The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Director: Peter Jackson "Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Let justice be done upon him!" ★★★★★ Each film in The Lord of the Rings series was an Academy Award winner, however Return of the King won all eleven Academy Awards for … Continue reading The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King →

"On The Quai at Smyrna" is an unusual short story by Ernest Hemingway. It is about 1-page in length, but it is hardly a story at all. Instead, it is a stream-of-consciousness collage of images from Smyrna around 1922 in the immediate wake of the Greco-Turkish War. The Greco-Turkish War was a proxy war that … Continue reading Thoughts on “On The Quai at Smyrna” →

In contrast to his father, few English monarchs had such extensive leadership training and military preparation as Edward I. He was thirty-three years old when his father Henry III died, and by that point he had experienced the bitter sting of defeat as well as the sweet taste of victory over Simon de Montfort during … Continue reading The Plantagenets: Edward I “Longshanks” & “Hammer of the Scots” (1272-1307) →

The "Shu-Jing," or the book sometimes translated as "The Book of Documents," is an obscure compilation of speeches and records of major political conversations dating back to Confucian China. The speeches typically take place between a king/emperor and his ministers. Tradition holds that Confucius, himself, compiled the text. It was revised and re-worked over time … Continue reading What is the Book of Documents? →

I recently read through a few of the popular French fairy tales compiled, written, and re-told by Charles Perrault. Little Red Riding HoodPerrault's tale is about pretty country girl whom everyone calls "little red riding hood" because of her red hood. One day, her mother bakes some girdle cakes to bring to her grandmother who … Continue reading Notes on Charles Perrault’s Fairy Tales →

Nearly a hundred years passed since Julius Caesar launched Rome's inaugural skirmish into Britannia. During the course of that time Rome had degenerated into an imperial rulership. Julius Caesar was assassinated by his political opponents -he was stabbed to death on the floor of the Senate on March 15 in 44 BC. Following his death, … Continue reading Roman Britain – Claudius Invades Britannia (AD 43) & the End of Roman Britain →