Gleeful Gecko » History

A Muppet Wicker Man

Brett — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:08:06 +0000

Just what it says on the tin. Based on the real Wicker Man movie, not the Nick Cage one. Very well done. Read in the full size.

Two Quickies

Brett — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:04:06 +0000

First is about how the cruise industry really hasn’t changed much in the last hundred years.

Second is about Boy Scouts doing the awesome, clearing a woman’s home of vultures.

Bosworth Location Revealed

Brett — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:52:33 +0000

The actual site of the Battle of Bosworth has been found about a mile from the traditional site. Found on the field were cannon balls, arrows and armor as well as a boar pin thought to be carried by someone close to Richard III, who died on the field.

Today In History: Myles Standish Takes Command

Brett — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:13:21 +0000

February 17th: Today in 1621 Myles Standish is appointed the the first commander of the Plymouth colony. He was a soldier hired by the colonists and arrived with them on the Mayflower. He led the early defenses of the colony and later founded the town of Duxbury.

Snowmaggedon 2010

Brett — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:59:03 +0000

Bird Feeder-8

Originally uploaded by Tancread

A cardinal waits while her mate feeds at our bird feeder during Washington DC’s Snowmaggedon 2010.

What If: Our Founding Fathers Were A Hair Band?

Brett — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:19:10 +0000

The Battery

Brett — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:40:09 +0000

The Battery

Originally uploaded by Tancread

Went walking at Antietam Battlefield this morning. This was my favorite of the photos I took.

Moral: If You Are Going To Shell The Neighbors, Use A 12 Pounder At Least.

Brett — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:03:05 +0000

Never bring a grasshopper gun to a siege gun’s job.

Appreciating the Troops, 600 Years Later

Brett — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:31:53 +0000

A remarkable database of English soldiers has been made available online for research into medieval soldiers. The records are the compiled information on soldiers who served between 1369 and 1453, which includes the Battle of Agincourt. A more recent collection of US Military records is available at the Ancestry web site.

Second North World Book Out

Brett — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:09:36 +0000

North World by Lars Brown

The second book of Lars Brown’s North World has just come out and it is very good. I have been reading this strip on the web since just after it started. On the web I felt the current story line dragged a bit, though it has picked up solidly as the story wrapped up, in the books I think the pacing works much better. The story is a modern day D&D type story with the world largely as it is, but with fantastic monsters and perils lurking in dark places. Conrad, our hero, is a young adventurer who has returned to his hometown to try to prevent a demon from taking over the town. It doesn’t go quite as he planned as family and old friends trip up his investigation and he begins to question him chosen life. Good heroic fantasy with several surprise twists and some good character development. I highly recommend picking up both books, and at the moment Lars is including a small sketch when you order from him. You can get the books here and check out the webcomic here.

Take That York!

Brett — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:28:14 +0000

So they have found a reference to Robin Hood in an old clerical document that places him in Sherwood Forest, probably during the reign of Edward I. York has been trying to snatch old Robin from Nottingham for awhile now, this should set them back a piece. Heh heh, take that York!

I Only Look At The Pictures

Brett — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:26:36 +0000

Sigh, I must have only been looking at the pictures, I didn’t notice Kate Beaton has a new website for her cartoons complete with archives. I was surprised she stayed on Live Journal so long as her primary base, but even though I must have skipped some of them at some point I hope she keeps up with the elaboration she gave there.

The Truth Will Set You Free

Brett — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:24:27 +0000

It may take awhile, but they can’t hide the truth from us forever.

Dark Horse Presents: Kate Beaton

Brett — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:13:36 +0000

One of my favorite web cartoonists is featured in this month’s Dark Horse Presents from Dark Horse Comics, check out Kate Beaton’s take on Darwin. I am glad to see her getting attention, her comics are the best history comics on the web.

Lost Cities of the Amazon

Brett — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:36:38 +0000

Amazon Jungle by leoffreitas

Interesting story about “The Lost City of Z”, a book about exploration for the lost civilizations of the Amazon. The article focuses on Percy Fawcett who disappeared in the Amazon jungle in 1925, but it gives a good overview on how the scholarship on the Amazon has changed over the years to point where Fawcett’s once dismissed theories are starting to look more and more real. Well, not all of his theories, his racial theories are still pretty out there, but there is a growing body of evidence that the Amazon may well be the site of many significant civilizations who were seed civilizations for most of South America ten thousand years ago.

One thing I always find depressing in these stories is that everyone mentioned is usually a US based professor. I have to suspect that there is work being done on these topics in South America itself, but it never seems to turn up. I am not sure if this is because it is easier to call someone in Ohio then in Lima but it makes me suspect we are only seeing part of the picture.