Rafaela Herrera Takes on the British Fleet

In my experience, once a subject has grabbed me by the throat and said “Pay attention to me, dang it!” it never really goes away. I continue to stumble over new stories related to the topic, or at least interesting bits long after I’ve written a blog post or article or book on the idea.…

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A Year in Review: 1519

Back in May, announcements of museum exhibitions celebrating the work of Leonardo da Vinci began to appear in the various places where I hang out online, triggered by the 500th anniversary of his death.(1) They made me wonder what else of note happened in 1519.(2) It turned out that quite a lot was going on.…

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The American Revolution from Another Perspective

It’s the Fourth of July weekend here in the United States:  a holiday that expands and contracts depending on where in the week it falls.  It’s a good time to think about the complexity of revolutions in general, and the American Revolution in particular. In Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution,…

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