Language is a powerful shaping force of civilization, and each of the world’s languages is changing constantly. The way we speak has a profound effect on – and is itself profoundly affected by – other vectors of empire. Here, a master historian looks at how a “mother” tongue was ended (but not really) by powerful forces that, at first glance, seem to have
In many cases, we can see a clear link between architecture and the cycles of empire. There can be little question that the great 17th century Ottoman architect Sinan is an imperial architect, a rising-empire artist whose work seems to exist to glorify
It is easy to forget what a cultural sensation technology can produce – and perhaps no instance was greater than that of the Gatling gun.
With the 1897 publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the English were exposed to a terrifying Gothic novel that expressed the fears of the age: Questions of invasion, identity, and war were entangled in a dramatic story about vampires feeding on women and
A brief comparison of the work of two authors who lived almost a century apart reveals two literatures driven by a common concern with the processes and consequence of empire. A review of their lives shows that
A CASE STUDY IN EMPIRE AND NARRATIVE John D. Weaver and the Exoneration of the 25th Infantry Editor’s Introduction At a family gathering in 1967, a journeyman writer named John D. Weaver pointed to... ...
Empire Films and the Crisis of Colonialism, 1946–1959
by Jon Cowans Introduction Ours is a highly narrativized culture: from childhood, you and I have watched (and heard, and read) more stories than we can count. From this slush pile of consumed narratives,... ...
THE INNER LIFE OF WESTERNS : Interview with Jane Tompkins Editor’s Introduction For a decade or so, I have been looking for a book that could help explain to my students why the Western... ...
An Introduction to Mesoamerica
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL E. SMITH Editor’s Introduction Today, many poor U.S. urban neighborhoods are described as “food deserts” where residents are not even able to purchase fresh meats and vegetables. A majority of the... ...
We all tend to see what we want to see -- in ourselves, in our friends, in our culture, and in other cultures. In his dissertation, Jens-Uwe Guettel takes a penetrating look at how Germany viewed ...
Dracula as a Foretelling of WWI
With the 1897 publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the English were exposed to a terrifying Gothic novel that expressed the fears of the age: Questions of invasion, identity, and war were entangled in a dramatic story about vampires feeding on women and ...
The unintended consequences of war—both good and bad—are fascinating to my students. My cadets always engage with lesson plans on the technology that came out of World War II, for example, or the packs of wild dogs in Vietnam which are the descendants of U.S. canine corps from the late 1960’s, or the marine ...
The current generation of food writers has taken this topic and turned it into an entire field of study. Talented writers have discovered a treasure of fascinating people and powerful themes in the products so familiar to ...
Oct 25, 2011
What Could Lee See at Gettysburg?
Sep 20, 2013
Aug 18, 2013
Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife
Feb 14, 2014
