Florence Nightingale Does the Math*

Florence Nightingale is best known for her heroic efforts in the Crimean War,** where she threw open windows, scrubbed filthy floors and equally filthy men,*** bullied doctors and officers on the spot, fought with the British Army’s military director, and saved lives. She returned home a heroine. Victorian Britain loved to celebrate a celebrity. Nightingale…

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The Not-Just-Irish Potato Famine

In a recent blog post, I made a reference to the Irish Potato famine, started to link to the prior post I was sure I had written on the subject, and was stunned to realize that blog post existed only in my imagination.* Allow me to rectify that error. When the Spanish imported potatoes from…

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Marie von Clausewitz: An Interview with Vanya Eftimova Bellinger

As long-time readers here at the Margins know, I’m a fan of the Pritzker Military Library.   I attend several of their programs each year and listen to more through their live-streaming feature.* Back in January, I attended a presentation at the Priztker in which Vanya Eftimova Bellinger spoke about her new book, Marie von Clausewitz:…

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