Milestones of History – Volume 1

Ancient Empires

The great German historian Leopold von Ranke (1795-1886) defined the historian’s task as being that of describing the past “as it really happened” (wie es eigentlich gewesen). His definition will doubtless always stand as the ideal of scientifically objective history, and as a warning against the writing of history as propaganda or apologia for some nationalist, political, or religious end. But it has come to be realized that this represents an ideal that can never be wholly achieved…. History inevitably implies selection and interpretation of the facts considered to be relevant. Both activities ultimately depend on human minds, which are conditioned by many factors such as education, religion, and nationality, quite apart from personal interests and consciously conceived aims.

– S.G.F. Brandon, editor
(from the Introduction)

3000 BC: The Gift of the Nile – Leonard Cottrell

The lands of the Delta and the lands of the cataracts are united to form the first political state Continue reading →

Milestones of History

Back in my youth, the family wanted us kids to be well educated. Part of this was accomplished by getting a couple of those sets of books covering certain topics for the average intelligent reader. Yes, we did have an encyclopedia (Collier’s) as well as a general “encyclopedia” for children (The Book of Knowledge (1952 edition)). The one I most vividly remembered was a six volume set from Newsweek called Milestones of History.

Published in 1970, the set contained a neat one hundred essays in total – from “The Gift of the Nile” (the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt) to “Man on the Moon (duh) written by prominent historians of the time. Lavishly illustrated, the milestones covered not just military and political matters, but scientific and cultural milestones as well. Connecting essays between the main chapters filled in the time between the “milestones”. A diligent selection and editing process allowed for the occasional combination of milestones. For example, to discuss the Protestant Reformation, they didn’t just write about Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses – they instead chose his publication of a German New Testament, which allowed them to include the development and spread of printing as well.

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BOOK REVIEW: Dinner with King Tut

Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists are Re-Creating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations
Sam Kean
Little, Brown and Company
Copyright 2025 by the author

Janet Stephens was killing time at the Walters Museum of Art in Baltimore. A professional hair stylist, she became intrigued by the hairstyles depicted on their collection of Roman statuary. Could she re-create them? Using modern techniques with pins and bobbins didn’t work. Reading the archaeological experts didn’t help; they were a mess of contradictions and impossibilities. Clearly, none of them had ever styled hair before. She’d have to figure it out herself, even if it meant going back to the original sources. Google Translate would make up for her lack of Latin.

Deep in the annotations on one text, she found the key. A term was defined as “a needle for cloth making and hair styling”. Those complex arrangements of braids were not pinned in place; they were sewn. Now Stephens could re-create any Roman hairstyle with ease.

Stephens is one of those “experimental archaeologists” that Kean visits in this book. People on the outside of the usual fields, bringing the past to life.

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BOOK REVIEW: Trespassers at the Golden Gate

Trespassers at the Golden Gate: A True Account of Love, Murder, and Madness in Gilded-Age San Francisco
Gary Krist
Crown Publishing Group
Copyright 2025 by the author

It should have been fairly straightforward. She shot him in broad daylight, in front of dozens of witnesses, and was immediately taken into custody. Laura D. Fair killed lawyer and aspiring politician A.P. Crittenden in a fit of jealousy. That much was obvious. But as the trial dragged on, it quickly became clear that Crittenden was a two-timing bastard who had strung Fair along for years, promising her that he’d divorce his wife, and marry her. The bum deserved what he got, but what would be an appropriate punishment for Fair?

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BOOK REVIEW: Sand, Snow, and Stardust

Sand, Snow, and Stardust: How US Military Engineers Conquered Extreme Environments
Gretchen Heefner
University of Chicago Press
Copyright 2025 by the author

The Army was caught by surprise in WWII. Not by the enemy, but by the conditions in North Africa. They were expecting a hot, dry, flat expanse of sand. That may have been the case in the east with the British, but in Algeria and Tunisia, the terrain was rough and rocky. In December, it got bitterly cold at night. And it rained, turning the dry land into a quagmire. None of the gear and equipment they had was useful.

The Army was going to have to learn – and quickly – how to function in deserts. Similar lessons about the fickleness of Nature would have to be learned in Alaska, too (though for some reason, Heefner barely mentions the military bases in the tundra there). Especially since – once the Nazis and Japs were defeated – they would quickly have to turn their attention to containing the Communist Menace, even if it meant bases in Libya and Greenland.

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The End is Near

I knew when I started this blog that it would not run forever. In pretty much every first post of the new year, I’d comment about how amazed I was that I’d been able to keep it going, and wonder if the new year would be the one where I finally ran out of steam.

Twelve years – and at least six hundred posts later – the well has gone dry.

I can’t think of anything further to say about baseball and the World Series, I no longer get excited over the Olympics, and the list of post ideas that I’ve been keeping doesn’t have anything I want to spend the energy on. I can’t even seem to bother writing a review of a book I’ve read or movie I’ve seen. I’m still grabbing books from the “New Arrivals” shelf at the library, but the interest in writing up a review and sharing it here just isn’t there anymore.

I do have a few reviews already written, and one “project” that’s nearing completion, so I’ll put those up before signing off.

I will maintain this website, because it’s cheap enough and it is kind of nice to have something to refer people to when questions come up about Great World Series games or a movie recommendation.

And there WILL be a final farewell post; I don’t want this to be like other blogs that just fade into obscurity because no one can ever tell if they are still active.

REQUIESCAT IN PACE – 2025

A salute to some notables who do not deserve to be forgotten as we head into the new year.

DICK BUTTON (1929-2025)

When Richard Totten Button was 12, he asked his father if he could trade a pair of hockey skates for figure skates. He was short and pudgy at the time and showed little promise. But after a summer of training in Lake Placid, New York, with Swiss-born coach Gustave Lussi, he quickly became adept at the sport. “I never remember a time I did not like skating,” he said in a 2010 video. “There was an excitement about the freedom of it, the ability to move — it was like flying. Something magical happened with it.”

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Overrated – Underrated: Christmas Movie

There are so many Christmas / holiday movies. The tropes of the holiday make it far too easy to whip up a boilerplate story and put it on the screen. Even the most plebeian of plots will find an audience. Not all can be classics; but with luck you’ll at least avoid making a stinker.

With the vast and growing holiday filmography, it shouldn’t be difficult to find some that are overrated and others that are underrated….

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Pond in a Jar – 11

Just a quick update since little has changed since the last time.

It’s still alive. There are two snails – at least that’s as many as I can see at any given time. Fun fact: snails are hermaphrodites. They can mate with themselves if the environment calls for it. No sign of that worm thing from earlier this year; I think it died. Not many swimming things. They seem to be most active in the morning (I wonder if they have an equivalent to ‘sleep’), and can easily be mistaken for spots of dust on the glass. The hornwort is growing slowly. It will be interesting to see it fight the other plant.

No photos this time – it hasn’t changed enough to warrant one. Maybe in January.

On This Year’s Hall of Fame Ballot

The Hall of Fame ballot has been released, and there’s one question on the mind of pretty much every baseball writer and fan.

Is ANYONE going to get elected this year?

Of the newcomers to the ballot, only Cole Hamels really stands out – and that’s only due to his helping the Phillies win the World Series in 2008. The “crop” is so weak I don’t even feel like doing brief recaps of their careers.

There are quite a few holdovers from last year, but the most likely candidates all have “problems”. Steroids for Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez; the “sign stealing” scandal for Carlos Beltran.

By the way, the sign stealing thing was several years ago. Can we STOP holding it against the current Astros team already?

There are plenty of “Hall of the Very Good” players on the ballot, some of whom should easily make their team’s “Hall of Fame” or even have their number retired – if they haven’t already. But enshrined in Cooperstown? I’ve seen a suggestion that one could approach the nominees by asking “Would it be an outrage or travesty if this person was NOT elected?” I don’t see anyone raising a fuss over any of them. Gossip among the baseball writers hints that it’s going to be hard to use up all ten of the votes that they are allotted.

I suspect Carlos Beltran will make it in; but that’s it.

Next year should be better, when Buster Posey becomes eligible. The year after that will see Albert Pujols (a shoo-in) and Yadier Molina, then Miguel Cabrera, Zack Greinke, and Joey Votto will hit the ballot for 2029.