MetaFilter posts tagged with world and war

Women Veterans Historical Collection

tellurian — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:01:59 -0800

Jean M. Fasse (Red Cross during WWII, and later the Special Service). Shirley Ann Thacker (WAVE). Just two of the interviews from the extensive collection of material (photographs, letters, diaries, scrapbooks, oral histories and posters) at the Women Veterans Historical Collection.

A Soldier's Letters from World War I

Pater Aletheias — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:59:39 -0800

Soldier's Mail: Letters Home from a New England Soldier, 1916-1919.

The Economist: The World in 2009

goodnewsfortheinsane — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:00:30 -0800

In 2009, a remarkably gifted politician, confronting a remarkably difficult set of challenges, will have to learn to say "No we can't", Guantánamo will prove a moral minefield, economic recovery will be invisible to the naked eye, governments must prepare for the day they stop financial guarantees, we will judge our commitment to sustainability, scientists should research the causes of religion, we will all be potential online paparazzi, English will have more words than any other language (but it's meaningless), Afghanistan will see a surge of Western (read: American) troops, Iran will continue its nuclear quest while diplomacy lies in shambles, the sea floor is the new frontier, we should rethink aging, (non-)voters will continue to thwart the European project -- but cheap travel will continue to buoy it -- though it has some unfinished business to attend to, and a Nordic defence bond will blossom.

The Economist: The World in 2009. Previously: 2008, 2007. How did we do last time around? And what will we probably be wrong about this time? Guest contributions: President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seeks greater international cooperation and sees a growing global role for the larger emerging economies. Queen of Jordan Rania calls for education reform. Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd calls upon mid-size powers to be creative and effective with their influence. Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero emphasizes the importance of transparency and solidarity in Europe. Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, wedged between Russia and the EU, cites historical precedent. Former Secretary of State of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Henry Kissinger argues America will be less powerful, but will still be the essential nation in creating a new world order. Mayor Boris Johnson of London argues against over-regulation. Elections to watch: Brazil, Chile, European Parliament, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan. Also: Russia will enter its first real difficult years under Putin, Brown might not make it, we won't ban nukes but we can pretend, Ontario will receive economic help from other provinces, Australians will grow ever more thirsty, and Britain needs to make stuff again. World in 2009 blog.

Personal photos from the Pacific (WWII)

zzazazz — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:05:47 -0800

According to the photographer's daughter, "All photos in this collection were taken by then Lt. and later Capt. George S. White, my Father, while he was serving in the Pacific as a pilot. They are generally between 1945 and 1948 from what is documented." My favorites? The barmaid or postwar Tokyo or wrecked planes and airplane graveyards.

Last Call

IndigoJones — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:40:58 -0800

With the death of Louis de Cazenave, Lazare Ponticelli is the last surviving French veteran of World War One, and the country has been wondering how to mark the inevitable. By contrast, Germany's response to the recent death of Erich Kaestner has been a more muted affair, indeed, all but unnoted. Meanwhile, Britain's Henry Allingham and Harry Patch and William Stone just keep on going. (For those interested, more comprehensive international lists can be found here and here)

Biplanes and triplanes and Zeppelins-- Oh My!

dersins — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:16:14 -0800

WWI-era aviation photos (page 2): Biplanes and triplanes and Zeppelins-- oh my!

Zeitgeist - Hegel would NOT be proud.

Baldons — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:16:39 -0800

Zeitgeist, the movie [Google Video link embedded] - An interesthing, if bizarre, mix of buffed-up comparative mythology, 9/11 conspiracy theories and New world order rambling about banks, loans, debts and war. Is paranoia the spirit of our times?

Mystery at Shingle Street

rongorongo — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:10:05 -0800

Shingle Street is a tiny, picturesque hamlet on the coast of Suffolk harbouring a big WW2 mystery: the best developed rumour is of an attempt by the Germans to invade Britain at this spot which was anticipated and intercepted by pumping fuel onto the sea surface and setting fire to it. UK files on the subject are closed, again mysteriously, until 2021. Ronald Ashford, who claims to have been an eye witness, has a lot more information. You can stay.

11/11

mwhybark — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:16:14 -0800

The Great War in the Air is a 69-part video project, clearly a labor of love, by one Jan Goldstein, a musician, painter, and publican. Overwhelmed? Here's a representative sample: Part 7, on the French ace Georges Guynemer. Please note: extensive use of YouTube. Many of the images seen in the film may be perused at earlyaviator.com.

Nazi home movies

bobbyelliott — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 02:56:02 -0800

A 10 minute home movie taken by an SS officer has been discovered in an English church. It shows SS officers and secretaries relaxing in the summer of 1942 in southern Russia. The last couple of minutes shows footage from a slave labor camp in that area. The footage was taken at the height of the German success in Russia, a few months before the turning point in the Russian campaign - and probably the turning point in the Second World War.

One evening in November, 1914, I found myself in Calais

mwhybark — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 14:58:22 -0800

The Great War: "People at the time experienced it differently. We may think they were misinformed and deluded, and perhaps they were, or maybe we have become incredibly cynical and mistrusting. What were once considered to be civic virtues are now thought to be quaint anachronisms at best or grand delusions at worst. Things change." The site proffers an incredible variety of popular-press articles and imagery concerning the unfortunate European events of 1914 to 1918.

Olbermann Tears O'Reilly a New One

fourcheesemac — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:14:16 -0800

O'Reilly insults American victims of a WWII war crime, and Keith Olbermann calls him out. It's been a while since I've seen pure outrage so eloquently expressed. The facts about Malmédy are well known. (WMV and QT video links via Crooks and Liars).

The New Face of World War

Gyan — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:38:07 -0800

World War IV As Fourth-Generation Warfare

Oh, Color!

Lockeownzj00 — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 18:56:15 -0800

Oh, Color! From abstract artistic applications to the history of pigments, color has lots splainin' to do. For example, who put color in my World War I photos?! (insert Michael Jackson joke here)

Erik Petersen

IndigoJones — Thu, 02 Jun 2005 19:02:07 -0800

Erik Petersen. Danish newspaper photographer. Died in 1997. He took a number of pictures around WWII. He never developed them. Fortunately, sixty years later, someone else has. Now they can be found in a book. Here's a bit of bloggery as well.

Ma! I Miss your Apple Pie!

jasonspaceman — Wed, 11 May 2005 04:57:37 -0800

World War Two Songs. CBS World News audio from World War II. Also, vintage audio and songs from the World War I era.

Stille Nacht

tomcosgrave — Sun, 19 Dec 2004 15:58:21 -0800

Alfred Anderson, last survivor of the 1914 Christmas Truce
Apparently, Alfred Anderson is the last man still living who spent 25 December 1914 serving in a conflict that left 31 million people dead, wounded or missing.

Poland At War

cmonkey — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 14:18:09 -0800

Poland at War - Photographs of Nazi-occupied Poland taken between 1939 and 1945

11-11

mwhybark — Thu, 11 Nov 2004 09:12:42 -0800

Armistice Day: WW1 Document Archive. Verdun memorial. The Western Front today. A World War One Literature Blog. Trenches on the Web, unsurprisingly slammed today, it seems.

Consider visiting a nearby military cemetary today. I've found it to be a worthwhile use of my time in the past.

luser — Wed, 20 Jun 2001 03:23:18 -0800

Mass grave of 24 World War I dead discovered in France. There's no way history is boring. Especially to a Belgian or French farmer.