History
[caption id="attachment_45864" align="aligncenter" width="610"] Photo Credit: Library of Congress[/caption] Before the space age dawned, the great frontiers for adventure and exploration were the polar regions. Sir Ernest Shackleton was part of two expeditions which set "Furthest South" records in 1902 and 1909, striving for the South Pole. After Captain Robert Scott's death on the way back…
I’m a fan of historical films (see my reviews of They Shall Not Grow Old and Darkest Hour). I had read some sharp criticism of last year’s dramatization First Man and didn’t see it, but Melanie and I had a recent “date afternoon” and watched the purely documentary Apollo 11 at a local IMAX theater.…
Everyone thought newspaper heiress Katherine Graham was in over her head in serving as the publisher of The Washington Post, but then she had to face a decision that would rock even the most experienced newspaperman. It was 1971 and Americans were growing weary with the war in Vietnam. The first military advisors were sent…
“Nineteen men attacked our country. The twelve of you are the first to fight back.” 12 Strong is the story of the Army Special Forces team which dropped into northern Afghanistan 39 days after 9/11, our first military response to bin Ladin's terrorist network. Their mission was to link up with an Afghan commander named General…
Our family makes a point this time of year to talk about the courage of Martin Luther, but there are reasons beyond a spirit of “Yaaaay, TEAM! Go, Protestants, go!” There are some serious lessons that we want our children to absorb from Luther’s life, and they’re not Protestant-vs-Catholic talking points – they apply to…
September 27 is the birthday of one of the nearly-forgotten Founding Fathers, Samuel Adams. His cousin John Adams became George Washington's vice president and then his successor; Samuel is known for a modern beer brand. In fact, this founder of the Sons of Liberty and eventual governor of Massachusetts was actually a political activist and an intellectual…
In a dinner party discussion of David McCullough’s recently released biography of John Adams, Ira Stoll volunteered that his favorite Adams was Sam. Everyone thought he meant the beer. Actually, Stoll admires the uncompromising and incorruptible Samuel Adams, who was an indifferent brewer but a zealous patriot. This volume is Stoll’s attempt to clear away…
Recently some of his family members discovered the long-missing sword of Col. Robert Gould Shaw, the commander of the first African-American regiment in the Civil War, the 54th Massachusetts. Historians matched the serial number on the blade and confirmed that this really is the sword he carried in the assault on Fort Wagner, S.C., where…
Veteran's Day is one of those holidays everyone has heard of, but few people seem to know much about. This subscriber freebie changes all that... All you need to do is sign up for our encouraging newsletter and you can access our great Veteran's Day Celebration Guide for Families. It has links to songs, recipes, and…
Are you worried about our country? Lots of people are. Awhile back on our podcast, Making Family Life Practical we gave an answer to our friends posting on social media that they are so worried about our country that they don't really feel like celebrating the Fourth of July. Scroll down for our Independence Day gift…