...urned out to be real after all. See here. In a comment to an earlier post, Alan pointed out that it has been claimed that the photo I used was a propaganda fake. As I have previously discussed the subject of fake combat photos, I was appropriately mortified at the thought of having been taken in myself! So let's have a closer look at it ... Here it is again: It's an extremely well-known image. In fact, it seems that it requires a certain strength...
...the foreground is (I think) the House of the Vestals and behind that, the Palatine Hill. Actually, you can't see much of the hill itself because in front of it are these massive retaining walls. The Palatine was the most exclusive address in Republican Rome, and so naturally when the Emperors came along it's where they built their palaces. The massive Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine (M started it but C won the right to finish it at the Milvi...
...en over Britain from the late 1930s to 1952. There are all sorts of potential commercial and government uses for such a database, but for present purposes what it means is that he's clearly very well placed to investigate this problem. Here's the key comment from Chris which lays out what he has found (I've updated the image number per his followup comment): The real breakthrough was being able to look at the back of a wartime German copy of the H...
...present stage of aeronautics such phantasies, even if presented in a well balanced form, are apt to be a little ridiculous. That the author should have entirely overlooked any inconveniences or difficulties which the occupants of the various individual ships might experience of effecting a landing is a comparatively small matter, but we frankly fail to see that any useful purpose could be served by such a book, unless the author hopes to inspire o...
...ure, not that there 'should' have been one. Airminded · Rome 2a [...] my first day in Rome, I collapsed onto my bed in my little hotel room, watched Italian TV, and got a good [...] David OK, it happens that OUR alphabet is actually called the Latin (or Roman) alphabet! Not only we use the same order of letters they did, we actually borrowed the letters themselves (and their order) from them! (they in turn had borrowed it from the Etruscans, Greek...
...Foiled the Spies of the Kaiser in the First World War. Ticehurst: Tattered Flag Press, 2015. As the title suggests, takes a less sceptical view of the German spy menace than do Thomas Boghardt or Nicholas Hiley (or myself). Nevertheless very useful, not least for tracing the wartime name and function changes of the Secret Service Bureau/MO5/MI5 and its various branches! John Andreas Olsen (ed.). A History of Air Warfare. Washington, D.C.: Potomac...
...on. And their claims on her and yours will pull at her again, strong and real and healing. We'll likely never know if J.D.'s wife did, as Temple predicted if her advice was followed, 'find the will to live and the strength to endure'. I could use some advice myself. How should this letter be understood (3)? SIR, -- I understood we were going to meet force with force. What is murdering women and children but force? -- E. James, Colchester. The way...
...rs were businessmen keen to trade with Germany, but it also had a pro-Nazi flavour. The Link was similar in purpose, but less interested in camouflaging its anti-Semitism and pro-Nazism. Founded in 1937 by C. E. Carroll, formerly of the RFC, it was led by Admiral Sir Barry Domvile KBE CB CMG, a convinced and active fascist (he was also on the council of the Anglo-German Fellowship) who was a 18B internee between 1940 and 1943. Finally, the Right B...
...t it's about. Perhaps he viewed it as his most significant book? That several of his later books relate to it, or at least to allude to its title, might support this: Mr. Belloc Objects to the Outline of History, The Science of Life is 'a companion to The Outline of History' and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind is 'an Outline of Economic, Social and Political Science'. Also, I suspect that his future history, The Shape of Things to Come o...
...iazza del Campidoglio, a space designed by Michaelangelo. There are three palazzi on its edges: this one, the Palazzo Senatorio, is Rome's town hall. It was built in the 13th century, though the facade is from the late 16th (and the twin staircases are by Michaelangelo). The resting place for the birds is a replica of an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius which stood here for several centuries (see below). The other two palazzi are occupied by t...
