I may have read, or else vaguely remember, a scene from a book or film about the persecution of the Christians in Ancient Rome. The heroine is to be brought before the Roman officials (I forget exactly which ones) for examination on suspicion of being a Christian. A brutal-looking, scarred guard glares at her, enjoining…
Anyone familiar with historical studies is all too aware of the influence of Marxist and left-wing ideologies in the study and teaching of history. In too many quarters, famous episodes of history, movements and people are re-analysed through the prism of class, gender or race. Fortunately, not all historians have succumbed to such paradigms of…
Vietnam’s late General Vo Nguyen Giap (1911-2013) is credited with having single-handedly defeated French and United States forces. Or did he? This is a nice little romance, but is contradicted by awkward facts which are amply documented by historians. The truth is that while Saigon, capital of South Vietnam, was supported by one giant, the…
Twelve years after the synchronised al-Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and other targets in the United States, and the subsequent U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, Western nations are now drawing down their forces in anticipation of a complete withdrawal in 2014. As Australia has been involved in military operations for the…
