"He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish" (opening line). The Old Man and the Sea is a rich and deep novella about an old fisherman named Santiago and his Herculean effort to overcome a dry-spell and … Continue reading The Writer’s Endurance: The Old Man and the Sea
Tag: writing
The Sicilian Expedition: Alcibiades and Nicias in Thucydides’s Peloponnesian War (Books VI-VII)
Thucydides claims the Peloponnesian War is the greatest event or movement in human history, and the most important part of this great war takes place in Books VI-VII: The ill-fated Sicilian Expedition. The Sicilian Expedition represents the turning point in the war. Thucydides begins to explain the expedition by offering a history of the origins … Continue reading The Sicilian Expedition: Alcibiades and Nicias in Thucydides’s Peloponnesian War (Books VI-VII)
The Norman Kings (1066-1154)
After the death of William The Conqueror his kingdom was divided between his sons: Robert was given Dukedom of Normandy, William II was given the Kingship of England, and Henry was awarded riches. This uneasy arrangement was all but certain to cause tension. William II was the second surviving son of William The Conqueror. He … Continue reading The Norman Kings (1066-1154)
Octopussy
Octopussy (1983) Director: John Glen ★★☆☆☆ The thirteenth canonical Eon James Bond film, or the scandalously titled "Octopussy," is also the sixth Bond film to star the silly and dapper Roger Moore. The film takes its title from Ian Fleming's short story found in Octopussy and The Living Daylights -a short story collection published in … Continue reading Octopussy
The Grapes of Wrath: An Epic Dust Bowl Tragedy
"To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth" (opening lines) The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck's epic story of a Dust Bowl migrant family, celebrated its 80th anniversary this year. The novel was originally born out of a … Continue reading The Grapes of Wrath: An Epic Dust Bowl Tragedy
Anglo-Saxon England, Part IV
Taking a step back for a moment, we return to the Viking pirates, the fearless thieves of the icy north who surprised much of Western Europe when their long-boats suddenly appeared out of the fog of the Dark Ages, sacking coastal towns, raiding churches, slaughtering and conquering thousands. At the time, the early Christian kingdoms … Continue reading Anglo-Saxon England, Part IV
