Recent comments in /f/history

ocasas t1_jbfx83d wrote

Reply to comment by ubzrvnT in Humans Started Riding Horses 5,000 Years Ago, New Evidence Suggests by Magister_Xehanort

Yeah, that's how it is taught in most romance language speaking countries: Six continents one of those being America.

And yes, when we say "American history", we include North, Central and South America there. Hence why when you say 'americans had llamas?' I don't think of the US founding fathers, but of the Incas.

Don't you think it is weird to have your country co-opt the name of it's continent? America inside North America? Imagine calling someone from Louisiana 'south american', you have to get by using 'southern'.

The only other country I can't think of of this happening is South Africa, but they always use 'South' so there is no mistaking it for anything else.

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dropbear123 t1_jbfx2ze wrote

Reply to Bookclub and Sources Wednesday! by AutoModerator

Finished one book a few days ago Shots From The Front: The British Soldier 1914-18 by Richard Holmes

>3/5

>Covers all the main information about the tactics and life of British soldiers during the First World War combined with lots of pictures. Good mix of areas, not just the Western Front. The photos are also good quality in the hardback version I read plus there is a lot of commentary (what it shows, whether it was staged or genuine, when it was probably taken) etc and links in the text to the photos, rather than the photos just being completely random. Of the photos my favourite is probably number 47 which shows a woman from the Women's Royal Naval Service training the soldiers on how to use the gas masks. The writing was fine but for me personally I felt there was a little bit too much on regiments and uniform details, but it is a rather short book so it didn't drag too much.

>While the book was fine and I would recommend it if you can find or see a cheap copy I was also sort of disappointed with it. I've read a quite a few of Holmes' books and really enjoyed them all (in particular 'Tommy' which is a lot more in-depth about the WWI British soldiers, 'Redcoat' about the 18th and 19th century soldiers and 'Sahib' about British soldiers in India up to WWI) but this one just didn't work as well for me and I can't really say why.

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ZiggySTRDST t1_jbfw30p wrote

Reply to Bookclub and Sources Wednesday! by AutoModerator

I want to read a book on Arthur Wellesley and I’m trying to decide between Elizabeth Langford’s Years of the Sword/Pillar of State and Richard Holmes Wellington: The Iron Duke. Just wondering which people here would recommend?

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ploploplo OP t1_jbfpmgc wrote

Reply to In the summer of 1897, 20 Black U.S. Army infantrymen cycled 1,900 miles on fixed-gear, state-of-the-art bikes from Fort Missoula, Mont., to St. Louis. The Army ordered the grueling expedition to see whether soldiers could form a bicycle corps. by ploploplo

I had no idea about this 1897 expedition till I read this article about a man who reenacted the journey. On that note, kudos to him for regenerating interest in this fascinating moment in history.

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Who_dat604 t1_jbfljkt wrote

Reply to Bookclub and Sources Wednesday! by AutoModerator

The Far Land: 200 Years of Murder, Mania, and Mutiny in the South Pacific It about the mutiny of the hms bounty and the story of pitcarin Island

River of Darkness: Francisco Orellana's Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon Book by Buddy Levy

An account of orellanas journey down the Amazon the people and cheifdoms they encounter

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