Today, Luddite is often used as a derogatory term to describe a technophobe, any person who scorns new technology. But its origin dates back over two hundred years to an early 19th-century English labor rebellion. Luddites railed against mechanized manufacturing that threatened the livelihood of skilled craftsmen and artisans during the Industrial Revolution. The originalContinue reading “Were the Luddites right all along?”
Author Archives: andrewspaulw
Diane de Poitiers, Royal Mistress Extraordinaire
Diane de Poitiers was a remarkable 16th century courtesan, the mistress of French King Henri II. She wielded considerable power and influence at the French court, garnering considerable wealth along the way. All this, despite a royal rivalry between Diane and Henry’s wife, Queen Catherine de Medici. The Queen and Diane loathed each other andContinue reading “Diane de Poitiers, Royal Mistress Extraordinaire”
Podcast: The Bloody Partition of India and Pakistan
After 200 years of British imperial rule, India had finally achieved its independence in 1947. What should have been a moment of joyful triumph turned into a year of unthinkable bloodshed. The independence and partition of India created three separate, independent states: a Hindu India and Muslim West and East Pakistan. It was the final solution of the British Empire. FewContinue reading “Podcast: The Bloody Partition of India and Pakistan”
King Shaka Zulu – the Napoleon of Africa
In the early 1800’s, in what is now KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, a powerful kingdom arose. Its leader was the cruel yet clever King Shaka. Under his rule, the small Zulu tribe grew and conquered all other tribes in the region. During his reign, more than a hundred chiefdoms were brought together in a unifiedContinue reading “King Shaka Zulu – the Napoleon of Africa”
The Hickory Polio Miracle
In the spring on 1944 , World War II was still raging in both Europe and the Pacific. At the same time, another deadly threat was invading the U.S. state of North Carolina – a dreaded polio epidemic. Regional hospitals were quickly maxed out with young, sick children. Desperate parents needed a solution, but whatContinue reading “The Hickory Polio Miracle”
The Indestructible Soldier – Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart
British war hero Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart survived both the trenches of World War I and PoW camps of World War II. During battles he was shot in the face, losing an eye, and shot through the skull, stomach, groin, ankle and ear. In WW I, he was severely wounded no less than eightContinue reading “The Indestructible Soldier – Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart”
Why is Greenland a part of Denmark?
Though a part of the North American continent, Greenland has been associated first with Norway, then Denmark since the 9th Century. Its head of state is King Frederik X of Denmark. It is an autonomous Danish territory with self-government and its own parliament. But how did this all come about?
Podcast: Jamaica’s Port Royal Sank into the Sea
Jamaica’s Port Royal was the richest, busiest, and most nefarious port in the Caribbean Sea, frequented by smugglers, pirates, and prostitutes. All that changed on June 7, 1692 when Port Royal was hit by a massive earthquake, subsequent tsunami, and literally sank into the sea like the legendary Atlantis. Click BOOKS for more by historicalContinue reading “Podcast: Jamaica’s Port Royal Sank into the Sea”
Podcast: Marguerite Alibert – from Prostitute to Princess
Marguerite Alibert lived many different lives. She had gone from poverty to prostitution to princes – not just one, but two. She was a beautiful yet hard woman who survived the gritty world of Paris poverty, only to mingle among France’s elite. Marguerite viewed sex and love not from a romantic perspective, but as a means toContinue reading “Podcast: Marguerite Alibert – from Prostitute to Princess”
The Real Macaronis – Britain’s Scandalous Mens Club
There have always been daring trendsetters throughout history, from fops and dandies to our more modern hipsters and fashionistas. The ‘Macaronis’ of 18th century Britain outdid them all in their extravagant fashion excesses and pretentiousness. These young, male British aristocrats were famous not just for their extremely elaborate (and often effeminate) dress, but for theirContinue reading “The Real Macaronis – Britain’s Scandalous Mens Club”