How Did the Axis Powers Get Their Name?

I recently struggled to explain the Allies and the Axis Powers in War II in a sidebar for a book aimed at 8 to 12 year olds.* It was harder than you might think. Even just listing who belonged in each group was tricky, because in some ways World War II was a collection of…

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The Women With Silver wings

My Own True Love is an aviation history bugg, which means I have tiptoed around the edges of the subject. It’s probably not surprising to any of you that the aviation stories that catch my imagination the most strongly are the ones where aviation history and women’s history overlap.  I’m always delighted when a good…

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Dr. Mary Walker’s Civil War

If you’re interested in the American Civil War, you’ve probably heard of Dr. Mary Walker.  You probably know that she: 1) Worked as a surgeon in the war 2) Is the only woman to have received the Medal of Honor 3) Wore pants long before it was common for women to wear pants. All those…

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