For history buffs

[Moemg]

https://www.fathomevents.com/events/they-shall-not-grow-old


I saw this on Boglehead's and thought some of our members would be interested . We are going Thursday .

 

[braumeister]

We who hate to click on naked links would appreciate a bit of context and summary.

 

[SecondCor521]

We who hate to click on naked links would appreciate a bit of context and summary.

It's a special rerun in movie theaters on 12/27 of a WWI documentary called "They Shall Not Grow Old". From the link:

"The acclaimed documentary is an extraordinary look at the soldiers and events of the Great War, using film footage captured at the time, now presented in a way the world has never seen. By utilizing state-of-the-art restoration, colorization and 3D technologies, and pulling from 600 hours of BBC archival interviews, Jackson puts forth an intensely gripping, immersive and authentic experience through the eyes and voices of the British soldiers who lived it."

 

[steelyman]

I heard something about this, maybe on PBS Newshour? Sounds fascinating. It’s only within the past couple of years that I learned much beyond “All Quiet On The Western Front” about WWI.

I’ve gotten way more interested in history once all that “work stuff” started fading into history.

 

[Moemg]

We who hate to click on naked links would appreciate a bit of context and summary.

Sorry , I was rushing around and forgot to add an explanation . I see is has been taken care of Thanks .

 

[CaptTom]

...I’ve gotten way more interested in history once all that “work stuff” started fading into history.

Same here. Unfortunately, what I'm learning is how little things have changed, how little we've learned from history, and how easy it is to repeat.

A little knowledge sometimes makes watching the news a terrifying exercise.

 

[HFWR]

Same here. Unfortunately, what I'm learning is how little things have changed, how little we've learned from history, and how easy it is to repeat.



A little knowledge sometimes makes watching the news a terrifying exercise.

The thin veneer of civilization...

 

[Lsbcal]

Same here. Unfortunately, what I'm learning is how little things have changed, how little we've learned from history, and how easy it is to repeat.

A little knowledge sometimes makes watching the news a terrifying exercise.

In preparation for an Italy trip next summer I'm reading about ancient Roman history. Institutionalized slavery, brutal wars for economic gains, a parade of emperors, etc. Keeps things in perspective and far enough back not to take it personally.

 

[CaptTom]

In preparation for an Italy trip next summer I'm reading about ancient Roman history. Institutionalized slavery, brutal wars for economic gains, a parade of emperors, etc. Keeps things in perspective and far enough back not to take it personally.

I'm slowly coming to realize that this is a common delusion. That somehow, people have changed since then. Things are different now.

History does not bear this out. Current events do not bear this out. That "thin veneer" is all too thin. It wouldn't take much to see a repeat of some very dark times.

History is full of people who saw the evil coming, tried to raise the alarm, and were ignored. Then, in hindsight, we all wonder how the masses could have been so foolish. We never stop to think that we are now the masses, and we're no smarter than they were.

I try to stay optimistic. I try to only worry about things I can control. There's every reason to believe that for what's left of my life, things will continue as before. But I'm under no illusions about how quickly that can change.

 

[steelyman]

Apologies for the sidetrack from the main topic of this thread, but I noticed the following piece from the regional NPR affiliate that describes a piece of history.

It’s about a speech given by FDR on the campus of UNC 80 years ago and includes a sound clip. Hope some may find it interesting.

http://www.tinyurl.com/y9jr46ww

[ADDED] It makes for interesting reading/listening over a “breakfast of grilled millionaire”.

 

[audreyh1]

In preparation for an Italy trip next summer I'm reading about ancient Roman history. Institutionalized slavery, brutal wars for economic gains, a parade of emperors, etc. Keeps things in perspective and far enough back not to take it personally.

I highly recommend watching HBO’s Rome which came out a long time ago. It’s available on Netflix I suspect, maybe even Amazon. Historically it’s accurate enough. I thought it did a good job of explaining the geopolitical environment, especially the relationships between Rome and Egypt and Rome’s relentless expansion. Also interesting vignettes of Roman daily life for both upper and lower classes.

It explained a lot of Roman historical events to me that I had found quite perplexing up until watching this series.

The thing I got out of it most was how many of the technologies we depend on today were already well established. The Romans seemed like very modern people. May have been the writers.....

 

[Beldar]

The documentary is available on DVD, but only currently in PAL format.

_B