wHjTs6wisJbbkqKAm0a2yugxX8-gI2IfST-Jy9USPV8hKW8G1NEJz4SaREB1OvcaU/s1600/The+Birth+of+Britain+cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A review
of Winston Churchill’s <i>The Birth of Britain</i> (1956)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Part I of
the <i>A</i> <i>History of the English-Speaking Peoples</i> series <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
(Rating 4 of 5)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I
always find it fascinating to read the works of great historical figures.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Most of such work that I have read is
autobiographical in nature: the historical figure discussing his own life
and/or events that he had taken part.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This is a little different.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here
Winston Churchill is not talking about events that he took part in (at least
not yet) he is instead discussing the history of his nation, people, and their
legacy.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What it interesting is reading a
historical figure of Churchill’s stature commenting on the historical figures
of the past and </span>critiquing<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> on how they did.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The history depicted in this volume
is at very 100 college level. I did not learn anything new but again I am here to
listen to Churchill’s take on these events rather than learning about the
events themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill has a very
traditional outlook on past historical events he does not challenge the
traditional narrative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does tend to
take some time explaining the importance of Magna Carta and tackles some of the
charges against King Richard III.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
books focus is rather broad but then it has to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It covers everything from prehistory to King
Henry VII establishing the Tudor dynasty of England.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Churchill takes the classical view
that the Roman Empire was the height of Western Civilization and nothing to the
coming of the Enlightenment could equal its grandeur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill points out numerous technological
advantages the Roman Britons had that their descendants would not for over a
millennia and a half, such as running water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was surprised with the amount of time he dedicated to Roman Britain
that he just brushed over Constantine, who had made his bid to rule the Roman
world in Britannia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His little made up
example of a Roman Briton waking up in modern (1939) Britain is quite
amusing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“If a native of Chester in Roman
Britain could wake up today he would find laws which were the direct
fulfillment of many of those he had known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He would find in every village temples and priests of the new creed
which in his day was winning victories everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed the facilities for Christian worship
would appear to him to be far in excess of the number of devotees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not without pride would he notice that his
children were compelled to learn Latin if they wished to enter the most famous
universities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He might encounter some
difficulties in the pronunciation. He would find in the public libraries many
of the masterpieces of ancient literature, printed on uncomely cheap paper and
in great numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would find a
settled government and the sense of belonging to a world-wide empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could drink and bathe in the waters of
Bath or if this were to far he would find vapor baths and toilet conveniences
in every city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would find all his own
problems of currency, land tenure, public morals and decorum presented in a
somewhat different aspect, but still in lively dispute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would have the same sense of belonging to
a society which was threatened, and to an imperial rule that had passed its
prime.” (pg. 31)</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS_fhnrp2FEZqqNHSMjtWFHpIQZ9yErgtfLl5cDYvlqOxngKz_cxnCGJO860sQRbT0b7ojawpsbzA-TprzopekQqj9oMsteI_N5wRuUdtV_HcrR3wXg9Nfh1FIjBb4ekfV3M22GM/s1600/Roman+Army.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTS_fhnrp2FEZqqNHSMjtWFHpIQZ9yErgtfLl5cDYvlqOxngKz_cxnCGJO860sQRbT0b7ojawpsbzA-TprzopekQqj9oMsteI_N5wRuUdtV_HcrR3wXg9Nfh1FIjBb4ekfV3M22GM/s1600/Roman+Army.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Civilization high point, Rome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Moving
on from the Romans to Anglo-Saxon England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churchill covers the various little Kingdoms that quarrel with each
other and ultimately form into England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He discusses figures that he admires such as King Alfred, who had to
fight off numerous Viking invasions of England. Churchill also credits Alfred
for being, what Churchill considers to be, the founder of the English Navy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
Anglo-Saxon era comes to crashing end with the most important event in English
history in the last thousand years: the Norman Conquest.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Winston Churchill is very important to the
history of England, but even he would have to say however that William the Conqueror is
the most important.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I in writing this
review in English and you using English to talk to your friends give evidence the Norman Conquest
happened. As in the influx of French words into the </span>language<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> that would turn Old English to Middle English, the </span>ancestor<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> of the language we speak today. England would become more main
land European than Scandinavian.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">William
would also from a new type of feudalism that would keep fiefs small and allow
no one powerful baron to challenge him.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">From Churchill’s perspective it was William’s setup however that would ultimately
allow freedom to flourish.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“In the Norman settlement lay the
germ of constitutional opposition, with the effect if not the design of
controlling the Government, not breaking it up. The seat of potential
opposition was found in the counties, among the smaller nobility and their
untitled descendants, Justices of the Peace and the knights of the shire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were naturally for the Crown and a quite
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence after centuries they rallied
to the Tudor sovereigns; and in another age to the Parliament against the Crown
itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever else changed they were
always <i>there</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the reason why
they were there is that William found the old West Saxon organization, which
they alone could administer, exceedingly convenient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did not mean to be treated as he had
treated the King of France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had seen,
and profited by seeing, the mischief of a country divided into great
provinces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little provinces of
England, with the King’s officers at the head of each, gave him exactly the
balance of power he needed for all the proposes of law and finance, but were at
the same time incapable of rebellion as individual units.” (pg.28)</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvTV_yXYAu__RN8WxYp6R1XtLnMXonY79S3JKsK9f4IW9zvOBTrcpcXpdTsI5buiVHDng8ByV2FZcErCkOwHTvAoaSNbVENk34nmDlzLuTL6_4UDla_vt00wCETIvtN5zgTq5vgs/s1600/Norman+Tapestry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvTV_yXYAu__RN8WxYp6R1XtLnMXonY79S3JKsK9f4IW9zvOBTrcpcXpdTsI5buiVHDng8ByV2FZcErCkOwHTvAoaSNbVENk34nmDlzLuTL6_4UDla_vt00wCETIvtN5zgTq5vgs/s1600/Norman+Tapestry.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norman invasion </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> When
going over the early Plantagenets I found points of disagreement with Mr.
Churchill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I think there is no
historical figure more overrated the Richard the Lionheart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard was an absentee king who spent more
time crusading badly than he spent in England, where he was for less than a
year of his reign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill praises
this guy to no end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, is with
Magna Carta, another event I find completely overrated, a reactionary document
that was nullified the next day, and praised for generations afterward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was done to undermine King John, who I
find to have been a better king than his brother and due the circumstances of
the events of his reign I find to have a sympathetic figure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think John was just trying to do his job.
Churchill sees John as useful because his flaws led to constitutional
developments that made his reign important to history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC3SxY2_sv53ievGNXbH7NG90kyn7zYibdpH7vpSc2x35r1sN15it57gt9FVZVAhXWz3fTP9j1HCCuV4mhD_FvntXNl8U5hItXUbp4eEC9byf3AhbRYa3GHrvBvD_GNlSUisK4RM/s1600/Richard+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC3SxY2_sv53ievGNXbH7NG90kyn7zYibdpH7vpSc2x35r1sN15it57gt9FVZVAhXWz3fTP9j1HCCuV4mhD_FvntXNl8U5hItXUbp4eEC9byf3AhbRYa3GHrvBvD_GNlSUisK4RM/s1600/Richard+I.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the most overrated historical figures ever, but Churchill's hero</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“In the thirteenth-century magnate
understood little and cared less for popular liberties or Parliamentary
democracy, they had all the same laid hold on a principle which was to be of
prime importance for the future development of English society and English
institutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the document it
is implied that here is a law which is above the King and which even he must
not break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reaffirmation of supreme
law and its expression in a general charter is the great work of Magan Carta;
and this alone justifies the respect that men have held it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reign of Henry II, according to the most
respected authorities, initiates the rule of law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the work was of yet incomplete: the Crown
was still above the law; the legal system which Henry had created could become,
as John showed, an instrument of oppression.” (pg.188) </span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
middle Plantagenets—the three Edwards—Churchill considers the formation of the
early Parliaments to be the most important achievements of these reigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Edward I for establishing and using it for
lawmaking, and Edward III for making sure that the House of Commons
existed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
these chapters I found myself disappointed that Churchill never gives us an
explanation to exactly why King Edward Longshanks is called “Edward I” despite
the fact that there were three kings named Edward before him and one of them he
was named after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Churchill never seems
to notice; maybe he was embarrassed that the traditional historians of his
nation have trouble counting once they get up to “3.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ap-6WaUkHsIRpxvmBZgnB2S6qdhlrf8OAp8yp-keSLJVWnItW4remZwThp6V4Q_f1gKadXMGYJwhy9XxnUwWFVjXQ1SBJkzSapNR3Xa8_diYetjiVK4x6a8a1sDvotF7dMcipwI/s1600/Edward+I+number+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ap-6WaUkHsIRpxvmBZgnB2S6qdhlrf8OAp8yp-keSLJVWnItW4remZwThp6V4Q_f1gKadXMGYJwhy9XxnUwWFVjXQ1SBJkzSapNR3Xa8_diYetjiVK4x6a8a1sDvotF7dMcipwI/s1600/Edward+I+number+1.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why is he "Edward I"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Naturally the Commons stood in awe
of the Crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no long
tradition of authority behind them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
assertions of the royal prerogative authority in the days of Edward I still
echoed in their minds, and there was no suggestion that either they or
Parliament as a whole had any right to control or interfere in matters of
administration and government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
summoned to endorse political settlements reached only in violence, to vote
money and to vote grievances, but the permanent acceptance of Parliament as an
essential part of the machinery of government and the Commons as its vital
foundation is the lasting work of the fourteenth century.” (Pg. 263)</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3RZlNRw5PJXiVhELyXfoWwlgpoH-gM_YZK73K29hFzHbI1O0ME2GEWady-y4am8kuSFwCtIzlbrlVMN0aLFXwcDY7AXlLr69Ubtn9VgYWpTtZqliHxHpWasgWhoHBa1P0TB9lrI/s1600/Edward+III.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3RZlNRw5PJXiVhELyXfoWwlgpoH-gM_YZK73K29hFzHbI1O0ME2GEWady-y4am8kuSFwCtIzlbrlVMN0aLFXwcDY7AXlLr69Ubtn9VgYWpTtZqliHxHpWasgWhoHBa1P0TB9lrI/s1600/Edward+III.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward III who established the Houses of Parliament </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Toward
the end of the book we run through the War of the Roses and get to the fall of
the last Plantagenet King, Richard III, toppled by Henry Tudor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot has been said about King Richard III he
has his own society that exists to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(I once wrote a bit of science fiction and had an editor who happened
to be a member of this group.) Churchill takes the traditional position that
Richard killed his nephews after usurping the crown of Edward V.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, Churchill acknowledges some of things
Richard is accused of are absurd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not only is every possible crime
attributed by More to Richard, and some impossible ones, but he is presented as
a physical monster, crook backed and withered of arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one in his lifetime seems to have remarked
these deformities, but they are now very familiar to us through Shakespeare’s
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, as soon as the
Tudor dynasty was laid to rest defenders or Richard fell to work, and they have
been increasingly busy ever since.” (pg. 354)</span></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3NEnj-guGwWdpOGKEv1xdkleG35XpijVigrwaR4fTiiU1PprZqIdhv770SsyZKVNXpVwd9jBjNCs_5Qusd9Oy5HIvOMXVQZkCfQMG-Kg763O7pCnwGDZhb_RIOHSGFE15GtcHng/s1600/Richard+III.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3NEnj-guGwWdpOGKEv1xdkleG35XpijVigrwaR4fTiiU1PprZqIdhv770SsyZKVNXpVwd9jBjNCs_5Qusd9Oy5HIvOMXVQZkCfQMG-Kg763O7pCnwGDZhb_RIOHSGFE15GtcHng/s1600/Richard+III.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard III, guilty but not of everything</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The first volume of Churchill’s <i>English
Peoples</i> series covers a very broad scope, but it lets you know Churchill’s
view on many subjects of his nation’s past from prehistory to 1485, in what
Western historians refer to as the beginning of the modern period. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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</div>
Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-14970739529304275592019-12-12T23:06:00.000-05:002019-12-20T19:57:29.226-05:00FROM LOATHED LIAR TO REVERED ELDER STATESMAN <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1U5fBcnWwuPQeVC59kLsBxwnBogg-qfb7S1tvdBQUpw5Ejkrj67RZMKQIBWNTNNo6MsQCEetvwLfLGvTImvAg7B-B1AsjG4zB9G6UMaWa5BgvtJvlWhJCa5rkvEfPZ8Wx7A9AOg/s1600/After+the+fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1U5fBcnWwuPQeVC59kLsBxwnBogg-qfb7S1tvdBQUpw5Ejkrj67RZMKQIBWNTNNo6MsQCEetvwLfLGvTImvAg7B-B1AsjG4zB9G6UMaWa5BgvtJvlWhJCa5rkvEfPZ8Wx7A9AOg/s320/After+the+fall.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
A review of Kasey S.
Pipes’s <i>After the Fall: The Remarkable
Comeback of Richard Nixon</i> (2019)<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
(Rating 4 of 5)</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In
addition to writing my book reviews on this blog, I will afterwards publish
copies on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com.
The difference of course is those copies of my reviews don’t come with
pictures and video links. This July I
was contacted by Jennifer Duplessie of Regnery Publishing. She had seen my review
of <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/journey-to-dark-side.html" target="_blank">Conrad Black's <span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white;">A Life in Full: Richard M. Nixo</em><em style="background-color: white; color: #555544;">n</em> </span></a>and wanted to
know if I would like to have a new book to review and offered this one to me
for free on the condition that I review it.
I then googled Regnery Publishing to see what they are all about was and
was very amused to learn that they were a right-wing publishing company that
produces a lot of conservative- leaning
works from Republican Party officials and right-wing commentators. I said I was amused because they clearly had
no idea what my politics were. Just
because I like someone’s biographical work does not mean I would agree with them
on all their political positions or even most of them. But hey, free is free and I might enjoy
reading something written by the other side and taking it apart. So I said "yes" and received it in the mail a week later. However I was still slogging through Winston
Churchill’s World War II memoirs (reviews on that to follow) so was unable to
get to it right away. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I began
reading this book two weeks ago, reading a chapter or two a day. I have to say I was really glad I did. It is actually a very good book. It offers a view into a period of the life of
President Richard M Nixon that is not often covered. Richard Nixon’s political career and
presidency is arguably one of the most studied in the 20<sup>th</sup>
century. The only President of the
United States who is forced to resign.
The resignation and helicopter trip that the Nixons took after being
escorted by his successor President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford is
usually the end of the story. The pardon
is spoken of but mostly in passing. Traditionally the narrative ends with Nixon waving goodbye. In this book that is where the story begins: a
disgraced President beginning to look for his road to redemption. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pipes
‘s writes with a smooth narrative that is easy to follow and understand. The book is broken down to chapters with the
first third dedicated to Nixon crawling back into the public consciousness with
a series of carefully placed moves that allows him to slowly convince the
American public to give him another try.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before
he would begin his public rehabilitation he would first have to survive. Shortly after his resignation Nixon had a
health scare that Pipes’s shows nearly killed him and did causing great
financial damage as he had no health insurance at the time. This would add to President Nixon’s financial
desperation which would be part of the later motivational fuel to get himself
reestablished. Now this particular part
of Nixon’s life I had read about before as it was covered in <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/imperiled-presidency.html" target="_blank">Bob Woodward’s <i>Shadow</i>.</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWg_UmusXaeiIDPlOqimITc8-edOLQ9iSw5Zod61Gpf-woh5CW2345gbeviIe0PI3v9vDmmdNYyqJMDKd3DkJ2ahaD7tJ5dQY-A_BaEB2w9Cu3c_a9QLXz6RiT1jk2paTxw3jOX4/s1600/Nixon+in+library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWg_UmusXaeiIDPlOqimITc8-edOLQ9iSw5Zod61Gpf-woh5CW2345gbeviIe0PI3v9vDmmdNYyqJMDKd3DkJ2ahaD7tJ5dQY-A_BaEB2w9Cu3c_a9QLXz6RiT1jk2paTxw3jOX4/s1600/Nixon+in+library.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nixon in his post presidential office</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then we
arrive at the Frost/Nixon interview. These
were a mixed back for Nixon. It did give
him an opportunity to tell his side of the story and it was the first attempt
to go public again trying to shape the historical narrative of his presidency.
Pipes writes that Nixon was a tad bit ill-prepared for the questions on
Watergate. While the Frost/Nixon
interviews were being done, Pipes explains Nixon had recently been working on
his memoirs and he had just gotten to Watergate. He was now re-exploring those memories going
over the materials that led to his downfall.
Therefore he was not as well versed in everything that was encompassed
by Watergate as Frost was. This leading
into his stumbled statement of “when the president does it that means not
illegal.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Despite
its flaws in the interview that he gave David Frost the exposure would start
Nixon on his trajectory toward recovery.
He would go on to write nine books, give more interviews, and become a
foreign policy adviser for several administrations, not limited to his own
party, up until his death. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7lOI75BSZNHrTrknXuIKaxNHDI-Ru_tOEOv89QTImyxHof6wWDXkF59eSFOEUhVFzIGVbTEFwJQuir2rg4espmhcOMJhbpcMtvZIIBBB0ZSawu_8BzUZdjOSKmJ-ed4b8Embtxo/s1600/Three+former+presidents+visit+Reagan+White+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7lOI75BSZNHrTrknXuIKaxNHDI-Ru_tOEOv89QTImyxHof6wWDXkF59eSFOEUhVFzIGVbTEFwJQuir2rg4espmhcOMJhbpcMtvZIIBBB0ZSawu_8BzUZdjOSKmJ-ed4b8Embtxo/s1600/Three+former+presidents+visit+Reagan+White+House.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nixon returns with two other former Presidents to see President Reagan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> James Buchanan, who when he left office in
1861 did so with the country being torn in two, in an effort to redeem himself
in the public eye wrote and published his memoirs establishing a precedent that
most future former presidents would follow.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">When Herbert Hoover left office in 1933 with the country in the middle
of a severe economic depression, in an effort to redeem his image he would
establish the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">He was the first president to do such a thing
who would then be followed by all subsequent presidents.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Now Nixon forced to resign in 1974 was going
to create a new type of post-presidency that would be mimicked by his
successors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-fyaNhipBdfWNivjNNCMo88-4TJ7h52PnlTVkRqau6waXGJjuDi8fTn5SCogkDgbBkzzbZ2_6iBksIJQ-NcRJLWsKaE7BmKruYRh9_CT-RTYdK-T4oD4mz9oZX12gzERZzIsd7U/s1600/JBuc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-fyaNhipBdfWNivjNNCMo88-4TJ7h52PnlTVkRqau6waXGJjuDi8fTn5SCogkDgbBkzzbZ2_6iBksIJQ-NcRJLWsKaE7BmKruYRh9_CT-RTYdK-T4oD4mz9oZX12gzERZzIsd7U/s200/JBuc.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Buchanan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaczLGPma7vRUYU5jKS_3pcTYJBLf9wJnzy5SBP5hQXJOFdKKlAXex0agRo-hAlttp3CotdBF1vDtjKlpoURl0c4BFyuP8ZRlrztSI1J2wK67BThT_CKxk2h6qigvAq2nS8o39ts/s1600/Herbert+Hoover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="100" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaczLGPma7vRUYU5jKS_3pcTYJBLf9wJnzy5SBP5hQXJOFdKKlAXex0agRo-hAlttp3CotdBF1vDtjKlpoURl0c4BFyuP8ZRlrztSI1J2wK67BThT_CKxk2h6qigvAq2nS8o39ts/s200/Herbert+Hoover.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herbert Hoover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“In fact, in the first ten years
following Watergate, Nixon had done more than just survive as a former
president—he had unknowingly established a template for future ex-presidents to
follow. Before Nixon, former presidents
in the modern era mostly stayed behind the scenes, Truman had returned to Missouri
and Ike split his time between his farm in Gettysburg and Gettysburg and
summers in Palm Springs. Neither of them
made many public appearances or waded into public issues.<br />
“But Nixon, largely because he
wanted to rehabilitate his name—and in any case was never one for
retirement—chose a different path. He
made money from delivering speeches and writing books. He gave interviews with the media in which he
tried to shape public opinion on important national issues. He became something of an elder
statesman. The Nixon template is the
template used by former presidents to this day.” (p.170)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pipes
describes a former president, who is always thinking of history’s judgment, and
is working to make sure that the narrative that its very minimum would give him
a fair shake. It was a virtual guarantee
that his presidency was to be studied he wanted to make sure that it was going
to be studied in all its aspects and he would try to influence this by
befriending and is sometimes recruiting historians to take up his cause.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“The former president went out of
his way to encourage any historian he didn’t think was a liberal. One of his favorites, a former Dole Senate
staffer named Richard Norton Smith, burst onto the scene in the 1980s with a
biography on Thomas E. Dewey that became a finalist for the Pulitzer. Nixon would write to Smith and compliment him
as an ‘honest historian.’ It’s a telling remark that demonstrates how Nixon
viewed the rest of Smith’s colleagues.” (p.179)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Nixon would even go so far not only
to recruit a historian by the name of Jonathan Aitken , personally edit his
work for him, and then go off and try to pitch the manuscript to various
publishers. This was a hard sell because
of its clear bias. There was one
publisher willing to help him out. Any
criticism I do have of this work by Pipes is right here. For this is a little bit of shameless
promotion because the publisher of this book, Regnery, is the publisher that
would ultimately pick Nixon’s biography written by his chosen biographer. Talk about being part of your own story!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Nixon had feared that a book
favorable to him could not win a contract in New York. So he planned accordingly. Having the book published was more important
to Nixon than who published it. He urged
Aitken to pitch his book to Regnery, the conservative publishing house in
Washington. Aitken did so and found
success.” (p. 245)</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
My favorite part about the book is
how Pipes shows Nixon’s relationships with the five presidents who followed him
into the White House. Nixon was still
underground when Ford was in office; he actively worked to replace Carter; was
a semi-formal advisor to Reagan until they broke over arms reduction; was cool
to Bush; and surprisingly he was very warm with Clinton. The Clinton one is the most surprising, but
in some ways understandable both presidents were students of history and could
see past political differences. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5QWHl2137__yF78waJkR8k3jSc2UgigsYbQfOPK-XNyvIW33dVAbVBj6IRJaVuIFnmG48T_GVor6lIfAaqnsoJJIsf1qikwv6zk6-qTZJzXplFhyphenhyphenOYCWf4ipvQkCUs1kZ7EQtDI/s1600/Nixon+and+Clinton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5QWHl2137__yF78waJkR8k3jSc2UgigsYbQfOPK-XNyvIW33dVAbVBj6IRJaVuIFnmG48T_GVor6lIfAaqnsoJJIsf1qikwv6zk6-qTZJzXplFhyphenhyphenOYCWf4ipvQkCUs1kZ7EQtDI/s1600/Nixon+and+Clinton.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Clinton with an unlikely mentor </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The only other thing that I felt
was missing from this book was there was no mention of President Nixon acting
as the arbitrator to settle a strike of professional umpires union against Major
League Baseball. The fact that those in
power baseball, which is America's past time, felt that he was the person to turn to help resolve one of their
most important issues of the day I think is a major statement about how President
Nixon was now viewed by the public.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3yh0RvZyq49sGu33tD248oeUjNLjcq9EZVLQXk5lXEPdgci0zHh4vgx7-xBDPIvM3l4ScQ7gXuDwqP-ENTmHskO1q_hOBuE_zmqTzomm19cB7YseopcbC67hXWpGdt-yM2HdvsY/s1600/Nixon+funeral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3yh0RvZyq49sGu33tD248oeUjNLjcq9EZVLQXk5lXEPdgci0zHh4vgx7-xBDPIvM3l4ScQ7gXuDwqP-ENTmHskO1q_hOBuE_zmqTzomm19cB7YseopcbC67hXWpGdt-yM2HdvsY/s1600/Nixon+funeral.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scene from Nixon funeral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> In
the end I do strongly recommend this book is a fascinating study and a new look at one of the 20<sup>th</sup> century’s most important political figures
facing a unique challenge and rising to that challenge with great success. President Nixon’s career is one of peaks and
valleys and thanks to his tireless efforts he assured for himself that when he
died he did so on top of a peak. Now
that I read the book I enjoyed it to the point where I regret that I did not
get to it right away as it was given to me by the publisher. However with holidays only weeks away and you
are struggling gift idea for that history buff in your life this might be a
good one. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">{YouTube videos from CBS Network and </span></span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #0d0d0d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2achselhaare}</span></span>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-17480945848479160802019-06-24T01:57:00.001-04:002022-07-14T19:10:05.487-04:00Game of Thrones is Over So Who was Actually a King or a Queen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is for people who
have seen the series Game of Thrones in its entirety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of you who did not this is your
only warning…Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers…
Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers… Spoilers…
Spoilers… Spoilers.</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
So the hit series Game of Thrones has
come to an end and the fans are up in arms to the point one starts to question
if they actually liked the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
to admit the end was kind of disappointing. I thought it was either going to be
Jon kills Daenerys and takes the Iron Throne to rule as King Aegon VI returning
the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to their glory days or Daenerys was going to kill Jon
and rule as a Queen of the Kingdom of Ashes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first is the ending I wanted but the second I thought we were going
to get and deserved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course I
thought when Ned Stark went to the scaffold I was about to witness a dramatic
rescue scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
The ending we got something I was
completely not expecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The most important part</span> involved the two
primary charters that the series seemed to have centered around. Daenerys still
died at Jon’s hands but instead of assuming the Iron Throne Jon went the back
to what was left of the Wall and then, as far as I can tell, went to go live
with the free folk north of the Wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros the North breaks away and the remaining
six are suddenly transformed into the Holy Roman Empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I did not see that last part happening.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
On this blog I normally review
history books and every now and again give a political opinion about
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However since George R.R.
Martin bases so much of his fictional world, stories, and characters on real
historical events and people it might be fun to take a look at Game of Thrones
from that perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the
series several characters laid claim to have been a king or a queen, the
question I thought to answer would be how many of those characters would actual history
books view as having been such?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who
would make the official list of monarchs of their various kingdoms when professional historians, students, and armatures looked back at events centuries later?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With that said let’s take a look. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Robert Baratheon<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Prior to series start<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURZYN-1s3sTIT4V1LyyDibg5iJlMFd_vJzW3cLuZUCnhkgR4glQRk7sCJko-Sy3ru_huutfuTpXYcQPnDqWf_y_X2mPdocg6KNhHB-7Za9j69-jznL7s7Z88m5bXoURGNVxpt_tY/s1600/Robert+Baratheon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURZYN-1s3sTIT4V1LyyDibg5iJlMFd_vJzW3cLuZUCnhkgR4glQRk7sCJko-Sy3ru_huutfuTpXYcQPnDqWf_y_X2mPdocg6KNhHB-7Za9j69-jznL7s7Z88m5bXoURGNVxpt_tY/s1600/Robert+Baratheon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Robert Baratheon was far and away the most successful king in the series</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Robert Baratheon was first born son of the Lord of Storms
End, a position that was one of the great lords paramount of Westeros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a Baratheon he was closely related to the
Targaryens. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ancestor Orys Baratheon was the bastard
brother of Aegon the Conqueror and more recently his paternal grandmother was a
daughter of King Aegon V.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert
inherited his father’s title while he was still a boy when his parents were
killed in a shipwreck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord Robert then
went to live with the Jon Arryan, the Lord of the Vale, as a ward to learn from
him how to be a great lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There he met
Eddard Stark, second son of the Lord of Winterfell, who became his lifelong
best friend.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
When his attended Lyanna Stark ran off with Rhaegar Targaryen, Lord Robert believing that she had been kidnapped, or refusing to believe the
truth, rebelled against King Ares II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Known as the Mad King, Aerys II had killed Rickard and Brandon Stark
making Ned Stark the Lord of Winterfell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jon Aryyan joined an alliance with his former wards against their King.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert never gets Lyanna back but he kills
Rhaegar and wins his rebellion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
Mad King dead by Jamie Lannister and the Mountain killing Rhaegar’s family
Robert ascends to the Iron Throne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Robert’s claim is one of the greatest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is even superior to that a king’s
first-born son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the claim my big
army beat your big army.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was won by
King Aegon I can by lost by King Aerys II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although King Robert did not like to see it that way, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in his mind the rebellion was not his fault
but a natural reaction to events where he as the victim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King Aerys II and the rest of the Targaryens
fell from power naturally and he was the rightful heir being a great-grandson
of Aegon V.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course discovering
Aerys’s other two children were still alive killed that narrative and he started
to plot murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A good real life example is England’s King Henry IV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He overthrew his tyrant cousin King Richard
II and claimed the throne for himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like Robert, Henry saw the rebellion as being not his fault but rather
he was the victim of events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And also
like the fictional Robert, the real Henry tried to pretend that he was the
natural heir to the throne, but in the end he really ruled by right of
conquest.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPynXrezoNHlyRoge8Dt8rzMJ1DH8YXBhsEYaZosdjewK4NYgjCuDTz1ekicCnzZtoSO-zQUHxtLzFGC-LtufY74n21dT68wGflZoSZLYilnDOzZ1NH1bdG_8ehE_qbYdFc-tRlnM/s1600/Henry+IV+of+England.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPynXrezoNHlyRoge8Dt8rzMJ1DH8YXBhsEYaZosdjewK4NYgjCuDTz1ekicCnzZtoSO-zQUHxtLzFGC-LtufY74n21dT68wGflZoSZLYilnDOzZ1NH1bdG_8ehE_qbYdFc-tRlnM/s1600/Henry+IV+of+England.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Henry IV of England the real life Robert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the entire series Robert is the strongest and most secure
king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He reigns for almost two decades;
he successfully puts down counter rebellions or secessionists, and all former
houses that stood for House Targaryen have had to make their peace with
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time of his death King
Robert I was the undisputed ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and clearly on any
historians list.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Viserys Targaryen<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Prior to series start<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmaiGw5CqnrgO1g9kC1CTIOMgjsxVM3N5hNu7Jo4iuhEh_h_3cSRcVFLNZ86oJjb6Rp03XvRmfvHeok7sSx253n_pqNyEWkRrC-UQdbh0Vcj6oTaGbjQhxV6CY9LGgYnY8njJ7eE/s1600/Viserys+Targaryen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmaiGw5CqnrgO1g9kC1CTIOMgjsxVM3N5hNu7Jo4iuhEh_h_3cSRcVFLNZ86oJjb6Rp03XvRmfvHeok7sSx253n_pqNyEWkRrC-UQdbh0Vcj6oTaGbjQhxV6CY9LGgYnY8njJ7eE/s1600/Viserys+Targaryen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The story of Viserys Targaryen: Woulda Coulda Shoulda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEF2jTrj-QqAx_yedUkbdMCwMwhr_JpnTrbHAQBGP5RHP23usTzVIg5MfaFEUXq0pz2s18iOjEFrD5_Wlvo6FF-CZlRQ8-09o-ELuAKygCHwWKdIKq2yLfjt65t-3RIyfqFXASIzs/s1600/old+pretender.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEF2jTrj-QqAx_yedUkbdMCwMwhr_JpnTrbHAQBGP5RHP23usTzVIg5MfaFEUXq0pz2s18iOjEFrD5_Wlvo6FF-CZlRQ8-09o-ELuAKygCHwWKdIKq2yLfjt65t-3RIyfqFXASIzs/s1600/old+pretender.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Pretender by rights should have been the King of England and who Viserys reminded me the most of.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This one might surprise people and I myself had to wait to
very last episode before making this call. Now the first reaction might be “but
this guy never really ruled how can he possibly be on any list”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True many would/should have been kings typically do not make any official list just look at the Old and Young Pretenders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However history has seen some would-be rulers
recognized as legitimate monarchs; a great example is France’s King Louis
XVII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Louis XVII was a child whose
parents, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, were overthrown and killed during the French Revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He himself never ruled and died in the
custody of the revolutionaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
the fall of Napoleon the dead child’s uncle re-claimed the French crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new King called himself Louis XVIII, thus
recognizing his nephew’s legitimacy.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrac74GmLUNevv0BCglH4lmaiDikUcnvMIlAbhN2W_9g8FMZscDKwnv4UuaS67Exv0MdI3NMZ7CGds_CNVLW15lu17S7cm4wQeJA59cGKGHIfr2iRd74_251rkBAkS4Vi7bnEA4UA/s1600/Louis+XVII.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrac74GmLUNevv0BCglH4lmaiDikUcnvMIlAbhN2W_9g8FMZscDKwnv4UuaS67Exv0MdI3NMZ7CGds_CNVLW15lu17S7cm4wQeJA59cGKGHIfr2iRd74_251rkBAkS4Vi7bnEA4UA/s1600/Louis+XVII.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Louis XVII of France, never on the Throne but on the list</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Born the second son of King Aerys II, Viserys spent his
early childhood as a prince and the spare heir to the Kingdoms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When his brother fell before Robert and King’s Landing was about to fall, his father the King declared Viserys his heir
and sent him with his mother, Queen Rhalle, to be smuggled out of Westeros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The </span>Queen crowned Viserys when they heard of the death of his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She died giving
birth to his sister Daenerys, and the two children lived as beggars on in off in
Essos. Viserys survives, makes friends, and even has allies strong enough to arrange a marriage alliance for his sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> However time in exile causes him to </span>crack and become abusive towards his
sister. In the end he is murdered by his own brother-in-law.<br />
<br />
Like little Louis, it the success and the establishment of
another relative, in this case his sister (see Daenerys section), that keeps
Viserys III on a historians list of Westeros monarchs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Balon Greyjoy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Prior to series start<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: No</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnN8bGjfuR_kpYt76qmV3rrVbgcPGNgWjdkYdAXGhK3secO1DJNZ2XKbIDhwMVs4lCLGQD7GShuyTZVZJYnLF3RkVE7-6KWl6sfaE8Sq0JM-T6EwqIUS0d4PgAeGl9qVBvyMcPvDY/s1600/Balon+Greyjoy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnN8bGjfuR_kpYt76qmV3rrVbgcPGNgWjdkYdAXGhK3secO1DJNZ2XKbIDhwMVs4lCLGQD7GShuyTZVZJYnLF3RkVE7-6KWl6sfaE8Sq0JM-T6EwqIUS0d4PgAeGl9qVBvyMcPvDY/s1600/Balon+Greyjoy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balon Greyjoy, first in line a losers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First the Greyjoys were never kings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even back when the Iron Islands had their own
independent monarch it was not the Greyjoys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The last true King of the Iron Islands burnt in castle he built in Riverlands
when Aegon the Conqueror torched it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That wiped out the last ruling family and the Targaryens eventually allowed the
Iron Islanders to select a new lord. They chose the Greyjoys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Robert Baratheon overthrew the Targaryens, Balon
wondered whether they should be loyal to the Iron Throne with a different
family now controlling it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Balon
declared independence for the Iron Islands and crowned himself king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Robert Baratheon showed up with his army
and navy and kicked the snot out of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Towers were torn down and his older sons were killed and his youngest
sent to live with Ned Stark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Balon survived because he bent the knee to King Robert reestablishing the Iron Islands' connection of the Iron Throne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As civil war breaks out among Lord Balon sees this as an
opportunity to assert his independence again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once more proclaiming himself King of the Iron
Islands he is approached by his long lost son Theon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Theon offers him an alliance with Robb Stark
against the Iron Throne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Balon wants to
pay the iron price for his independence and learning nothing from his previous
mistakes he convinces Theon if he truly wants to be iron born he must turn on
the North.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sends his last son on a
mission that was pointless where Theon got captured and his dick was cut
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That ended the ability for Balon to
continue the family through a male line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He still had his daughter Yara who he liked better anyway, but she left
to go find her brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the war Balon is somewhat independent but that is just
because no one is paying attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His own
brother shows up and throws Balon's worthless self of a bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> At the end of</span> the series Yara Greyjoy is in left in
charge of Iron Islands but not as an independent queen but a lieutenant for a
greater ruler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the ability to
establish his own independent kingdom, Balon goes down in history as a petty
lord who thought he was a king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Mance Rayder<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Prior to series start<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Maybe<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDmnEMjGONahQoFY0jTbU5I7n8_UwC9vtjNtP0DfSp9VLkyVZsf0yA98eRYtIyIiVEnHyOrRG0pRAtPJJFgfuuvuRfO97Ep2HoGrjN-OHfBZghM1EDc5in0-8uhqOv_ai_aa5SvA/s1600/Mance+Rayder.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDmnEMjGONahQoFY0jTbU5I7n8_UwC9vtjNtP0DfSp9VLkyVZsf0yA98eRYtIyIiVEnHyOrRG0pRAtPJJFgfuuvuRfO97Ep2HoGrjN-OHfBZghM1EDc5in0-8uhqOv_ai_aa5SvA/s1600/Mance+Rayder.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mance Rayder, one of history's great kings if Wildlings learn to read and write</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hate to sound really mean here but this one totally
depends on how literate the free folk are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mance Rayder a former member of the Night’s Watch who defected to the
wildlings and ultimately united the tribes to earn himself the title “King
Beyond the Wall.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing is though
does anyone know how many Kings beyond the Wall they have had?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems the only ones who may ever recognize
Mance as a king may be the descendants of his adversaries to south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe Jon Snow taking the title at the end
might help change some things up north of the Wall in regards to literacy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sam is not there though,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so I doubt it. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Daenerys Targaryen</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
Queen: Season 1 Episode 6<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVLRvIeYM0sPt0N0ONunmbgDzyJCdueQV5ehU8aQHl0FhGrize61jzpJrvjdRXBcTmEtP4xrqXpstcMW1o_VPtjeaCp3Z0RDMnRcKbQrlz9f8K3upMs0bxa7B8jc1N3y3oOyYG8g/s1600/Daenerys+Targaryen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVLRvIeYM0sPt0N0ONunmbgDzyJCdueQV5ehU8aQHl0FhGrize61jzpJrvjdRXBcTmEtP4xrqXpstcMW1o_VPtjeaCp3Z0RDMnRcKbQrlz9f8K3upMs0bxa7B8jc1N3y3oOyYG8g/s1600/Daenerys+Targaryen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Daenerys, everyone's favorite until those last few episodes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For eight years the fans of Game of Thrones got to watch
Daenerys Targaryen go from scared exiled princess to young kalessi to strong
queen to mad tyrant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That last one was a
little hard for most of us to take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did not mind the result just the execution at the end was far too rushed. However was she a true queen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
answer is yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one she was
indisputably the Queen of Meereen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
second harder question is should she have been recognized as a Queen of Seven
Kingdoms?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an argument for her
not to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can point out that she
died so shortly after winning everything that she never had time to really be
the queen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However there are two things
one needs to consider. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is she
did, however briefly, rule it all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
second is she made a couple of appointments that would outlive her reign: Yara
Greyjoy and Gendry Baratheon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGWOltvH-ww-livCxhWNuJ9A-_ddRMm6KoFTml_DAqKu9Csac9kq-Mf-HMHk3RG3coe794Om8PqwsZ1j6arZi25MegsEPbdJC_7n5QkLSUZjNsdlWEk65PI90dPTgxGxAVuLVLDY/s1600/Yara+Greyjoy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGWOltvH-ww-livCxhWNuJ9A-_ddRMm6KoFTml_DAqKu9Csac9kq-Mf-HMHk3RG3coe794Om8PqwsZ1j6arZi25MegsEPbdJC_7n5QkLSUZjNsdlWEk65PI90dPTgxGxAVuLVLDY/s1600/Yara+Greyjoy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Appointed Lady of the Iron Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After losing the Iron Islands to her uncle Yara Greyjoy
bends the knee to form an alliance with Daenerys in order to win them
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With House Baratheon now extinct Daenerys
decides to legitimatize King Robert’s bastard and give him the family
titles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Houses Targaryen and Baratheon
were very close in the beginning and marrying in a number of times after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet Baratheons betrayed the Targaryens usurping them and depriving them of the Iron Throne they had built and sat on for centuries. Ironically Daenerys death and Jon Snow not accepting his legacy the Targaryens are now extinct
but the Baratheons were saved by one the two acts of Daenerys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgtz1xzb1iCwM1siQ49IbTfFsYxeGdzI3LYeMwUY1ee6iWRRUese62TYCrvZY5JbDncZrQnRILOmNpaVIanm7EGzJz8i22ocIOTF1wvcsCfMxjwKLVAPcJDKRBPCyNhEaoAAyqYk/s1600/Gendry+Baratheon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgtz1xzb1iCwM1siQ49IbTfFsYxeGdzI3LYeMwUY1ee6iWRRUese62TYCrvZY5JbDncZrQnRILOmNpaVIanm7EGzJz8i22ocIOTF1wvcsCfMxjwKLVAPcJDKRBPCyNhEaoAAyqYk/s1600/Gendry+Baratheon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Appointed Lord of Stroms End</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the Great Lords met at the end of the series Lord
Gendry and Lady Yara were both among and recognized by them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by acknowledging the legitimacy of those two they were by
default acknowledging the legitimacy of Daenerys Targaryen.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Joffrey Baratheon</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Season 1 Episode 7 <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuY8fu9cqK9Evt5RAzTx6IoNkxB0EWjgev-wRuho6OHfoA19Cdi6gbNowAe3EFiGG_K5NuVhXL1A8fFcXG7JQJPdjebGdbpo22FQwZaoBHb8ltSQl8QZWi1yYDb50QQ4VjhCefkQ/s1600/Joffrey+Baratheon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuY8fu9cqK9Evt5RAzTx6IoNkxB0EWjgev-wRuho6OHfoA19Cdi6gbNowAe3EFiGG_K5NuVhXL1A8fFcXG7JQJPdjebGdbpo22FQwZaoBHb8ltSQl8QZWi1yYDb50QQ4VjhCefkQ/s1600/Joffrey+Baratheon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joffrey Baratheon the child of evil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As much as it may pain me to say it yes Joffrey would be
historically recognized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I can
hear the cry “but he is an incestuous bastard.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However some facts need to be taken into consideration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First legally speaking he is the son of
Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister for a husband always has presumed
paternity over his wife’s children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During his lifetime King Robert never challenged his presumed paternity
over Joffrey and his siblings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also
there is no way to really prove it short of public confession from Cersei or
Jamie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no such thing as a DNA test in Westeros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ned Stark’s recognition
that “Joffrey is a blond Baratheon” may have been right but only a broken clock
sense seeing it is actually a stupid argument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His mother’s family is predominately blond.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After his ascension Westeros plunged into civil war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However that war was won and when the dust
settled Joffrey was left sole ruler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite his mother’s so called “Queen Regent” title Joffrey did
primarily as he pleased as one could see with Ned Stark’s execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end the only way he could be removed
was with an assassin’s poison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Stannis Baratheon<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Season 1 Episode 8 <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: No<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vBRmf6c2Z3UKetb-Rxr3WBZsc6QLqvU72y8i7ZHKgs-QCguzlagQghIbDkIz_gX7VUITuSXO691WqXSXRb-vzMUV6_CSRkazAJhtCyWfjr1vOopuqPBXLu8UJpg8AM5xqu58vtY/s1600/Stannis+Baratheon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vBRmf6c2Z3UKetb-Rxr3WBZsc6QLqvU72y8i7ZHKgs-QCguzlagQghIbDkIz_gX7VUITuSXO691WqXSXRb-vzMUV6_CSRkazAJhtCyWfjr1vOopuqPBXLu8UJpg8AM5xqu58vtY/s1600/Stannis+Baratheon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stannis Baratheon, why did anyone like him?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes I know he didn’t show up on screen to season 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he been calling himself king the moment
he got the raven from Ned Stark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However
he never really becomes king. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has an
army and he tries to become king but he never does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stannis never controls any part of Westeros
outside of Dragonstone was far as I can tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He just keeps losing men and resources until he doesn’t have any anymore
and Brienne of Tarth does him a favor and puts him out of his misery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is a good thing that he did not become king because
Stannis wouldn’t have been a good one considering he is religious nut who
lights people for not having the same religion, even his allies and
relatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And since his is a minority
religion he would be burning a lot of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some might consider him a rightful king considering the true
parentage of Cersei’s children, however as I said there was no way to really
prove that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also being the rightful heir
doesn’t really mean much just ask the Bonnie Prince Charlie or Viserys
Targaryen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhR81iyX9e2Jg-lUYR9PK4rsz-EeN7d6dz6Dmjr3WMDpAcxlTvjbtJCmKsM9e-n2FkyJ5M_yqCXCylUjDuNXIgo-YSouKjvBl7-OSNyHBB6qK_Clivp5JZo5wed_mbhyOr2Ssxmg/s1600/young+pretender.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhR81iyX9e2Jg-lUYR9PK4rsz-EeN7d6dz6Dmjr3WMDpAcxlTvjbtJCmKsM9e-n2FkyJ5M_yqCXCylUjDuNXIgo-YSouKjvBl7-OSNyHBB6qK_Clivp5JZo5wed_mbhyOr2Ssxmg/s1600/young+pretender.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Young Pretender AKA The Bonnie Prince Charlie could tell Stannis how useful it was to be the rightful heir</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Renly Baratheon</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Season 1 Episode 7 <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: No<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4AYQ4ssWpkwUTs-V_Jpo4rhXZQU-fg4trRMbiorPJvQ_uhPtI4UZf1FyIbkxUqHjMRN41ytl7_K21T_KbuTj-2jZ31n-BtIDmPUBjL7nzXeW7yjIloBi1CopQOCe8WVYc26J-gI/s1600/Renly+Baratheon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4AYQ4ssWpkwUTs-V_Jpo4rhXZQU-fg4trRMbiorPJvQ_uhPtI4UZf1FyIbkxUqHjMRN41ytl7_K21T_KbuTj-2jZ31n-BtIDmPUBjL7nzXeW7yjIloBi1CopQOCe8WVYc26J-gI/s1600/Renly+Baratheon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renly Baratheon, the right and wrong choice at the same time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Renly was the only one of his brothers who had the right
head to be a good moral king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately he lacked the ruthlessness of his brothers to succeed in
the world of Game of Thrones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord Renly
should have arranged an assassination of his older brother Stannis the moment he
heard that King Robert was dying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without such ruthlessness he looked like a fool who had no real claim to
the Iron Throne as he was trying to seize it. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nevertheless it almost worked out for him, he kind or
reminded me of gay version of England King Henry I, the youngest son of William
the Conqueror who through great political skill ended up in control of his all
the dominions of his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However
Renly was killed by a shadow creature before he could really rule
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmk2mkQ40SG7riCDTe_0KM6-FEuh0UT8ZnesHO02YdT4nePjVhh3j-bDligiSMKMt159w_5J3qLKQ38omrWLq_JjdE-cxc_uh_VfhreFO34E7zmKAYLk4P1yIkjBddEj5K2kZ3ic/s1600/Henry+I+of+England.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmk2mkQ40SG7riCDTe_0KM6-FEuh0UT8ZnesHO02YdT4nePjVhh3j-bDligiSMKMt159w_5J3qLKQ38omrWLq_JjdE-cxc_uh_VfhreFO34E7zmKAYLk4P1yIkjBddEj5K2kZ3ic/s1600/Henry+I+of+England.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Henry I of England like Renly without being fictional, gay, and killed by shadow creature</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Robb Stark<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Season 1 Episode 10 <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOO77Vy4LQ5XMLE9lmZjZ9Krr8Bh3O2ZsX0vhHsgrDI9Raqbg5hKvmlRh9iWLB-sfwNfQJa6fGnHmrcgrzH7PrO4WMWgW8CDLfRlHrzOtFXes3RITYgcitvmmlDsRobtE9c0Vjavc/s1600/Robb+Stark.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOO77Vy4LQ5XMLE9lmZjZ9Krr8Bh3O2ZsX0vhHsgrDI9Raqbg5hKvmlRh9iWLB-sfwNfQJa6fGnHmrcgrzH7PrO4WMWgW8CDLfRlHrzOtFXes3RITYgcitvmmlDsRobtE9c0Vjavc/s1600/Robb+Stark.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robb Stark, we will never be over that episode</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the untimely end to a fan favorite character I have
to stay he would be historical recognized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is true even though his bid for the Northern Independence ended in
betrayal and his murder as well as several more murders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King Robb certainly earned the right to be
historically recognized through his great military prowess, but in the end that
was not what did it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Viserys
Targaryen, a man who earned no braids<a href="file:///F:/Documents/Game%20of%20Thrones%20is%20Over%20So%20Who%20was%20Actually%20a%20King%20or%20a%20Queen.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span face=""calibri" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>,
it was actually they success of little sister who gets him on the list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Sansa is an independent Queen in the
North at the end of the series Robb status as a historical King in the North is
secured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Tommen Baratheon</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Season 4 Episode 2 <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9L-keCzG2AkqnYKRmCO0X8kTTne9EvrGDxojn9mpT0yyHAaNDGYx8A23vMdcE3AH-759Mjhzbxfy34kXQVsAta6BOT_-tNbzhHLmDvFnDdSxoi3095JYYJPJZW0eKYaiimsV8fA/s1600/Tommen+Baratheon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9L-keCzG2AkqnYKRmCO0X8kTTne9EvrGDxojn9mpT0yyHAaNDGYx8A23vMdcE3AH-759Mjhzbxfy34kXQVsAta6BOT_-tNbzhHLmDvFnDdSxoi3095JYYJPJZW0eKYaiimsV8fA/s1600/Tommen+Baratheon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tommen Baratheon, worked hard to get people to miss Joffrey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After we happily saw Joffrey die we never thought we would
miss him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then this weak loser made
it clear that removing Joffrey was such a mistake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As bad as Joffrey was he would not have
allowed his fear of violence, as he had none so long as he was in control, to prevent him from crushing a
fanatical religious movement that ultimately kidnapped his brother -in-law,
wife, and mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stand by and do
nothing while they are tortured and humiliated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nor would Joffrey had given in to said movement like Tommen even though
it continued to harm those he cares for and put his mother in a desperate
position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Cersei finally struck
back it killed more people than would have died if King Tommen had just crushed
them the moment the sparrows first tried to block his path. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Best thing this loser ever did was throw himself out a
window. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Yara Greyjoy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
Queen: Season 6 Episode 5<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: No<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGWOltvH-ww-livCxhWNuJ9A-_ddRMm6KoFTml_DAqKu9Csac9kq-Mf-HMHk3RG3coe794Om8PqwsZ1j6arZi25MegsEPbdJC_7n5QkLSUZjNsdlWEk65PI90dPTgxGxAVuLVLDY/s1600/Yara+Greyjoy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGWOltvH-ww-livCxhWNuJ9A-_ddRMm6KoFTml_DAqKu9Csac9kq-Mf-HMHk3RG3coe794Om8PqwsZ1j6arZi25MegsEPbdJC_7n5QkLSUZjNsdlWEk65PI90dPTgxGxAVuLVLDY/s1600/Yara+Greyjoy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yara Greyjoy hit her head on the iron glass ceiling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we first meet Yara we do not know who she is and Theon
hits on her before being told she was his sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he meets his father it is clear to Theon
that Yara has replaced him as heir in his father’s eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To earn it back Theon betrays the Starks and
goes on a mission for his father that ends in his literal emasculation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Theon returns to partial recovered and more mature chooses to
support his sister’s claim, only to watch his sister hit the iron island glass
ceiling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite everything that happened
the Ironborn were willing to have Theon as their leader over his sister, which
means everything he went through was completely pointless!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
Theon throws his support to Yara their uncle Euron shows up, and despite him
having murdered the previous leader, is elected ruler.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yara does eventually does get the Iron Islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However she does so not as an independent
power but rather an agent of Queen Daenerys Targaryen and after her King Bran
Stark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Yara goes down in history as
the Lady of the Iron Islands not a queen.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Euron Greyjoy</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Season 6 Episode 5<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: No<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatTC1KDb6QmN6k2GjZWtZkGP_tGrP_emkd9IsEC7do3AQappNTe2LW4MzhmQsXsNrd_JyejDZak-xyPfArkqG0PrglPKZgS6qTSQaTp1yVz72QJCa-9lVom7kXnSA-skOSOYPWaY/s1600/Euron+Greyjoy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatTC1KDb6QmN6k2GjZWtZkGP_tGrP_emkd9IsEC7do3AQappNTe2LW4MzhmQsXsNrd_JyejDZak-xyPfArkqG0PrglPKZgS6qTSQaTp1yVz72QJCa-9lVom7kXnSA-skOSOYPWaY/s1600/Euron+Greyjoy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Euron Greyjoy might have been the best Greyjoy but still a Greyjoy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is one is rather easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After taking control of the Iron Islands and proposing a possible
marriage alliance with Cersei Lannister he could have possibly become a real
king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However the winners write history
and Euron, like all the Greyjoys, was a loser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Granted he was the most impressive member of his family and had some high
moments but, like a Greyjoy, a failure in the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Cersei Lannister<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
Queen: Season 6 Episode 10<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: I don’t know maybe?<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13Ho8HRzxTCMtjQRSoG6MEWpksGWgzo3EMLOT_ykoeys2XZAXygUwv75fcSDOKNPV8XzGgBoYNxxrydmMZ21x0gZ9DEZ08XHkLYMpTaKbOAsR82iqiVVJDWxCRbdRXzKNQIE204E/s1600/Cersei+Lannister.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13Ho8HRzxTCMtjQRSoG6MEWpksGWgzo3EMLOT_ykoeys2XZAXygUwv75fcSDOKNPV8XzGgBoYNxxrydmMZ21x0gZ9DEZ08XHkLYMpTaKbOAsR82iqiVVJDWxCRbdRXzKNQIE204E/s1600/Cersei+Lannister.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Cersei was interesting to the end</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the course of this series I often said that Cersei
Lannister could be considered the greatest political player in the game of
thrones if the world ended at the gates of Kings Landing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for her Westeros was a
continent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
Now Cersei is undoubtedly a
queen consort as she was married to King Robert for number of years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She played the role of queen mother for both
Joffrey and Tommen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although she called
herself “Queen Regent” that was a joke, she was never Regent over anyone seeing
as Joffrey did whatever he wanted and Tommen did whatever other people
wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now was she truly a Queen Regnant that is a
queen who rules in her own right?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Succeeding Tommen on the Iron Throne was somewhat
questionable to begin with because I am not sure what lawful claim she had to
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also I am not sure how widely it was
recognized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Tommen’s death
Highgarden, Dorne, and the North were in full rebellion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daenerys controlled Dragonstone and also the
Stormlands it would appear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it seems
just the Crown Lands and Casterly Rock recognized Queen Cersei.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually the Iron Islands when Euron came
to town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jamie took Highgarden but they
had to trade Casterly Rock, which may have been a good trade but then Daenerys
took Highgarden right back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yara also took back
the Iron Islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So where was Cersei
queen but Kings Landing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Jon Snow</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Season 6 Episode 10<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTIUyeU-3WO63Kflpq4tQrreuQ5rgMjj7jt_W-GRPpmM8n-Hzu9CNznQSS_8RmqvuRtckiCEyMGHxuM6HUCJLgGCVxE38tnQVW6jbaaduf8EmdzZycks4qtOzTfCE9jsT69nBtwc/s1600/Jon+Snow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTIUyeU-3WO63Kflpq4tQrreuQ5rgMjj7jt_W-GRPpmM8n-Hzu9CNznQSS_8RmqvuRtckiCEyMGHxuM6HUCJLgGCVxE38tnQVW6jbaaduf8EmdzZycks4qtOzTfCE9jsT69nBtwc/s1600/Jon+Snow.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon Snow he really did no nothing including his own name</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well we didn’t get to see Jon publicly recognize his lost
heritage and become King Aegon VI of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as Jon Snow, he was proclaimed by
his people to be the King in the North.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Granted it was a title he only held for a minute before bending the knee
to Queen Daenerys, but with young sister/cousin becoming Queen in the end he
will be recognized in the Northern Kingdom as one of their kings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also he might also now be King Beyond the
Wall, again historical recognition for that may dependent on the Wildlings
ability to read. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Sansa Stark</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
Queen: Season 8 Episode 6<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKmm8BQ6wLoHKJfndDuJOgWqW37FEhaPIrtPpXsd_ZbB2nrN6MYJ8n8A-kiJQkDll7m9sEbJvwxvB_NS7iK7AEsdxU2Du7Vh0GxAJ4MWpk1f7apjqvRwYkb5vRVUoCvfK-3srwiM/s1600/Sansa+Stark.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKmm8BQ6wLoHKJfndDuJOgWqW37FEhaPIrtPpXsd_ZbB2nrN6MYJ8n8A-kiJQkDll7m9sEbJvwxvB_NS7iK7AEsdxU2Du7Vh0GxAJ4MWpk1f7apjqvRwYkb5vRVUoCvfK-3srwiM/s1600/Sansa+Stark.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sansa Stark, winner in the end</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once upon a time Sansa was the one Stark I could not
stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet watching grow from pawn to
queen was one of the great arcs of the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did think it was odd that the moment they made her brother king she
decides that the North is seceding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would have thought the one thing to keep the North in their royal union would
be Stark on melted throne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as Eddard
Stark’s last son ascends Sansa says “we are out”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However at the end of the series we see
Sansa on her throne the established Queen in the North.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Bran Stark</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First claimed to be
King: Season 8 Episode 6<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Historically
recognized: Yes<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-O9jWHCH2QTDP0zy05XO7Sc0hJt7OtBIbYJiVpLxMcj9CuHOLxbVfd96C9JeUKVx5R22UlDj4wOwt66xblZrUMvGCHdMUn0pnBj_EDg6iHGHPaOSd6FbtmOGculOFisUVQf6LWuA/s1600/Bran+Stark.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-O9jWHCH2QTDP0zy05XO7Sc0hJt7OtBIbYJiVpLxMcj9CuHOLxbVfd96C9JeUKVx5R22UlDj4wOwt66xblZrUMvGCHdMUn0pnBj_EDg6iHGHPaOSd6FbtmOGculOFisUVQf6LWuA/s1600/Bran+Stark.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandon Stark Holy Roman Emperor, I mean King of the Six Kingdoms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who has a better story than Bran the Broken?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone whose story does not involve riding
on the back of Hodor whose running through a forest as they search for a
tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A story so exciting that it was
left out of an entire season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Which is okay is because know everything that happened to him that season. </span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Hodor"<br />
"No, that is not the right tree."<br />
"Hodor"<br />
"No, that is not the right tree, either."<br />
"Hodor"<br />
"I know this is forest but we need the right tree not just any tree!" </blockquote>
<br />
I cannot
think of another character whose storyline was more boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If given the choice between going over Bran’s
story again or reading his uncle Edmure Tully’s autobiography <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Search for Respect: One Lord’s Journey</i>,
with a forward written by the late Theon Greyjoy, I would learn more than I
ever wanted to know about the Lord of the Riverlands. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandon Stark AKA King Bran the Broken gets a reduced union
of kingdoms, demoted from seven to six.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The broken king gets a broken nation when his own homeland shows it's faith by leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p>Since we are told Bran cannot have children the remaining Kingdoms transform into a Westeros version of the Holy Roman Empire,
with Bran as the first elected monarch.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">HONORABLE MENTION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">THE NIGHT KING<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-W-B0uO99-6tUPygewhreT4nuVqPnIgGBwdIhXnvI8h9hCd5WtxdFmSTXYr0e3Gl_MDpNI2VGAclphNPM6uA6UPao3dpX26yqjg7KZFfo5aBuoX2BCOy0betq1nkN42Z7n57qns/s1600/Night+King.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-W-B0uO99-6tUPygewhreT4nuVqPnIgGBwdIhXnvI8h9hCd5WtxdFmSTXYr0e3Gl_MDpNI2VGAclphNPM6uA6UPao3dpX26yqjg7KZFfo5aBuoX2BCOy0betq1nkN42Z7n57qns/s1600/Night+King.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Night King, I was hoping he would win</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He won’t count historically because I am quite certain
zombies do not count their kings, despite that he grew his own crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However you do have to hand it this guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of all great moments the Night King
had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
The time where after defeating Jon
Snow and the Wildlings on their retreat he takes all the enemy dead and raises
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ozkHwFG91AI" width="450"></iframe>
<br />
The time where he took down a dragon with a
single spear shot that he threw and later used that same dragon to bring down
the Wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MJ6ayvGPP0g" width="450"></iframe>
<br />
The time where it looked like Daenerys
was going to turn him into the Night Ashes but showed not only was he immune to
fire but could stand in it and remain fully dressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(It was that last one that actually drove
Queen Daenerys in sane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realizing that
after all this time she did not have to go streaking though the fire was too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She burned Kings Landing just to see any
clothing survived the onslaught and if so to make her into her new outfit.)<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QkAxNHZRAfc" width="450"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
It is true that he had terrible end but really who on show
had a good one?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<a href="file:///F:/Documents/Game%20of%20Thrones%20is%20Over%20So%20Who%20was%20Actually%20a%20King%20or%20a%20Queen.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span face=""calibri" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Season 1 Reference. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-11304221019306488342017-07-29T00:45:00.000-04:002017-07-29T00:49:35.952-04:00SOMEONE MIGHT WANT TO TELL TRUMP THAT A PARDON IS A CONFESSION<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7P_ADByjZMWpKGX3VGHagsf6Yebv_x9QROc82v0ncatCFjFCWECePfEUW4I59fZAHPIF6D9ecsBbvzr2tEbsQzSLwJnSNd_2uxzjVOOTckyjE2OHpV-i6S0Xqt_wAmG8efo6G30/s1600/Trump+C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7P_ADByjZMWpKGX3VGHagsf6Yebv_x9QROc82v0ncatCFjFCWECePfEUW4I59fZAHPIF6D9ecsBbvzr2tEbsQzSLwJnSNd_2uxzjVOOTckyjE2OHpV-i6S0Xqt_wAmG8efo6G30/s400/Trump+C.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Recently Americans have been hearing rumors that
President Trump may choose to pardon himself and if he does not pardon himself
may pardon members of his family (say his oldest or his son-in-law) or friends
(Michael Flynn). This has triggered a
debate in the media if a president could pardon himself and his family. Or it was causing a debate until the
President decided he would go harass transpeople who were trying to serve their
county and thank the Boy Scouts of America for voting for him. Now to
if he has the power, I would actually say he does just because the President’s
power of pardon is not limited in any way in the Constitution; and considering
the Founding Fathers’ concern with checks and balances it is a surprising
omission. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vbHSpqAQA3k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vbHSpqAQA3k?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However
what Trump is probably not aware of, and how could he be with this lack of
knowledge of the US Constitution; US Government; or US history, is that a
pardon can be problematic for another reason.
A reason I first learned when reading <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/imperiled-presidency.html" target="_blank">Bob Woodward’s Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate</a>. That accepting a pardon is a kin to admitting guilt. How so? Read on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
President Richard Nixon
decided not to take a chance on pardoning himself and the inevitable Supreme
Court challenge that would create. Nixon
did not have a lot of luck with Supreme Court challenges of late. So he waited on a pardon from President Ford. At the
time Woodward was angry about the pardon, but over time came to the same
conclusion as the historical <span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">consensus</span> </span>that the pardon was the right
thing. Nevertheless, he still had an
objection to the execution of the pardon. Woodward felt that Ford should have insisted
on a public confession and apology from Nixon.
That may have actually quieted down the uproar that followed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7Ta0zdRVaLVgLPChoR-ysvv2w_Kcs1cr7JBCddfW3deuSkELD3BQdNcs8eGmeaP1dWDhDdESgL5SwX-2TSu-cFBM9GjP-rCDnsyMASbh0Q8dJknwtFt5e2XpJM9EVZyZdWfRnkg/s1600/Nixon+as+President.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7Ta0zdRVaLVgLPChoR-ysvv2w_Kcs1cr7JBCddfW3deuSkELD3BQdNcs8eGmeaP1dWDhDdESgL5SwX-2TSu-cFBM9GjP-rCDnsyMASbh0Q8dJknwtFt5e2XpJM9EVZyZdWfRnkg/s1600/Nixon+as+President.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nixon thought about pardoning himself</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
President
Ford pardoned Nixon because the issue had become a distraction and made it
difficult for him to govern. Ford knew
Nixon would not accept a public shamming session so the show would go on if
Ford chose the path that Woodward would have liked. Ford did have one trick up his sleeve, or
more so his pocket. Ford carried around
with him a copy of a Supreme Court decision from the time of Woodrow Wilson. The decision was <i><a href="http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/236/79.html" target="_blank">Burdick v. United States</a>.</i> <i> </i>In this case poor Mr. Burdick was as a
local editor was being squeezed by Federal prosecutors to reveal his source in
leaked information from the Treasury department. Mr. Burdick pleaded the fifth and refused to
answer<a href="file:///C:/Users/Jeremy%20Perron/Documents/SOMEONE%20MIGHT%20WANT%20TO%20TELL%20TRUMP%20THAT%20A%20PARDON%20IS%20A%20CONFESSION.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
on the grounds of protection from self-incrimination. So the
prosecutors contacted the White House and Mr. Burdick was handed a pardon by
President Wilson. Now he could longer
plead the fifth. Mr. Burdick still refused and
the case went to the Supreme Court. The
Supreme Court ruled that Burdick did not have to testify because he had the
right to reject the pardon. Because a
pardon was an act of forgiveness and by accepting a pardon he is in fact
<i>confessing to what he was being pardoned for</i>.
His Fifth Amendment rights allowed him to refuse. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxkoQpLHx7aRcXF5AWMRvgge_7ajf8g1543WGVt3QdpwHPYQ5pKSBy0eeuUpm35dmXlPaqI1-pfUr8megzb8B7hLAlLwV8PjDv-Wqq7fRHCFD9vZgkI4WXir0M7j2rywFXJd-6WA/s1600/President+Ford+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxkoQpLHx7aRcXF5AWMRvgge_7ajf8g1543WGVt3QdpwHPYQ5pKSBy0eeuUpm35dmXlPaqI1-pfUr8megzb8B7hLAlLwV8PjDv-Wqq7fRHCFD9vZgkI4WXir0M7j2rywFXJd-6WA/s1600/President+Ford+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ford, by pardoning Nixon, got him to confess</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ford
offered Nixon a pardon. Nixon accepted
the pardon. Nixon had confessed, and
that had satisfied Ford’s personal morals even if it did not win over the
American public. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If
Donald Trump tries to pardon himself he is confessing to the world that he is a criminal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If Donald Trump Jr. accepts a
pardon from his father he confessing to the need for a pardon and considering
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/11/donald-trump-jr-email-chain-russia-hillary-clinton" target="_blank">the content of his emails</a> we know what the pardon is for.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If Jared Kushner accepts a pardon he is a crook<a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/byron-york-the-sordid-case-behind-jared-kushners-grudge-against-chris-christie/article/2620427" target="_blank"> just as big as his father.</a></span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If Michael Flynn accepts a pardon
then we can write the Russian Espionage case as a fact in the history books
with Flynn being a modern day Alger Hiss.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The only question would be is the Republican controlled 115</span><sup style="text-indent: 0.5in;">th</sup><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
Congress a group of integrity and character enough to do the right thing?</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Or are they worthless weasels and we will
have to wait for the 116</span><sup style="text-indent: 0.5in;">th?</sup><br />
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">{Video is a clip from CNN}</span></div>
<div>
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Jeremy%20Perron/Documents/SOMEONE%20MIGHT%20WANT%20TO%20TELL%20TRUMP%20THAT%20A%20PARDON%20IS%20A%20CONFESSION.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> It
is interesting he plead the fifth and not the first but these were different
times. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-73626364505191570092016-11-06T03:55:00.000-05:002016-11-06T15:38:09.496-05:00JOEY AND BOBBY EXPLORE TRUMP’S AMERICA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lQD7QnjFKCg1f7Im1B_BQPVrMEC1c56Wup7sMc-vZ7gpGXbHns6AXRryI03V8DdUEXad58RwqlrlwAxouFkT-MAK1CLigCTkWSPPYxeK07fp1rJyhQsnX46DKyxqXlgtMijq6wk/s1600/DT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lQD7QnjFKCg1f7Im1B_BQPVrMEC1c56Wup7sMc-vZ7gpGXbHns6AXRryI03V8DdUEXad58RwqlrlwAxouFkT-MAK1CLigCTkWSPPYxeK07fp1rJyhQsnX46DKyxqXlgtMijq6wk/s320/DT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(I saw an internet meme similar to this and I thought I
would expand on it. I tried to find it again but with all the election stuff
going on it proved difficult.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2014<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Joey:</i> I can’t believe
Donald Trump is thinking about running for President. What is our country coming to when men like
him are having their names seriously considered? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Bobby:</i> Joey, you
worry too much man! He said he was going
to run both 2012 and way back in 2000. Nothing ever came of it. He is just trying to promote viewers for his
dippy TV show. Have a little more faith
in America. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2015<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> Joey: </i>He’s doing it, he is actually doing
it! Donald Trump is running for the Republican nomination. He even seems to have a large following. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Bobby:</i> So we have
a bunch of over excited <i>Apprentice </i>fans. Trump is clown. Did you see him in the debates when talking
about his hands? He is an exposed fool and is going nowhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjld06dwUS5a4q18iWurnZMGvMnzaiztwOtT7bTWto4GC75YnFxY38XlM-UmCo55yxUXanBGj_nTvGG0w7ILHI6BDX2hKX-sgEOU2PqjNA_HYKPpy_QRxixrzHJA_7HxwV-8M9H8-w/s1600/big+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjld06dwUS5a4q18iWurnZMGvMnzaiztwOtT7bTWto4GC75YnFxY38XlM-UmCo55yxUXanBGj_nTvGG0w7ILHI6BDX2hKX-sgEOU2PqjNA_HYKPpy_QRxixrzHJA_7HxwV-8M9H8-w/s1600/big+hands.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Big Hands"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2016<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Joey: </i>This
election is getting very tight. He
bombed the debates but he isn’t slowing down.
I was originally going to vote for Stein because I couldn’t vote for
Sanders. But I think I have to vote for Hilary
now, I don’t want Trump. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Bobby:</i> Look at the
polls, Trump doesn’t stand a chance. He
is going to get his butt handed to him.
I refused to be scared to vote for a candidate that I don’t really
like. We need to vote our values, Trump
won’t win anyway. Look at the
polls. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthbGYBpDuGZ5RHGEogZB4gAnK3VDzqFxw27bkl3DSgKzK2VLN_PJ32ksbn_kTLkSZUFi2N4MVadDB-htlWP9o5qCVn-R-7k-VwMYAQD4EA2IplfHkTAce86efnFde5PSvNOpfEwg/s1600/2016+debate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthbGYBpDuGZ5RHGEogZB4gAnK3VDzqFxw27bkl3DSgKzK2VLN_PJ32ksbn_kTLkSZUFi2N4MVadDB-htlWP9o5qCVn-R-7k-VwMYAQD4EA2IplfHkTAce86efnFde5PSvNOpfEwg/s320/2016+debate.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeps talking even if it isn't his turn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2018<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Joey: </i>I don’t like
what’s going on here it’s like the President is in pissing contest with other
world leaders. In his last speech he
says he’ll fire the nukes if he doesn’t get compliance. President Trump said the he will fire the
nukes!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Bobby:</i> President
Trump may be a jerk but he is not insane.
He is just talking tough.
Everyone knows how bad it would be if he were serious. No one is nuking anyone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEbejJThKOikyRfKHpdKMVrCygMObnBZmhW0NAMSW1hy_dGE5p92PrIjg3b6ey8hJoPIdVZ-UZ4jjse92bw6SFzj8oajZ-NXvCrA0pE_4ay7sS6FXNOnU80CdEBpzSuhdNXXM5zU/s1600/nuke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEbejJThKOikyRfKHpdKMVrCygMObnBZmhW0NAMSW1hy_dGE5p92PrIjg3b6ey8hJoPIdVZ-UZ4jjse92bw6SFzj8oajZ-NXvCrA0pE_4ay7sS6FXNOnU80CdEBpzSuhdNXXM5zU/s320/nuke.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/03/trump-asks-why-us-cant-use-nukes-msnbcs-joe-scarborough-reports.html" target="_blank">Nukes</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2025<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Joey: </i>I thought
living under a nuclear winter was bad, barley any sunlight and always food
shortages. But now we have nuclear
mutated talking giant lizards. Those
lizards are smart. I can’t believe not
only are we fighting for our existence but it looks like we may no longer be the top
species on the planet! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Bobby:</i> Last we’re
going to do is take orders from giant lizards who just learned to talk! We’re humans we’ll get through this. We may have messed up a lot of things but
we’ll always have our freedom for this planet is ours!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2029<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Joey: </i>{crying} </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Bobby:</i> Joey,
lighten up. I’m glad you got here early
I need some help cheering everyone up.
Now listen guys there are a lot of nasty rumors floating around. So I want to make some things very
clear. I know my Giant Lizard Master
loves me. As I am sure yours loves
you. They would never do anything to
hurt us. That is why they have a veterinarian for humans, to take care of us.
Now I know our Lizard overlords would never castrate us in order to keep
our population under control. That is
not what a loving master does. Our masters need there workers reproducing. We have
nothing to fear. Joey you were the first
one here this morning tell we have nothing to fear. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Joey: </i>{cries
harder} I should have voted for Hillary. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJCPtGQB3eH2OSWTrGWLuNsNJeue3IPJocn9pXcvxAHbv1v0Thl7oqC5pEcxbGUG_xOqaXdXlcHpCdDrI4Zwr_op9ppM5Y3cM4Aml60quKxcapZrxk3OdSao4F3nyq2kuVLXJMZ0/s1600/Gorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJCPtGQB3eH2OSWTrGWLuNsNJeue3IPJocn9pXcvxAHbv1v0Thl7oqC5pEcxbGUG_xOqaXdXlcHpCdDrI4Zwr_op9ppM5Y3cM4Aml60quKxcapZrxk3OdSao4F3nyq2kuVLXJMZ0/s1600/Gorn.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your Lizard Master!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Tuesday go out and vote for Hillary Clinton. In doing this you will save humanity, and if
your a guy, also your balls. <o:p></o:p></div>
Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-80680064880676866372016-09-30T02:24:00.000-04:002016-11-06T03:59:48.375-05:00THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE DEBATE (TO ME)<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0Svntk_RApkY8hIkS2ydzwMUEY3DM7Wu8zSv2jnxR8lLXAUHEXrUAD53nhx0NS1J5OqYzTZ17CyatMgc5tzxH4wREbwU1gLtjU2z5B2YsQOlclDHn5J7FgjT-RoGXQ6lykfBZzg/s1600/2016+1st+presidential+debate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0Svntk_RApkY8hIkS2ydzwMUEY3DM7Wu8zSv2jnxR8lLXAUHEXrUAD53nhx0NS1J5OqYzTZ17CyatMgc5tzxH4wREbwU1gLtjU2z5B2YsQOlclDHn5J7FgjT-RoGXQ6lykfBZzg/s320/2016+1st+presidential+debate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As a reluctant supporter of Hillary Clinton, due to the fact
that my preferred candidate never got in the race, I was very concerned going
into Monday’s debate. This is because I know Donald Trump was the more likable of the two. This is part of what made him such successful
media and ultimately reality TV personality.
It is this charisma that allows him to go on several racist rants, such
as <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/06/trump-mexican-judge/485429/" target="_blank">questioning a judge’s ability to be impartial because of Mexican ancestry</a> or
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2016/07/31/trumps-temper-tantrum-freaks-out-u-s-allies/?utm_term=.5d0221d76da0" target="_blank">insulting gold star parents who lost their son</a>, without the normal social consequences that would typically befall a candidate. No matter what he says a good portion of his
supporters brush it off like they would some random statement their crazy uncle
made. “He may be politically incorrect
but at least his heart is in the right place.
He is not really racist he just says occasionally things that men of his
generation say.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Jeremy%20Perron/Documents/MY%20DEBATE%20REACTION.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
American
presidential election history has shown when a more likable candidate goes
against a person who perceived to be more experienced they have a built in
advantage. They don’t have to win the debate;
all they have to do is look presidential and the voters will go with who they
like. Examples include Kennedy vs. Nixon
in 1960 and Bush vs. Gore in 2000. In
both cases the more likable John F. Kennedy and George W. Bush were able to
strengthen their candidacies against the incumbent Vice President, Richard
Nixon and Al Gore<a href="file:///C:/Users/Jeremy%20Perron/Documents/MY%20DEBATE%20REACTION.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. In both years the incumbent party was coming
off a popular presidency and they were expecting triumphant victory but what
they got was a close race and the White House going to the challenger<a href="file:///C:/Users/Jeremy%20Perron/Documents/MY%20DEBATE%20REACTION.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I was concerned that Donald Trump would follow this
pattern. Fortunately America ended up
seeing the worst debate performance in presidential history, surpassing even
1976 when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8rg9c4pUrg" target="_blank">Gerald Ford seemingly forgot the Iron Curtain existed</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me,
the most important part of this debate was not Trump admitting he doesn’t pay
taxes, his frequent interruptions of Clinton when it was her turn to speak, admitting he didn't pay taxes, or coming unhinged while claiming he had great
temperament. To me the issue was his
birtherism, and how he is so proud of himself for creating enough noise in the media
to get Obama to release his birth certificate.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
reason I find this so important because I remember it when it first
happened. Trump flew in down in one of
this Trump helicopters stood in front of reporters and announced how deeply
proud of himself that he had harassed the first African-American President to
the point he had to show his papers. Here is a video of that day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIoGtx6k80k" width="460"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When this
memory was triggered another memory immediately popped up. Trump’s replaying his pompous pride of his
birther roots brought back not only the memory of his foolish helicopter press
conference, but a more pleasant memory of national nightmare ending when in
less than a week after Trump’s prideful announcement President Obama announced this: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZNYmK19-d0U" width="460"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He was
dead. The number one of the United
States of America in the 21<sup>st</sup> century, Osama Bin Laden was dead. U.S. Seal Team 6, acting under the orders of the
President, went into Pakistan and killed him.
Just as then-Senator Obama had promised to do during the 2008
campaign. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1E0ZEbiGY7kls1chP1iYjiYzY7BIvYcV1khyzPXzemUxtTZju3Nu42atJY2F-d1pV08bPqPwlNXGSOzkwO0g1XVt8TykqfCyY2poYdOm_L7JHRHmDn0sn5PpfNsuLWHjMa9Tcgg/s1600/bin+Laden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1E0ZEbiGY7kls1chP1iYjiYzY7BIvYcV1khyzPXzemUxtTZju3Nu42atJY2F-d1pV08bPqPwlNXGSOzkwO0g1XVt8TykqfCyY2poYdOm_L7JHRHmDn0sn5PpfNsuLWHjMa9Tcgg/s1600/bin+Laden.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bin Laden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So while Donald Trump was looking in Hawaii for a birth certificate for a man whose birth
was announced in the local newspaper nine days after he was born, our President was hunting down the most
horrific terrorist in U.S. history. He
wouldn’t stop with Bin Laden either.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So talk about priorities! While Trump worked on his TV show and mounted
a campaign saying one hurtful remark after another, President Obama was making
America safe from its enemies by crippling the organization of al-Qaeda by
killing off all its leaders. It was
quite an improvement over the previous president who vowed to bring them to
justice but got lost in Iraq. President
Obama took the fight right to the enemies by, in his words, “using a scalpel not
a hammer” to solve problems.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Donald
Trump was proud of himself for his work as birther, I however am proud of
my President. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div>
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->{Rule on comments any comment that doesn't directly refer this post will be deleted.}<br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<br />
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Jeremy%20Perron/Documents/MY%20DEBATE%20REACTION.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Those are the least scary of his supporters, the worst ones are those who
hear his bigoted statements and get excited by them. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Jeremy%20Perron/Documents/MY%20DEBATE%20REACTION.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> To be fair both Nixon and Gore also made
serious errors in their respective debates. Nixon refused
to wear makeup not understanding how that would reflect on his appearance on television and
Gore kept sighing and going on about his “lock box.” <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Jeremy%20Perron/Documents/MY%20DEBATE%20REACTION.docx#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Although in Gore’s case he won the popular vote. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-62895445810115418492016-04-24T04:48:00.001-04:002022-03-15T00:31:43.738-04:00ADAM (My Tribute to my Fallen Cousin)<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3e7waNGkltnfDTsmJzttQIEGfioIf02fNMjRocRQJJD8Owh6LcEti93hTLuBWPI9bc9mRJOUXHvEQIGDOyzoqSpADILFVUJWDnGeQ-gB9f-M3lMi8CKPOirsOb1pjFEHLMkzsVGs/s1600/Adam.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3e7waNGkltnfDTsmJzttQIEGfioIf02fNMjRocRQJJD8Owh6LcEti93hTLuBWPI9bc9mRJOUXHvEQIGDOyzoqSpADILFVUJWDnGeQ-gB9f-M3lMi8CKPOirsOb1pjFEHLMkzsVGs/s400/Adam.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is summer time in the very early 1990s; my sisters and I
are spending the night at our Aunt and Uncle’s house in Bridgeton, Maine. My cousin Heather and I are the same age
(well she is a few months older but we were both born in 1981) and her brother
Adam was born in 1986 right in-between my sisters Mia (1985) and Juliann (1987). My sisters are staying in Heather’s room and
I am staying in Adam’s. Basically,
Heather gets to see what it’s like to have little sisters, while I have opportunity
to see what it would be like to have a little brother. Which is great, we spent most of the day playing
<i>Ghostbusters</i> and <i>GI Joe</i>, and the best part was he never asked if I wanted to play
with Barbies. As I lay there half way
between being awake and asleep I hear his voice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Jeremy.” Adam calls to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What?”
I ask.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I have
to go the bathroom.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Okay.
Go.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I can’t
I am scared”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He didn’t
answer so I said, “Okay come on. I’ll
show you there is nothing to be afraid of.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We get
up and walk to the door in his room. He
looks out the door left and right. “Oh” he says. “I thought as soon as I walked
out the door all the objects in the room would get up and start flying at me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now
very much relieved, he heads downstairs by himself to the bathroom and am left
in his room wondering what movie he watched that led him to believe this silly thing. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzbRFiMGL7SgFrgRvzgH7VY-BEk7l97tb3wLx9e7IUDjX1NSjJfl0bPl-O-e33a4xg372G_NQzWCTQa-oVVK_3p7stEU9zGIQBJMx4cn2Lnq8L6vae9U3nTKzV_9MYWFF0f2MFaA/s1600/family+photo+circa+1990.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="283" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzbRFiMGL7SgFrgRvzgH7VY-BEk7l97tb3wLx9e7IUDjX1NSjJfl0bPl-O-e33a4xg372G_NQzWCTQa-oVVK_3p7stEU9zGIQBJMx4cn2Lnq8L6vae9U3nTKzV_9MYWFF0f2MFaA/s400/family+photo+circa+1990.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The family in 1990. Adam and I are on the right next to our grandfather. Our fathers are in the center back in front of our mothers. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is now 1996, Adam and his family have come visit mine
here in Windham. One of the
things we typically do during his visits is take my dog Rex, a springier-basset, on very long walks. Normally, when by myself, I walk around the
block with my dog two or three times.
However, when Adam comes over my dog gets excited because he
knows we are not only going around our block but we'll also explore the next three neighborhoods
as well. Adam comes from a cat family
so walking and interacting with a dog excited him a little more than most
people. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During
these walks we discuss all the interesting things a fifteen year old and ten year old would normally discuss. Such as differences
between middle school and elementary school or what TV show was popular that we
both liked. Adam was also into POGs that
I feigned interest just to amuse him. (I
was trying to be a good older cousin.)
During this walk Rex was proudly marking his spot almost every two feet. This led Adam to have a sudden observation. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Jeremy,
I have come to a conclusion. I think dogs
must be made of Ninety percent piss.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yeah,
that’s about rate.” I responded. “At least Eighty-Five.” <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Is7q1RDLR3xacxR2p6w27x53RLMLIRDdb9e0Pq-s5cVCXMYYNQcJT5Q1VZYgIGoKqijWICDfQc91NdITn4s45AP_9AHcV1HY1xc5aOKVipZfsYVo7bv6PnJhslypPUhXUoHqozI/s1600/Rex+my+dog.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="960" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Is7q1RDLR3xacxR2p6w27x53RLMLIRDdb9e0Pq-s5cVCXMYYNQcJT5Q1VZYgIGoKqijWICDfQc91NdITn4s45AP_9AHcV1HY1xc5aOKVipZfsYVo7bv6PnJhslypPUhXUoHqozI/s320/Rex+my+dog.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My boyhood dog Rex, whose desire to pee on everything during walks convinced Adam dogs were made mostly of urine. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is
1998. I am enjoying a Rotisserie chicken
from Hannaford. Adam is over with his father;
Adam, who is a vegetarian, looks at what I am eating and says, “Hey Jeremy, are
you enjoying your carcass?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes.”
I respond rather bluntly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He then
went on a rant about the moral virtues of vegetarianism. Adam also stated how he and his fellow vegetarians
are discriminated against by society.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How?”
I ask rather bluntly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well,
yesterday at school we had hamburgers for lunch. So I went up and asked ‘what is the vegetarian
alternative?’ And do you know what they
said? They said, ‘chicken!’”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I start
to lose it laughing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hey,
that is NOT funny.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes it
is.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> ***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is the
summer of 1999 we are at the camp my family rents in Denmark, Maine. Adam’s family has come over to spend a night with
us. My father has seen on multiple occasions
big frogs consuming little frogs. We
decide this is something we want to see so we take the canoe out and paddle along
the shore line to see if we can see it happen.
When this does not occur we decide to force the situation. We capture a big frog and two little frogs
and place them in the canoe with us. We
then paddle middle of the pond and stare at them waiting for nature to take its
course. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We
learned some important things. The first
is that captivity and voyeurism don’t inspire cannibalism. That was disappointing. The second lesson was harder. Since they weren’t going to eat each other we
decided to test how long it would take them to get the shore. So we released the smallest one
and tried to follow it. We quickly lost that frog so we tried the other small one. While we were following it we made too sharp
a turn and I still remember the look on Adam’s face as he, myself, and the big frog
all went into the water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Panicking
we pushed the canoe to the opposite shore line of camp.
We then tipped the boat to empty the water in it. I looked out and saw our paddles floating so
I swam out to get them. Once we got the water out and made sure we had all the life jackets we headed back. At Adam's suggestion we should apologize to our parents for what happened so they wouldn't be angry and prohibit us from going in the future. We found our fathers sitting on the porch and we did as Adam suggested. Their response was simply to laugh themselves stupid. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
next day Adam said to me, “Jeremy, last night I had a strange dream.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“About
what?” I asked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We
were in the canoe and..”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tipped
the boat, yeah that was real.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not
that. What happened was we were in the
canoe out on the middle of the pond and giant frog emerged from the water. He said he was going to eat us for our crimes
against frogs.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Did we
get eaten?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, it
said before it ate us it wanted to have its favorite snack: little frogs. He wanted to know if we had any and I pointed
him in the right direction. He turned to find some and we hurried back to the camp.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6TuCBVuCscfUAjhw9Jy12GVWa2HDQQ9nFPco9zMmdS4ZO-H41JldyXw35Ljba58paAkb7Oz29k-O0co26OaFlziAcont0HqUFnLtNacQFa3rerZG1r6Kgykl9lOeDrQ2ER45XXc/s1600/Adam+me+nana.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="960" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6TuCBVuCscfUAjhw9Jy12GVWa2HDQQ9nFPco9zMmdS4ZO-H41JldyXw35Ljba58paAkb7Oz29k-O0co26OaFlziAcont0HqUFnLtNacQFa3rerZG1r6Kgykl9lOeDrQ2ER45XXc/s320/Adam+me+nana.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam and I at Christmas with Nana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> ***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s
July 4, 2001. Most of the family is at Nana and Papa Perron’s place having 4<sup>th</sup> of
July meal of steak and corn on the cob.
Adam’s just having corn on the cob and a veggie burger. As it turns to evening we want to go see
fireworks, rest of the family are hesitant because it might rain. But at this point in my life I have a license
and a car, Adam and I took my 1985 Chevrolet Caprice all the way to Naples for the fireworks show along the Songo River.
And rain it did! In fact it
started to storm, the fireworks were cut short and people started to
leave. But Adam and I decided it would
be good fun to run out to the dock screaming at the storm like Lt. Dan in
<i>Forrest Gump</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then
things got kind of weird. It started to
hail in the middle of July. One piece of
hail hit Adam so hard it broke the rim of his glasses. We decided the storm won and we retreated to
my car. When we got in I turned the heat on, something I have never done in
July before or since. As we headed home
I lost my focus and forgot to turn my high-beams off at points when I should have.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Jeremy
you just beamed that guy.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s
okay Adam. The guy before beamed me and
that makes it even.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I don’t
think that’s the way it works. In fact
Jeremy, you have an awfully odd way at looking at the world. Do you think there is
a world committee tracking you and keeping score? Jeremy vs. the World, the
score 1-1. ” <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5b4VTKf2LtEwOj6cofRWhaY8C0Af8bfqacuCwMnD_1zNXYHtG9MU43A2IoiudkdVG1tkoSUTqfbjJJYQRW17LQ3Rxcd5mSFeqUyDo7eBTEVKMcMrCgjcMY6Lj1MTTOwPMqtV_JRA/s1600/2001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1188" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5b4VTKf2LtEwOj6cofRWhaY8C0Af8bfqacuCwMnD_1zNXYHtG9MU43A2IoiudkdVG1tkoSUTqfbjJJYQRW17LQ3Rxcd5mSFeqUyDo7eBTEVKMcMrCgjcMY6Lj1MTTOwPMqtV_JRA/s400/2001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oct 2001 cousins photo: Adam's in the front, I'm in the back, and we're separated by our sisters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> ***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is
June of 2003. Our uncle Peter Perron,
our fathers’ brother, had been killed in car accident and we’re at his funeral sitting there in
the middle row of the seats. The service hasn’t started yet, and our parents are at front discussing it. We are wondering what will come of our aunt and
how she will cope with this. Peter had
been full of life and we are overcome by the suddenness of death. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcC2Hy4XfT7qWjHYSgEK2739sYTY5mqrw4rPSfzc3ZmZD0g6wAanWM_vs1wAo50GyrvEc3dfjtqnqVxUMaNUbGHq-hHqR22FXaL-1VCHSTJUZ01FFkSos-uCrK6XzQwQZXT8zkjHU/s1600/Peter+Perron.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="694" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcC2Hy4XfT7qWjHYSgEK2739sYTY5mqrw4rPSfzc3ZmZD0g6wAanWM_vs1wAo50GyrvEc3dfjtqnqVxUMaNUbGHq-hHqR22FXaL-1VCHSTJUZ01FFkSos-uCrK6XzQwQZXT8zkjHU/s320/Peter+Perron.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Uncle Peter Perron who we lost in 2003</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> ***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s
2008. Adam is no longer a vegetarian. Since High School, he fell in love with a
farm girl named Beth. I affectionately
nickname her the “Chicken Killer” since her family raised their own live stock. Adam’s favorite food now is a good steak and he
has a hunting license. We’re both still
nerds but I am history buff while he is a science geek. This is great because we are both experts
that can educate the other one. I tell him things, he tells me things, and we both
learn a lot from each other. On
Christmas he gives the book <a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/everything-explained.html" target="_blank">“A Short History of Nearly Everything*” </a>That I have
reviewed for this blog.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5Ra06qqrMdqrsiKf4kwgBVZZk9RIo-oPpjO_KZJp2BeQr4ZKQzRTu3OdqasBfKmSnf0ZfxXWw04PSBCZBZKJiXp2ZWcyt-uluLKG8skxpKO_lN7Dbq-fpCitS4mb1raNs8uTFIY/s1600/last+family+photo+with+adam.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="360" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5Ra06qqrMdqrsiKf4kwgBVZZk9RIo-oPpjO_KZJp2BeQr4ZKQzRTu3OdqasBfKmSnf0ZfxXWw04PSBCZBZKJiXp2ZWcyt-uluLKG8skxpKO_lN7Dbq-fpCitS4mb1raNs8uTFIY/s400/last+family+photo+with+adam.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Family as it was Easter 2010 (You can see my head poking up in the very back behind my mother. Adam is to the left of me and his wife Beth is right in front of him.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It’s
July 31<sup>st</sup>, 2010. Adam and
Beth are getting married. I tried to
tell them to do it February 27<sup>th</sup>.
That is my sister’s birthday; two weeks ago Mia married her husband
Francis on Adam's birthday (July 17<sup>th</sup>) exactly. Mia became vegetarian like Adam use to be and
had vegetarian wedding. The food was not
pleasing to me. Fortunately the Chicken
Killer’s family didn’t let me down. They
made plenty and lots of left overs. I was eating steak and chicken all day!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> ***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s 2012;
I lend Adam and Beth my Deadwood DVD collection to give us something more to
talk about. They watched in record time
and like me hated the ending, but loved the series. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSID0wjdAKastRhhkoHagJeGqpamyxRaJduYidy4_VKakU2qMVTOZ8DpFW6ITsr67hGPfa4faRZAyEbbca5yZ-NRuL8PhAhKFyJgp7TjTzhCUPM7MuUwwMKDNqOACDdIDMXUHlMw/s1600/adam+and+his+farm+girl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSID0wjdAKastRhhkoHagJeGqpamyxRaJduYidy4_VKakU2qMVTOZ8DpFW6ITsr67hGPfa4faRZAyEbbca5yZ-NRuL8PhAhKFyJgp7TjTzhCUPM7MuUwwMKDNqOACDdIDMXUHlMw/s320/adam+and+his+farm+girl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam and his farm girl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> ***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s
2013 New Years. I am with Francis and
Mia as a guest at Beth and Adam’s. We
spend the night playing the Settlers of Catan. Beth is
very good at this game. Seriously good, if there a professional Settlers of Catan League she would be their Tom Brady. One of their dogs (they have two dogs now) ate one of my red roads. This causes my brother-in-law to lose his mind. (Francis is a very serious Catan player, but not as good as Beth) Adam then makes a new red road out of a match stick. It is now the favored piece in that Catan set. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> ***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s September
of 2014. Adam and Beth now have a
daughter. Abigail
Katherine Perron was born on September 6.
I came up to see them a week after and I brought Pizza so they wouldn’t have to make
dinner. I met the baby and I was the
first of their extended family to come visit.
When I arrived I was first greeted by their two dogs. I asked
Adam when it clicked emotionally he told me this:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I felt
an emotional bond immediately. However,
the moment I felt profound change is when we brought her home and closed the
door and at that moment I knew my life had now changed and this was going to be my new reality.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXq4jVPUPNbamZSAoudgQDmMGxBEmKENES2uWISsram1CcfW2VPHRs0ZpyBcOuyvIKqRIHfnFz4CJE3UgAhzEPELL81tM3gp9IUMlfLjTMgEgXGyK-xC7twlEccwAABAu08m-4sc/s1600/adam+and+abby.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXq4jVPUPNbamZSAoudgQDmMGxBEmKENES2uWISsram1CcfW2VPHRs0ZpyBcOuyvIKqRIHfnFz4CJE3UgAhzEPELL81tM3gp9IUMlfLjTMgEgXGyK-xC7twlEccwAABAu08m-4sc/s320/adam+and+abby.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam's new joyful and short-lived reality</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> ***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While
my own career in education had fizzled out I was proud that he was able to
become a successful teacher at Lake Region Middle School.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then on
April 20, 2016 a horrible thing happened.
This time things did go flying at him as a box truck slammed into his car. The only good thing—if there can be—, unlike when
he was a child, he wasn’t scared. He
couldn’t be, there was not enough time. It didn’t
matter, the damage was done and he was gone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was at
their house the day before yesterday.
His daughter was napping; when she woke she was upset. Her mother brought her out and there was a
crowd of people, Abby looked around the crowd but the person she was looking for
wasn’t there. For he is gone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In
coming weeks, the local police will try to put together exactly why the truck
turned the way it did. As I go to his
funeral today no doubt there will be people there looking find some sort of
meaning to why he died. But I won’t and I hope most won’t either. For there is no
meaning in death, it just is. I read a
lot of biographies and that is the way the story always ends. Our meaning is in life. It is what we do with our time that matters. Adam’s life was cut short before he could
complete three decades but not a moment was wasted. I can’t say that about most people, especially
myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Rest-in-peace, dear cousin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-12475576666170303232016-01-29T04:23:00.000-05:002016-01-29T04:23:19.284-05:00MACHIAVELLI<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqFkV-puQgmrksvLVl0p45V9Cof1TNprP_f2fAfSDWtX1OYOPHFQyEw3NWYHgh5rCjTGA4NdIq3aXCOXaHFZfWux4pEXY-LqRKA7NqdCoU9Fnk0BDpMWnTEYrzvzohdSqZ08N5po/s1600/machiavelli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqFkV-puQgmrksvLVl0p45V9Cof1TNprP_f2fAfSDWtX1OYOPHFQyEw3NWYHgh5rCjTGA4NdIq3aXCOXaHFZfWux4pEXY-LqRKA7NqdCoU9Fnk0BDpMWnTEYrzvzohdSqZ08N5po/s320/machiavelli.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A review
of David Wootton’s translation <i>Machiavelli: Selected Political Writings of
The Prince, Selections from The Discourses, and Letter to Vettori</i> (circa
1513, The Prince) (1994, this translation) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Rating 5 of 5)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Around ten years ago I was taking a
college course called <i>Lying and Politics</i> and this book was one of the
textbooks we used. I found it
fascinating then and even more so now.
Niccolo Machiavelli was a man and public servant who lived in
Renaissance Italy. He was on hand for
many historic events and met many important people. During the restoration of the Medici in
Florence he was tortured for the crime of being an official of the previous regime. After surviving his torture he would go on to
write these famous works. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
introduction in this book discusses how Machiavelli’s work has been interpreted
over the centuries. There is apparently
some controversy around to what is referred to as ‘the two Machiavellis.’ They
try to reconcile the apparent contradiction of the author of <i>The Prince,</i>
who gives advice to rulers and would be rulers, to the author of <i>The
Discourses, </i>who prefers republican government. I personally do not see a real contradiction
because they are about two different things. <i>The Prince</i> is simply a
how-to book for a dictator that was written for a potential employer while <i>The
Discourses</i> is Machiavelli sharing his own view and preferences. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <i> </i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“In order to properly understand the
behavior of lower classes one needs to be a ruler, and in order to properly
understand the behavior of rulers one needs to be a member of the lower
classes.” (pg. 6)</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> I
am not sure this is true although subject and ruler might have a unique
perspective on the other its highly unlikely that this </span>automatically<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> grants them so much insight that they understand the other more than they understand themselves. I currently work in call
center, this would be like me declaring that I was an expert on the behavior of CEOs because I am regular wage employee. There are elements of the CEO’s job that I am
certain I do not understand, just as there is much about their low ranking
employees’ job that the CEO does not think about in his or her daily function. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Is it better to be loved than
feared, or vice versa? My reply is one
ought to be both loved and feared; but since it is difficult to accomplish both
at the same time, I maintain it is much safer to be feared than loved, if you
have to do without one of the two.” (pg. 51-2)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> This
is of course is probably Machiavelli’s most famous quote. This is the one line that captures the very
heart of <i>The Prince</i>. I always
thought it would be better to be loved. For if you are loved than your subjects would take your side
even when your chips were down, where as if they just feared you they may
betray you in a moment of weakness.
Machiavelli would probably point out that just because they loved you
does not mean that they would look out for their own necks primarily when they
felt that they or their interests were in danger. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rCqi-uCQ6wl_swfiqBBthmu8iVC_JLtwdX8Rro4RnJQ58F93t_mjPZRo-axV0WMX05Gl-UBTnG2_0w_77jTSQK8zFJvuhs5eUpVLIFsGBTfs9nBq-C0aNOQrhq24xTt_Kdb3MAg/s1600/machiavelli+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rCqi-uCQ6wl_swfiqBBthmu8iVC_JLtwdX8Rro4RnJQ58F93t_mjPZRo-axV0WMX05Gl-UBTnG2_0w_77jTSQK8zFJvuhs5eUpVLIFsGBTfs9nBq-C0aNOQrhq24xTt_Kdb3MAg/s1600/machiavelli+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Niccolo Machiavelli </span></td></tr>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> We know
Machiavelli thought about rulers keeping their word. He felt it is better to be crafty than honest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Everybody recognizes how
praiseworthy it is for a ruler to keep his word and to live a life of
integrity, without relying on craftiness.
Nevertheless, we see that in practice, in these days, those rulers who
have not thought it important to keep their word have achieved great things,
and have known how to employ cunning to confuse and disorientate other men. In the end, they have been able to overcome
those who have placed store in integrity.” (pg. 53) </span></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Throughout
<i>The Prince</i> Machiavelli is giving advice on how to rule people and the
challenges one faces when ruling a people you had previously conquered. During the course of the book Machiavelli
jumps back and forth from ancient times of Alexander, Scipio, and Hannibal to
the more “modern” times of Renaissance Italy.
Machiavelli finds quite a bit to praise of ancient leaders and much to
criticize in the modern ones. He
completely chastises King Louis XII of France and his misadventures in
Italy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Thus, Louis had made the following five
mistakes: He wasted his alliance with the lesser states; he increased the
strength of one of the more powerful Italian states; he invited an extremely
powerful foreign state to intervene in Italy; he did not go and live in Italy;
he did not establish settlements there.” (pg. 13)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The part of Machiavelli’s criticism
that I find rather weird is his insistence that a conqueror should move into
his conquered territories despite being the ruler of another place. The example that he gives is the Sultan of
Turkey moving into Constantinople, that is true but the Ottoman Empire did not
change capitals every time it expanded. Now it should be noted in Machiavelli’s
time it wasn’t that long ago that the fall of <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Constantinople</span> happened. So I suppose he could be excused for the
oversight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Quite
bitter with the example of leadership that he had seen in Italy politically, he
clearly shows his anger at what Italy had been going through in his own
time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The outcome has been that Italy
has, in quick succession, been overrun by Charles, plundered by Louis, raped by
Ferdinand, and humiliated by the Swiss.” (pg. 42)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When referring the types of principalities
there are he makes it pretty clear that the long established powers are the
best. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It is much easier to hold on to
hereditary states, that are accustomed to being governed by the family that now
rules them, than it is to hold on to new acquisitions.” (pg. 7)</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> I
do not think Machiavelli is anything here that is not obvious. It is much easier to inherit power in an
established dynasty than to go out and try to take it. Of course you would have to be born into an
established dynasty for that to occur.
Since one who seeks power is likely to have it just handed to him by
luck of birth they are required to take it and hopefully set up their own
system. Machiavelli is quick to point
out how dangerous that actually is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“One ought to pause and consider the
fact that there is nothing harder to undertake, nothing more likely of failure,
nothing more risky to pull off, than to set oneself up as a leader who plans to
found a new system of government. For
the fonder makes enemies of all those who are doing well under the old system,
and has only lukewarm support from those who hope to do well under the new
one.” (pg. 19)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> There
was however one ideal guy who showed the way on how to do it. When advising new rulers on the best path to
success, his ideal candidate was Cesare Borgia.
This was odd because he lost in the end.
Yet to Machiavelli, he was perfect and he served as a duel example. He was the model to follow but he also came
with a warning: that one can act perfectly and still fall due to bad luck with no
fault of your own. His power was dependent on the patronage of others and when those 'others' went away he was alone and </span>vulnerable<span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Borgia was the son of the Pope. (Yeah, I know how strange
that sounds.) His father, Alexander VI,
and his ally King Louis XII of France were his primary backers and without them he had no independent power. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“So, now I have surveyed all the
actions of the duke, I still cannot find anything to criticize. It seem to me I have been right to present
him as an example to be imitated by all those who come to power through good
luck and someone else’s military might.
For since he was great-hearted and ambitious, he had no choice as to
what to do; and he only failed to achieve his goals because Alexander died too
soon, and he himself fell ill.” (pg. 26-7)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5Pl04XijAtgDghOU9knLo-0VG2DUuccNJxs6fzE-l4qQAjhQjGT8xGMy7PR2uTyFYaoGFqA3Ezirbc2JUZ2yIecdgESt-otf9T81I5Hhnz2qkIjnAFYoWg9S2-f6_T742toZ4a0/s1600/C+Borgia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5Pl04XijAtgDghOU9knLo-0VG2DUuccNJxs6fzE-l4qQAjhQjGT8xGMy7PR2uTyFYaoGFqA3Ezirbc2JUZ2yIecdgESt-otf9T81I5Hhnz2qkIjnAFYoWg9S2-f6_T742toZ4a0/s1600/C+Borgia.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cesare Borgia, son of the Pope</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Part
of the reason Machiavelli admired Cesare so much was how he would do what he
thought needed to be done and not only was he not hesitate, he would be in a
hurry to get it accomplished. In Machiavelli's world any bad you need to do you must do it quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Do all the harm you must at one and
the same time, that way the full extent of it will not be noticed, and it will
give least offense. One should do good, on the other hand, little by little, so
people can fully appreciate it.” (pg. 31)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FXmh6Slkg_4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FXmh6Slkg_4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Machiavelli
also gives a hint of his populism in his next bit of advice. It is better to
become monarch at the head of a popular movement than it is to have the title
awarded to you by a small elite. This advice is a tad bit strange when you
consider his comments on Julius Caesar are in <i>The Discourses. </i> For Caesar is the one who comes to mind when I
hear these statements. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He who comes to power with the help
of the elite has more difficulty in holding on to power than he who comes to power
with the help of the populace, for in the former case he is surrounded by many
who think of themselves as his equals, and who consequently cannot order about
or manipulate as he might wish. He who
comes to power with support of the populace, on the other hand, has it all to
himself.” (pg. 31-2)</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In <i>The Discourses, </i>Machiavelli
discus the history of ancient Rome a great deal. It is embarrassing to say this especially in
light on how brilliant <i>The Prince </i>is, but all of his theories on Rome
are wrong. Machiavelli comes off as
complete Catoian in his views on the Roman Republic. He fails to see the Republic that could
manage a city well could not manage an empire.
He seems to think that the Republic’s downfall was due to lack of
character of the people living at the time who failed to live up to the ideals
of their ancestors. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Machiavelli was one of the most
fascinating minds of Renaissance Italy, a place not lacking at all in marvelous
minds. The father of political realist
thought. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
{Video from the Showtime series the<i> Borgias</i>}<br />
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</iframe>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-59806456998832775342016-01-25T01:59:00.000-05:002016-01-25T01:59:42.295-05:00HELLO PLINY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmptga9Ed86KD0yBGGbWVpkppIopkaLoFwSzVVudqX3KppPHmQXOplpwwgfULBAyajEaTJbwl6COUZxKVyyYv0jGMD1XCCvxAgm3ldPFiFs_Tny2e_LqDXKzrEwxPfk8PthZX0kNc/s1600/Pliny+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmptga9Ed86KD0yBGGbWVpkppIopkaLoFwSzVVudqX3KppPHmQXOplpwwgfULBAyajEaTJbwl6COUZxKVyyYv0jGMD1XCCvxAgm3ldPFiFs_Tny2e_LqDXKzrEwxPfk8PthZX0kNc/s320/Pliny+book.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
A review of <i>The Letters of the Younger Pliny (</i>110-113) translated by Betty Radice (1963)<br />
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(Rating 5 of 5)<br />
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<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">His name was Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, he is comely referred to
as Pliny the Younger to distinguish him from his uncle and adopted father,
Pliny the Elder, who was a famous historian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A few of the letters the younger Pliny discuss his uncle’s work,
reputation, and famous death at the destruction of Pompeii.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pliny the Younger was an official of the
Roman Imperial government called the Principate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Principate was the system of rule by an emperor or 'first citizen' that was established by Emperor Augustus to <i>de facto</i> replace the Republic. </span>Pliny had the privilege of serving in the
best part of what was the golden age amongst golden age of the Roman
civilization: the Pax Romana in the time of the Good Emperors in the reign of
Trajan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not always that way for
Pliny, for was born in the time of Nero, whom his uncle despised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During his own career he also had to endure
the tyranny of the Emperor Domitian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pliny’s survival strategy was to keep quiet and not cause problems for
anyone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would be able to resume his
career and advancement with the coming of Nerva.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2RYe5_peRiOEuVJIYZhSXg5wUcVVkDzY74c6xts1cl99bNpq1vuPkRuHjLdWVo2JwjuLXL8rjljewi0cwYI9smN0z9GbfsimGRLDUxynIIqhMMTpeaudMlpqDvS94f732cy8I-M/s1600/800px-Como_-_Dom_-_Fassade_-_Plinius_der_J%25C3%25BCngere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2RYe5_peRiOEuVJIYZhSXg5wUcVVkDzY74c6xts1cl99bNpq1vuPkRuHjLdWVo2JwjuLXL8rjljewi0cwYI9smN0z9GbfsimGRLDUxynIIqhMMTpeaudMlpqDvS94f732cy8I-M/s200/800px-Como_-_Dom_-_Fassade_-_Plinius_der_J%25C3%25BCngere.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Pliny</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Historically Pliny is
not important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a semi-important
person in his own time for he was in the Emperor’s inner circle and was
appointed to govern a province.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However
this is true for a number of officials in the Empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although he had a nice life his
accomplishments are not of any historical significance, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">except</i> that Pliny’s correspondence survives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He remembered to keep copies of his letters and publish them
years later in a series of nine books; some of these letters are to people such
as Tacitus, a famous Roman historian. After he died a tenth book was a
published that contained his communications with Emperor Trajan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pliny is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only man of his rank and position</i> in Roman society during this time
period whose work survives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is Pliny
whose eyes we use to examine the Roman Empire of the Pax Romana.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7qHsNMJJ0Wq3MF0Dz9VtCxh-oMYhnEFRP_1OFMraybIgR4jT-dgb4Eh_DUar7PXYJxd-LMtB8oI9xFYBKOhqG_YE-LWxdma87pD8KvZDeRlp1WpTgYGCMlrufwfhKIn4nxrcrNA/s1600/cropped-Karl-Briullov-The-Last-Day-of-Pompeii631.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7qHsNMJJ0Wq3MF0Dz9VtCxh-oMYhnEFRP_1OFMraybIgR4jT-dgb4Eh_DUar7PXYJxd-LMtB8oI9xFYBKOhqG_YE-LWxdma87pD8KvZDeRlp1WpTgYGCMlrufwfhKIn4nxrcrNA/s320/cropped-Karl-Briullov-The-Last-Day-of-Pompeii631.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Destruction of Pompeii </td></tr>
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<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Pliny enjoyed giving
advice and playing the mentor to young up and coming Roman aristocrats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gives them advice on being a lawyer and
being a career politician.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pliny takes
their success rather personally often telling friends he is more nervous when a
young apprentice is up for election than for his own campaigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one letter he answers one young attorney’s
question on having been elected tribune of the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pliny’s answer would have horrified Cato the
Younger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pliny explains that it depends
on how one chooses to view the office, either as a serious office or just a
ceremonial figurehead job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pliny’s
letter shows that many, if not most, saw through the Emperor’s disguise as
‘First Citizen.’ The Republic did not exist to govern the country anymore it
was there only for show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless
Pliny tells the newly elected tribune that when he held the job he took it very seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention advising others who have held
the offices that he once had. </span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Pliny also discusses
being a lawyer in Rome, sending copies of his speeches, advising others on
theirs, and going over funny court stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He mentions a number of times his views on inheritance, which was the
majority of his cases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His view was what
the deceased wanted was more important than procedural law.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Pliny is also quite
taken with ghost stories telling a number of them including a time when the
ghost of Emperor Tiberius’s younger brother, Drusus Nero, haunted Pliny the
Elder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One letter that I found an
insightful to an average day in 2<sup>nd</sup> century Rome was this one:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To Minicius Funganus</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"It is extraordinary
how, if one takes a single day spent in Rome, once can give a more or less
accurate account of it, but scarcely any account at all of several days put
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you ask anyone what he did
that day, the answer would be: ‘I was present at a coming-of-age ceremony, a
betrothal, or a wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was called to
witness a will, to support someone in court or to act as assessor.’ All this
seems important on the actual day, but quite pointless if you consider that you
have done the same sort of thing every day, and still be more pointless if you
think about it when you are out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is then that you realize how many days you have wasted in
trivialities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"I always realize this
when I am at Laurentine, reading and writing and finding time to take the
exercise which keeps my mind fit for work. There is nothing there for me to say
or hear said which I would afterwards regret, no one disturbs me with malicious
gossip, and I have no one to blame—but myself—when writing doesn’t come
easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopes and fears do not worry me,
and my time is not wasted in ideal talk; I share my thoughts with no one but my
books. It is a good life and a genuine one, a seclusion which is happy and
honorable, more rewarding than any ‘business’ can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sea and shore are truly my private
Helicon, and endless source of inspirations. You should take the first
opportunity yourself to leave the din, the futile bustle and useless
occupations of the city and devote yourself to literature or leisure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For it was wise as well as witty of our
friend Atulius to say that it is better to have no work to do than to work at
nothing.” (Book 1, Letter 9 pg. 42-43)</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Of
the collection of letters two are of the most famous are the ones that detail
the destruction of Pompeii.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both were to
the historian Tacitus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pliny living at
the outer edge of Vesuvius’ reach was able, with his mother, to be one of the
lucky survivors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the edge of the
letter he tells Tacitus that he doesn’t think the letter is history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hard to tell but I think Pliny is being
sarcastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he is not than the
statement is overly ironic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To Tacitus</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"You say that the letter
I wrote for you about my uncle's death made you want to know about my fearful
ordeal at Misenum, for I broke off at the beginning of this part of my story.
‘The mind shrinks from remembering ... I will begin.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>"After my uncle's departure I finished up my studies, I spent the rest of
the day with my books, as this was my reason for staying behind. Then I took a
bath, dined, and then dozed fitfully for a while. For several past days there
had been earth tremors which were not particularly alarming because they are
frequent in Campania: but that night the shocks were so violent that everything
felt as if it were not only shaken but overturned. My mother hurried into my
room and found me already getting up to wake her if she were still asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat out on in the forecourt of the house,
between the buildings and the sea close by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t know whether I should call this courage or folly on my part (I
was only seventeen at the time) but I called for a volume of Livy and went on
reading as if I had nothing else to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Up came a friend of my uncle's who had just come from Spain to join him.
When he saw us sitting there and me actually reading, he scolded us both—me for
my foolhardiness and my mother for allowing it. Nevertheless, I remained
absorbed in my book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> "</span>By
now it was dawn, but the light was still dim and faint. The buildings around us
are already tottering, and the open space we were in was too small for us not
to be in real and imminent danger if the house collapsed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This finally decided us to leave the
town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were followed by a
panic-stricken mob of people wanting to act on someone else’s decision in
preference to their own (a point in which fear looks like prudence), who
hurried us on our way by pressing hard behind in a dense crowd. Once beyond the
buildings we stopped, and there we had some extraordinary experiences which
thoroughly alarmed us. The carriages we had ordered brought out began to run in
different directions though the ground was quite level, and would not remain
stationary when wedged with stones. We also saw the sea sucked away and
apparently forced back by the earthquake: at any rate it receded from the shore
so the quantities of sea creatures were left stranded on dry sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the landward side a fearful black cloud was
rent by forked and quivering bursts of flame and parted to reveal great tongues
of fire, like flashes of lightning magnified in size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent">
"At that point my uncle’s friend from Spain spoke up
still more urgently: ‘If your brother, if your uncle is still alive, he will
want you both to be saved: if he dead, he would want you to survive him—why put
off your escape?’ We replied that we would not think of considering our own
safety as long as we were uncertain about his. Without waiting any longer, our
friend rushed off and hurried out of danger as fast as he could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Soon afterwards the
cloud sank down to earth and covered the sea; it had already blotted out Capri
and hidden the promontory of Misenum from sight. Then my mother implored,
entreated and commanded me to escape as best I could—a young man might escape,
whereas she was old and slow and could die in peace as long as she had not been
the cause of my death too. I refused to save myself without her, and grasping
her hand forced her to quicken her pace. She gave in reluctantly, blaming
herself for delaying me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ashes were
already falling, not as yet very thickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I looked round: a dense black cloud was coming up behind us, spreading
over the earth like a flood. ‘Let us leave the road while we still can see,’ I
said, ‘or we shall be knocked down and trampled underfoot in the dark by the
crowd behind.’ We had scarcely sat down to rest when darkness fell, not the
dark of a moonless or cloudy night, but as if a lamp had been put out in a
closed room. You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and
the shouting of men; some were calling for their parents, others for children
or their wives, trying to recognize them by their voices. People bewailed their
own fate or that of their relatives, and there were some who prayed for death
in their terror of dying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many besought
the aid of the gods, but still more imagined there were no gods left, and that
the universe was plunged into eternal darkness forever more. There were people,
too, who added to the real perils by inventing fictitious dangers: some
reported that part of Misenum had collapsed or another part was on fire, and
although their tales were false they found others to believe them. A gleam of
light returned but we took this to be a warning of the approaching flames
rather than daylight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the
flames remained some distance off; then darkness came on once more and ashes
began to fall again, this time in heavy showers. We rose from time to time and
shook them off, otherwise we should have been buried and crushed beneath their
weight. I could boast that not a groan or cry of fear escaped me in these
perils, had I not derived some poor consolation in my mortal lot from the
belief that the whole world was dying with me and I with it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"At last the darkness
thinned and dispersed into smoke or cloud; then there was genuine daylight, and
the sun actually shown out, but yellowish as it is during and eclipse. We were
terrified to see everything changed, buried deep in ashes like snowdrifts. We
returned to Misenum where we attended to our physical needs as best we could,
and then spent an anxious night alternating between hope and fear. Fear
predominated, for the earthquakes went on, and several hysterical individuals
made their own and other people’s calamities seem ludicrous in comparison with
their frightful predictions. But even then, in spite of the dangers we had been
through and were still expecting, my mother and I had still no intention of
leaving until we had news of my uncle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Of course the details
are not important enough for history, and you will read them without any idea
of recording them; if they seem scarcely worth putting in a letter, you have
only yourself to blame for asking for them.” (Book 6, Letter 20 pg.171-173)</span></div>
</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpu0mQdQp78SDlLsAe3oeP2-bdOPVJIuO4rp3FotzjufSwoe51u3MN9knanE96G_fWviAAymmFaCMk5mg6Y0OrsAqLN9Ijeu-8-Q-MmLEu7VSRw1_Bvjzd-ZeUQ8415RZrOTQpouU/s1600/Pompeii+victims+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpu0mQdQp78SDlLsAe3oeP2-bdOPVJIuO4rp3FotzjufSwoe51u3MN9knanE96G_fWviAAymmFaCMk5mg6Y0OrsAqLN9Ijeu-8-Q-MmLEu7VSRw1_Bvjzd-ZeUQ8415RZrOTQpouU/s320/Pompeii+victims+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pompeii victims: young family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-Uuw6QUi14PQ2f-7iy8_MyUMINrFWmhTM53y1X3hTxxdoUb2pVvza1jJYqxp1GvKh0bPSrKzTF6rqaTLV_UiODwP3RNpXuhDSvZhCbvaSDrNRgDE-eFS5zKty1hVOP7IBqESdo8/s1600/Pompeii+victims+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-Uuw6QUi14PQ2f-7iy8_MyUMINrFWmhTM53y1X3hTxxdoUb2pVvza1jJYqxp1GvKh0bPSrKzTF6rqaTLV_UiODwP3RNpXuhDSvZhCbvaSDrNRgDE-eFS5zKty1hVOP7IBqESdo8/s320/Pompeii+victims+2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pompeii victims: fetal position </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlt-t1mn7Q8kcxiXAevqxlDTfEnp_lRJsOp-KWydT2NHHmHjtVFWu6soyAIcrLwNeHjKrrk0djKvaXyItWh2Bt0APmlPHHPscKRGjkp_pNdKJlz_qppbnU5XUMvWPUqOoYkNiTac/s1600/Pompeii+victims+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlt-t1mn7Q8kcxiXAevqxlDTfEnp_lRJsOp-KWydT2NHHmHjtVFWu6soyAIcrLwNeHjKrrk0djKvaXyItWh2Bt0APmlPHHPscKRGjkp_pNdKJlz_qppbnU5XUMvWPUqOoYkNiTac/s320/Pompeii+victims+3.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pompeii victims: lost pet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of all the books of
letters that were published the most important is the one when he is the
Governor of Bithynia-Pontus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There we
get a look of an emperor in communication with one of his lieutenants
throughout his empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pliny feels the
need to check in all the time with the Emperor, sometimes the Emperor approves
and sometimes he just tells Pliny to make a decision. Here is one letter I
found very interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pliny to the Emperor Trajan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"While I was visiting
another part of the province, a widespread fire broke out at Nicomedia which
destroyed many private houses and also two public buildings (the Elder
Citizen’s Club and the Temple of Isis) although a road runs between them. It
was fanned by the strong breeze<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the
early stages, but it would not have spread so far but for the apathy of the
populace; for it is generally agreed that people stood watching the disaster
without bestirring themselves to do anything to stop it. Apart from this, there
is not a single fire engine anywhere in the town, not a bucket nor any
apparatus for fighting a fire. These will now be provided on my instructions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Will you, Sir, consider
whether you think a company of firemen might be formed, limited to 150 members?
I will see that no one shall be admitted who is not genuinely a fireman, and
that the privileges granted shall not be abused: it will not be difficult to
keep such a small number under observation.” (Book 10, Letter 33 pg.271)</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
the record I have no idea what a Roman fire engine would look
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems like a reasonable request
but the Emperor’s response is something downright weird.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Trajan to Pliny</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"You may well have had
the idea that it should be possible to form a company of firemen at Nicomedia
on the model of those existing elsewhere, but we must remember that it is
societies like these which have been responsible for the political disturbances
in your province, particularly in its towns. If people assemble for a common
purpose whatever name we give them and for whatever reason, they soon turn into
a political club. It is a better policy then to provide the equipment necessary
for dealing with fires, and to instruct property owners to make use of it,
calling on the help of the crowds which collect if they find it necessary.”
(Book 10, Letter 34 pg. 271-272)</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Talk about a paranoid
emperor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Don’t start a fire department
because they might from a society that will try to overthrow the Empire.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trajan was one greatest of Rome’s Emperors
but just because you are smart in one area of life does not make you smart in
all areas. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of all the letters in
Book 10 the one about the Christians, this probably one of—if not thee—most
analyzed letters in history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Pliny to the Emperor Trajan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"It is my customer to
refer all my difficulties to you, Sir, for no one is better able to resolve my
doubts and to inform my ignorance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"I have never been
present at an examination of Christians. Consequently, I do not know nature of
the extent of the punishments usually meted out to them, nor the grounds for
starting an investigation and how far it should be pressed. Nor am I at all
sure whether any distinction should be made between them on the ground of age
or I young people and adults should be treated alike; whether a pardon ought to
be granted to anyone retracting his beliefs, or if he has once professed
Christianity, he shall gain nothing by renouncing it; and if whether it is the
mere name of Christian which is punishable, even if innocent of crime, or
rather the crimes associated with the name.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">" </span>For the moment this is the line I have taken
with all persons brought before me on the charge of being Christians. I have
asked them in person if they are Christians, and if they admit it, I repeat the
question a second and third time, with a warning of the punishment awaiting
them. If they persist, I order them to be led away for execution; for, whatever
the nature of their admission, I am convinced that their stubbornness and
unshakeable obstinacy ought not to go unpunished. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">" </span>There have been others similarly fanatical who
are Roman citizens, I have entered them on a list of persons to be sent to Rome
for trial. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Now that I have begun
to deal with this problem, as so often happens, the charges are becoming more
widespread and increasing in variety. An anonymous pamphlet has been circulated
which contains of a number of accused persons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Amongst these I considered that I should dismiss any who denied that
they were or ever had been Christians when they had repeated after me a formula
of invocation to the gods and had made offerings of wine and incense to your
statue (which I had ordered to be brought into court for this purpose along
with the images of the gods), and furthermore had reviled the name of Christ:
none of which things, I understand, any genuine Christian can be induced to do.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Others, whose names
were given to be by an informer, first admitted the charge and then denied it;
they said that they had ceased to be Christians two or more years previously,
and some of them even twenty years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They all did reverence to your statue and the images of the gods in the
same way as the others, and reviled in the name of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also declared that the sum total of
their guild or error amounted to no more than this: they had met regularly
before dawn on a fixed day to chant verses alternately amongst themselves in
honor of Christ as if to a god, and also to bind themselves by oath, not for
any criminal purpose, but to abstain from theft, robbery, and adultery, to
commit no breach of trust and not to deny a deposit when called upon to restore
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After this ceremony it had been
their custom to disperse and reassemble later to take food of an ordinary,
harmless kind; but they had in fact given up this practice since my edict,
issued on your instructions, which banned all political societies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This made me decide it was all the more
necessary to extract the truth by torture from two slave-women, whom they call
deaconesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found nothing but a
degenerate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"I have therefore
postponed any further examination and hastened to consult you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question seems to me to be worthy of your
consideration, especially in view of the number of persons endangered; for a
great many individuals of every age and class, both men and women, are being
brought to trial, and this is likely to continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not only the towns, but villages and
rural districts too which are infected through contact with this wretched
cult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think though that it is still
possible for it to be checked and directed to better ends, for there is no
doubt that people have begun to throng the temples which had been almost
entirely deserted for a long time; the sacred rites which had been allowed to
lapse are being performed again, and flesh of sacrificial victims is on sale
everywhere, though up till recently scarcely anyone could be found to buy it.
It is easy to infer from this that a great many people could be reformed if they
were given an opportunity to repent.” (Book 10, Letter 96 pg. 293-295)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
of the biggest debates in history was how long did it take Christianity to grow
to significant numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scholars have
sharp disagreements over it and often go over this letter to make their point.
Pliny sees it as a growing problem in his province, yet he has no idea who they
are despite being a well-connected and educated statesman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trajan’s response is more telling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Trajan to Pliny</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You have followed the
right course, my dear Pliny, in your examination of the cases against with
being Christians, for it is impossible to lay down a general rule to a fixed
formula. These people must not be hunted out; if they are brought before you
and the charged against them is proved, they must be punished, but in the case
of anyone who denies that he is a Christian, and shall makes it clear that he
is not by offering prayers to our gods, he is to be pardoned as a result of his
repentance however suspect his past conduct may be. But pamphlets circulated
anonymously must play no part in any accusation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They create the worst sort of precedent and
are quite out of keeping with the spirit of our age.” (Book 10, Letter 97 pg.
295)</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Emperor who is so
paranoid he does not want to see and organized fire department for fear of what
it could turn into did not think the Christians amounted to any sort of threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trajan’s letter is seen as evidence that most
of the early emperors prior to the Crisis of the Third Century were not
actively persecuting the Christians themselves; rather it was done at a more
local level. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pjs99Qhy6bzntBOGBJnwiVDk9da3xa0vwhz4G7q9oGN78AVS5mq47U9NafZWpMQ0JC7mlbvyGQp83XHrCFniV99AEjStdvEIpuuJHlar8A3S73OEW6tyOr8WH-0Oodbuqslvd84/s1600/TrajanStatue2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pjs99Qhy6bzntBOGBJnwiVDk9da3xa0vwhz4G7q9oGN78AVS5mq47U9NafZWpMQ0JC7mlbvyGQp83XHrCFniV99AEjStdvEIpuuJHlar8A3S73OEW6tyOr8WH-0Oodbuqslvd84/s320/TrajanStatue2.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emperor Trajan, Pliny's boss who is afraid of organized firemen but not Christians.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you are looking for some great primary source
material from antiquity it does not get much better than the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Letters of the Younger Pliny.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">{Video was posted by List 25 on YouTube}</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsj3x4QLwNVzwMfbSNYtaQEYA0tL85EIBOoENwSsu_-K1lh375UCUUXmXkYb98GGSoFTmKFaKtY4SJQkgezm-W8BIEuItIRGnQj_XnxpB498_AoCkb5ZXTyZ-p7ygEv354Zb63lQ/s1600/Livy+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsj3x4QLwNVzwMfbSNYtaQEYA0tL85EIBOoENwSsu_-K1lh375UCUUXmXkYb98GGSoFTmKFaKtY4SJQkgezm-W8BIEuItIRGnQj_XnxpB498_AoCkb5ZXTyZ-p7ygEv354Zb63lQ/s320/Livy+book.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
<br />
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A review of Titus
Livius’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Early History of Rome </i>Translated
by Aubery De Selincourt with Introduction by Robert Ogilvie (27 B.C. original,
this copy 1971)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
(Rating 5 of 5)</div>
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One of the first things a person learns when studying
history is the difference between primary and secondary sources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George Washington’s war journal is a primary
source of history while a biography on Washington written in the 20<sup>th</sup>
century is considered a secondary source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the ancient world is researched these lines become a little
blurred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example anything written by
a Roman is considered a primary source on Rome even, like in this book, when
the author is writing about events centuries after the events happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this is technically primary source
material but it doesn’t feel like it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his
famous work <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://jeremyshistoryreviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/welcome-to-1830s.html" target="_blank">Democracy in America</a>, </i>Alexis
de Tocqueville mentioned that America was lucky to have been born already
literate so when we research our origins we are sure of our birthright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pointed out that Europeans when
researching their personal country’s beginnings it is hard to separate fact
from fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see this in Livy’s
work as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Livy is telling us Rome’s
origins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet the stories can be so
fantastic, Romulus and Remus being saved by a wolf for example, that you can
not help but be skeptical of their claims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On
narrative Livy excels, his work is never boring he tells exciting stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even invites the reader to be skeptical at
some of the claims that get proposed for often he throws doubt on them himself;
such as suggesting that the story of King Romulus ascending to the heavens
might have been a cover for a political assassination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite tale however is how King Tarquin
I selected his successor. Tarquin sees a slave boy, Servius Tullius, head catch
on fire and he remained unharmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
King took the boy under his wing, and when Servius grew to manhood King Tarquin arranged for the young man to marry one his
daughters. When the King was murdered by the son of his predecessor, the
Queen begged Servius to follow the King's wishes and take the crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The story
of Rome’s last king is one Livy’s finer stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Livy paints a horrid tale of a man who killed
his wife and brother so he could marry his sister-in-law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He grows bitter with Servius and openly challenges him. He mocked his father's successor lowborn as a
slave’s son to his own status as a king’s son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>King Tarquin II after murdering Servius takes the throne and rules as a
tyrant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet it was not his tyranny but rather the rape of Lucretia
by the King's son that led the people of Rome to rebellion. In that rebellion, Lucius Junius Brutus chased out the
tyrant king. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="305" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9EOr2hDzGcg" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> In addition to being interesting
there are times where Livy can be downright weird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess you can chalk up to him being a man
of his time and that time was thousand years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a case in point observe Livy describe
the infamous Rape of the Sabine women. (That has some disturbing parallels with some political events in Nigeria in recent years.) Rome as a new city, having no women, tries
to arrange marriages with nearby towns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are a refused so Romulus plans a party and invites their neighbors
and their daughters. While the party is going on the trap is sprung and soldiers come out and kidnap many of the young women of
marriageable age and kicked their families out of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Then the great moment came; the
show began, and nobody had eyes or thoughts for anything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the Romans’ opportunity: at a given
signal all the able-bodied men burst through the crowd and seized the young
women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the girls were the prize
of whoever got hold of them first, but a few conspicuously handsome ones had
been previously marked down for leading senators, and were brought to the house
by special gangs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was one young woman
of much greater beauty than the rest; and the story goes that she was by a
party of men belonging to the household of someone called Thalassius, and in
reply to the many questions about whose house they were taking her to, they, to
prevent anyone else laying hands upon her, kept shouting, ‘Thalassius,
Thalassius!’ This was the origin of the use of this word at weddings.” (p. 44)</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now at
first there is nothing odd there, just a description of a rather disturbing
historical event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where it gets weird is
his later statements.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“The women in course of time lost
their resentment; but no sooner had they learned to accept their lot than their
parents began to stir up trouble in the earnest.” (p. 45)</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yeah, they
just got over it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And phooey on their
parents who never got over their daughters being kidnapped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later when the Romans and the Sabines are
about to go to war it is these women who play a Disney Pocahontas type role,
and throw themselves in between their fathers and husbands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This causes peace and much rejoicing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNCsAwve6Ylyap9Ueoyi2ff86lmHaTQbTpzdSBwx3CnzcRqcUih_6S2dAUqSWdcv_Or_NfCqP_zCy5MECVazF3vsu1G4K_ObYVzPOXY6TxFELj7UH5zAIinRAgXsaNfvmbHOviiU/s1600/Poussin_RapeSabineLouvre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNCsAwve6Ylyap9Ueoyi2ff86lmHaTQbTpzdSBwx3CnzcRqcUih_6S2dAUqSWdcv_Or_NfCqP_zCy5MECVazF3vsu1G4K_ObYVzPOXY6TxFELj7UH5zAIinRAgXsaNfvmbHOviiU/s320/Poussin_RapeSabineLouvre.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="irc_su" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The Rape of the Sabine Women, by Nicolas Poussin</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of my
favorite pieces in the book is when Livy takes shots directly at Emperor
Augustus in the form of a back-handed compliment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Livy’s time Marcus Licinius Crassus,
grandson of the triumvir who had the same name, led a campaign against a tribe
called the Bastarnae.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the battle
he killed King Deldo in single combat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
Killing an enemy's leader in single combat entitled one to a particular honor that </span>Crassus demanded and that Augustus was
reluctant to give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Augustus used the
excuse that since Crassus had not been the supreme commander he was therefore
denied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(During the Republic the supreme commander was the magistrate in command. In the imperial system the supreme
commander was always the Emperor even when he wasn’t there.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it was pointed out that
said honor had not been so limited in the past and gave the example of Aulus
Cornelius Cossus, who was just a tribune.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was suddenly
‘discovered’ that Cossus had indeed been supreme commander after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I have followed all previous
chroniclers in saying that Aulus Cornelius Cossus was a senior officer—‘army
tribune—when he deposited the ‘spoils of honor’ in the temple of Jupiter
Feretrius; but there is a difficulty here, for in addition to the fact that the
expression ‘spoils of honor’ is probably applicable only when they are taken by
the supreme commander from the supreme commander of the enemy, and that we
recognize no supreme commander apart from the man under whose auspices the
campaign is fought, the actual inscription on the spoils proves that Cossus was
consul when he took them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard
that Augustus Caesar, founder and restorer of all our temples, enter the shrine
of Jupiter Feretrius, which he had caused to be rebuilt after many years of
neglect and dilapidation, and himself read the inscription on the linen
corselet, and I have felt, in consequence, that it would be almost sacrilege to
deprive Cossus so great a witness to his spoils as Caesar, the restorer of that
very shrine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By what error the ancient
annals and the Linen Rolls of magistrates in the temple of Moneta, cited again
and again as his authority by Licinius Macer, only record Cossos as having
shared the consulship seven years later with Titus Quinctius Pennus, is
anybody’s guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it is impossible
to shift the date of such a famous battle to the subsequent year, because
Cossus’s consulship (to assume the later date) fell within a three-year period
which, owing to famine and epidemics, there were no wars at all—indeed certain
annals of the time, as dismal as death registers, gives us nothing beyond the
names of the consuls.” (p. 291-292)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Take that
Augustus.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Early History of Rome </i>is a great
read even if its status as a primary source should somewhat be questioned. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">{Video is from YouTube posted by </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a class="yt-uix-sessionlink g-hovercard spf-link " data-sessionlink="itct=CDEQ4TkiEwjmo4zKva3KAhUgNL4KHWEHArko-B0" data-ytid="UCNW1n7ctSkW3cgYFCzKPK3A" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNW1n7ctSkW3cgYFCzKPK3A">Tom Mackenzie</a>}</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=histbookrev02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0140448098&asins=0140448098&linkId=TKBESLPB5XZMZXZP&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-67354077720397869342016-01-11T21:24:00.001-05:002016-01-15T02:51:59.473-05:00LAST DAYS OF SOCRATES<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqrN-yML4f__Drid_WJB1sRWkkmV48EEaInoDmyUfpLY_ZkthDuswAJcAZkvrexa7KbxD2DxOgXffeJ8zT6nRcUmpZ1v_gSPuYujp4_rshmRrMVXvAIUmjdNHp_QDYqmyn5Pf46A/s1600/Socrates+death+of+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqrN-yML4f__Drid_WJB1sRWkkmV48EEaInoDmyUfpLY_ZkthDuswAJcAZkvrexa7KbxD2DxOgXffeJ8zT6nRcUmpZ1v_gSPuYujp4_rshmRrMVXvAIUmjdNHp_QDYqmyn5Pf46A/s1600/Socrates+death+of+book.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A review
of G.M. A. Grube's translation of Plato’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Trial and Death of
Socrates </i>with John M. Copper revising (circa 390 BC, my copy 2000)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Rating 4 of 5)</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Trial and Death of Socrates</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a collection
of works by Plato on Socrates that gives a narrative of Socrates's trial and
execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Socrates had been going around Athens committing the horrible crimes of saying things that other people don’t like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for Socrates, those “other people” were the ones who held
power in Athens. That really is the long and short of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Socrates
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</span>Therefore Socrates was a threat to their safety and had to go. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DwxpnCd2KjasOdeOxCqeVyqnD5any1bvONq_vMcKqebjC4s37YfAruTR7akyowEtdp2lqmBOoeMadlXsACwowdSC-QJRuwxLGvTXKdUkfCYWp0hQqso1wCkic8SWWX96fZa6DUI/s1600/T+and+D+of+Soc+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DwxpnCd2KjasOdeOxCqeVyqnD5any1bvONq_vMcKqebjC4s37YfAruTR7akyowEtdp2lqmBOoeMadlXsACwowdSC-QJRuwxLGvTXKdUkfCYWp0hQqso1wCkic8SWWX96fZa6DUI/s320/T+and+D+of+Soc+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Death of Socrates </i>by Jacques-Louis David</td></tr>
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Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3294390673690011881.post-64916400868465098482016-01-10T03:41:00.000-05:002016-01-11T21:26:42.373-05:00PLATO’S REPUBLIC<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstZITOOkFI6UeoKCvPEb4CkpRrnx_svpzY6FBUWFUhibynHPD-uDh0eKt3kCqoDii_6vVAdmHJ57A9X3em9XdqW-67TLe9-SBQhmhvNhzApCLH258_0QHe4eXxPgrR7Sx7aqxg3Q/s1600/Republic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstZITOOkFI6UeoKCvPEb4CkpRrnx_svpzY6FBUWFUhibynHPD-uDh0eKt3kCqoDii_6vVAdmHJ57A9X3em9XdqW-67TLe9-SBQhmhvNhzApCLH258_0QHe4eXxPgrR7Sx7aqxg3Q/s1600/Republic.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
A review of Allan
Bloom’s translation of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Republic of
Plato</i> (360 B.C. original, 1967 translation, 1991 my copy)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
(Rating 3 of 5)</div>
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<br /></div>
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I have to be honest, I rated this higher than I wanted
because of what a historic book it is and its impact of Western Civilization. Yet I still rated low enough to cause myself some embarrassment. I try to remind myself that I am rating a translation as much as the original work, but I must confess I find philosophy to
be such a bore that the whole thing was a chore for me to get through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now understand while most college courses
only have you read parts of it. Yes, there is that nice part about the cave and Socrates's thoughts on types of governments, however I found most of it to be just a rambling conversation that I often found
hard to follow. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Allan Bloom
has a good but long essay at the end that goes on for over a hundred
pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My only suggestion would have
been to break the essay up into ten parts and feature them at the front of each
of ten books that make up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Republic</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would have made it easier to
follow. Not only would it allow the reader a better way to pace themselves but
it also would enable them to focus on the important parts of each book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I was done
I found myself thinking of the old Mark Twain quote, “A classic is a book that
everyone wishes to have read but no one wants to read.” </div>
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<br />
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Jeremy A. Perronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668167907616258765noreply@blogger.com0