The Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet) & Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) are well-known and are part of the traditional tour of Istanbul’s ancient sites. But there are many other mosques deserving a visit. Here’s an overview of my favorites, over 20 years of visits to this city. Sültan Rustem Pasha Mosque is an Ottoman mosque near the Grand… Continue reading Exploring the ‘Other’ Mosques of Istanbul
Category: History – Fact & Fiction
The Rest of Istanbul – What You Missed on Your 1st Day Tour
I always spend few extra days in Istanbul While our itineraries cover the major sites in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul, there are many other attractions in this fascinating city. I always spend few extra days in Istanbul. Here are some of our favorites: Walkable from Sultanahmet Great Palace Mosaic Museum The museum is located… Continue reading The Rest of Istanbul – What You Missed on Your 1st Day Tour
Walking Through History – Georgia & Turkey 2023
We explore traditional and classical sites and seldom visited areas. Originally scheduled for spring 2020, we’re offering these tours starting in April 2023, dependent on pandemic conditions. There are 4 segments which can be combined: Georgia and Northeastern Turkey Southeastern Turkey Lycian Coast light hiking Cappadocia light hiking These can be combined for trips of… Continue reading Walking Through History – Georgia & Turkey 2023
Washington’s Crossing – The 1776 Trenton Campaign
by David Hackett Fischer An invading force gets bogged down while fighting an insurgency. While it could be ripped from today’s headlines, this is actually a book about the American Revolution. This is an impressive work on many levels. It’s an excellent history of George Washington’s first year as commander of the Continental army. It… Continue reading Washington’s Crossing – The 1776 Trenton Campaign
Bernard Cornwell’s The Fort: Revolutionary War Expedition
In July 1779, the Penobscot Expedition, a minor event in Revolutionary War history, took place. That year, the British were drawn to the Penobscot peninsula (Castine) for several reasons: because of its potential as a Loyalist refuge, because of its timber for the King’s navy, and because of its strategic naval position and coastal trade.… Continue reading Bernard Cornwell’s The Fort: Revolutionary War Expedition
On Tuesday Visit the Shaman
We’d arrive at out hotel about 5 pm, dripping sweat, but the room had a cooling fan and nominal AC. We had a typical dinner — prawn tandoori and mushroom masala, both excellent ( Wildgrass Restaurant). In an India known for spicy food, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh pride themselves on the hotness of their food. … Continue reading On Tuesday Visit the Shaman
Forgotten books of World War II
I discovered Pipeline to Battle a few years ago, in its original 1943 pocketbook edition, along with yellowed paperback editions of the other books described below. It’s one of a neglected / forgotten series of books written shortly after the war by mostly lower rank active participants. These give a better overall understanding of World… Continue reading Forgotten books of World War II
Pipeline to Battle – a Memoir of World War II
When the Jasmine revolution of early 2011 erupted, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt returned to the headlines; probably the most active coverage since World War II with the Desert Rats and Rommel’s Afrika Korps. Libya’s eastern province was known as the Western Desert in World War II since it protected Egypt’s western border. Throughout the early… Continue reading Pipeline to Battle – a Memoir of World War II
King Hereafter – Dorothy Dunnett’s recreation of Macbeth
King Hereafter – Dunnett’s unique retelling of the Macbeth story — actually, most resemblance to Shakespeare’s ‘Scottish Play’ is purely incidental. Like the revisioning of the Arthur tales by Bernard Cornwell, Mary Stewart and many others, the barebones of what we think we know of the story become mere background whispers. For example, in Dunnett’s… Continue reading King Hereafter – Dorothy Dunnett’s recreation of Macbeth
The Road Wigan Pier – George Orwell on Fascism
He realizes that the standard progressive stance fails to see that many of the goals of MAGA are compatible with a progressive program – it’s the higher-level ideology that results in the cause ‘that dares not speak its name ‘– fascism.