Venti Belli: The Winds of War

I've moved, once again.

2010-04-17T11:17:00.000-04:00

You can find the new Venti Belli at http://ventibelli.wordpress.com/...

News From London, part 1

2010-03-10T02:16:00.002-05:00

Morning all, here are some thoughts from the last few days (feels much longer). This began as a facebook note, but it struck me that it would make great blogging material, of which I've provided too little these days...And I can build on it in the next few days.

Note: stick with the overnight flight, because arriving during the day can create massive jetlag problems.

Note: check to see if there's going to be a strike on during your visit, esp, if said strike is going to result in limited service and hours at the archives (more than 2 hours to get documents!!). Good thing I have some documents left over from Saturday to keep me busy tomorrow...

Note: The good folks at the National Archives seem to be able to get Chancery documents a HECK of a lot faster than Exchequer documents. Probably has to do with the fact that Chancery documents are for the most part nicely bound.

Note: Don't lose your phone on the tube. Just don't do it. Bad idea under any circumstance. 'Nuff said.

Positive note: I walked into King's Mall the other morning, looking for postcards and a post office, and discovered that Sports Centre was closing their store--70% off a pair of Everlast jogging pants and a sweatshirt. The colors look suspiciously like those of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hmmm... Listed for a combined $100 (roughly); got them for $26. Go me!!! I am my mother's son...

Positive note: The hostel is pretty cool, as I'm in the newly finished room. Very nice. A week for about $120. Can't beat that in London, really. And the WiFi works in the room, since for a change I'm not on the bloody third floor. Cool beans.

Positive note: Maybe losing my phone will allow me to get that upgrade I've been dreaming about for a while. All those cool-but-useless features that let people know you're "hip" with consumerism. I kid. Sort of.

Positive note: Day off, to catch up: $4 (in other words, beer). Getting good advice from a close friend on how to tend a wounded knee; $1600 (roughly the cost of this trip!). Spending fun time with Kiwi friends in London: priceless.

Positive note: Berlin and my friend Kira on Friday. Life as the jelly doughnuts know it is about to end.

Very positive note: Having people on whom one can thoroughly rely to keep the conference rolling. My friends Emily and Dani are the reason anything is happening at all here. Visit the website and register: http://www.rochester.edu/College/HIS/Dissent/

So much to do, to learn, to read, and to write...and so little time. Back to work! I get to read drafts, a friend's proposal, and my own books today, and see how far I can get with this bulk order at the archives. Stay well, do good work, and keep in touch.

The English language, Women and War, and the recent Huntsville tragedy

2010-02-25T08:03:00.003-05:00

I don't mean to draw any connection between the last two items in the title--they just happen to be articles of interest I read yesterday.

A friend drew my attention to this article on The Dictionary of Old English project at Toronto, and another friend posted this link to a Medievalists.net masters thesis from last year. Worth looking at, I think. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Edginton and Lambert's Gendering the Crusades, and Deborah Gerish's article on gender theory and crusades studies, so I'm curious as to how Illston modifies the picture.

And, finally, some comments on the recent tragedy at Huntsville, imported here from the Wormtalk and Slugspeak blog--very trenchant commentary, and right on the button, I think. And a rather depressing article, and reactions, in the Chronicle of Higher Ed, on the same subject...I'll pontificate my own views later, but right now I have to get ready to go to campus and work on student papers all day, and prep for a discussion section on the French Revolution...

Some fairly recent military news of note...And the crusades

2010-02-23T11:20:00.004-05:00

I've been pretty busy of late, and haven't kept up with the news as I wish. I'm trying to broaden out a bit, as well, and look at military affairs in general, in addition to just the same old Hundred Years War/Crusades stuff (not that that's boring, in any way, but variety is good...).

Here's an interesting article from February 11 on the debate over McGill's military R&D research programs. Well-written, makes you think. Not sure what about, but it makes you think.

On the other hand, this lengthy, in-depth discussion of the military investigations over Barg-e-Matal suggests some disturbing leadership trends in the U. S. Army. If the facts are as they are reported here, I can't say I'm impressed with the leadership and responsibility of some members of the Army command...Speaking of Afghanistan, however, the new strategy seems to focus on sparing civilians--minus that unfortunate air strike a few days ago. We will probably never reach the stage where there are "no civilian casualties" in war...

One of the biggest issues facing nations such as Germany, or so I've always understood, has been a lack of long-range strategic airlift capability (and after all, what would they need that for?). Given Germany's involvement in various NATO ops, however, that need has become apparent; unfortunately, it seems that the Airbus program is running into trouble...

Time was when I looked somewhat askance at women in the military, and I know this issue remains complicated in some aspects (as in the story below). But, if a woman wants to serve her country, she should be able to do that, be afforded some recognition of any special circumstances, and NOT be told to put her child in a foster home so she can deploy with her unit. At least they didn't court-martial her...On the other hand, from the army's perspective, you can't very well have individual soldiers deciding when they will or will not deploy, and I think that's valid too--you can't run a military that way. I wonder if the situation would be any different, though, for a single father in the same circumstance (not that it makes much difference).

Apparently Christopher Tyerman's massive tome, God's War, has not sated the public's fascination with the crusades. Tom Asbridge, a fine scholar in his own right, has published a nearly-800-page book on the crusades, reviewed in The Guardian here. I wonder if he's still as critical of Richard I's generalship as he was in Avignon, when I was on a panel with him...Eh, that's another story.

Now, I don't answer for the opinions or phrasing of this article, which presents a politically-charged summary of revisionist crusades scholarship, but it is worth perusing because a) in very broad strokes, it's hews more-or-less to an accepted interpretation, and b) it highlights the difficulties we crusades scholars face in providing a nuanced interpretation, revising the old knee-jerk "crusaders-were-animals" reaction, without getting sucked into this kind of religious/cultural posturing.

The crusades were still popular in the 1700s, as Gluck's opera Armide suggests. Here's a review of a recent performance...

Fifteenth Century Conference 2010

2010-02-11T07:14:00.002-05:00

This in yesterday from Adrian Bell, at the University of Reading:

We want to draw your attention to the call for papers for the Fifteenth Century Conference to be held at the University of Southampton, 2-4 September 2010.

Proposals for papers or sessions on any fifteenth-century topic are welcome. However, it is intended that sessions will reflect a particular focus on social and economic history (broadly conceived), and the theme of England’s wars 1399-1500 (as a follow up to the England's Wars 1272-1399 conference last year).

More details are available here:

http://www.soton.ac.uk/history/news/conf-02-09-10_fifteenth.shtml

War elephants

2010-02-10T10:53:00.003-05:00

Here's an old, but still useful, article on war elephants, courtesy of the History of the Ancient World blog/news forum. I always feel that "elephant" is a funny word. In fact, I recall this really, really old joke book on elephants, called, appropriately enough, the "elephant joke book." Silliest jokes you've ever heard, but some were really funny, I think...if I could only remember them.

Here endeth the first lesson, as it is said. Yeeaaaah, pretty deep for a Wednesday, as you can tell.

Credit Finance in the Middle Ages (workshop at U of Reading)

2010-02-04T07:12:00.004-05:00

This just in from Adrian Bell, at the University of Reading:
(more details can be found here.

Medieval Credit Finance/Sowing the Seeds II

ICMA Centre, University of Reading, 30 March 2010

The Middle Ages are popularly seen as a period of economic stagnation. In fact, historians have long been aware that there is ample evidence for innovative economic and financial developments. For example, bills of exchange and the growth of pan-European merchant societies contributed to an expansion of long-distance trade, while governments consolidated their authority and increased their revenues by establishing systems of direct and indirect taxation. At the same time, tools developed for modern financial and economic analysis have the potential to expand our understanding of the medieval economy, where it is possible to reconstruct appropriate data sets from the surviving medieval sources. There is thus considerable scope for collaboration between medieval historians and economists and this one day seminar will showcase recent research, with the aim of encouraging future projects.

The seminar is presented in two parts, and participants are welcome to attend the morning, the afternoon, or all day - just let us know your preference. There is no registration fee (and lunch and dinner is provided for delegates) but please note that places at the morning session ('Sowing the Seeds II') and the conference dinner may be limited; lunch and dinner will only be provided for those who have registered in advance. Anyone interested in attending should contact Dr Tony Moore (t.moore@icmacentre.ac.uk) as soon as possible.

It's GROUNDHOG DAY!!!!!!!

2010-02-02T11:06:00.003-05:00

The seer of seers, the prognosticator of prognosticators, has declared six more weeks of winter!!! Boo-hiss, as someone I used to know would say...Apparently, Punxsutawney Phil has several rivals, among them Staaten Island Chuck, who didn't see his shadow--but we all know that Staaten Island doesn't count (for much of anything...who said that!?). Some great pictures from this charming but ridiculous ritual.

Apparently it's Candlemas. Who knew? I suspect quite often that modern ignorance concerning the liturgical year is a more serious handicap to understanding the Middle Ages than we know...

A few new medieval links, and some news...

2010-02-01T02:07:00.003-05:00

A few recent databases and catalogs to which I was introduced the other evening by a friend:

The Morgan Library and Museum has digitized their manuscripts, and I can't wait to explore the collection...

France might lack organization in other aspects of government and society (that's more an observation than a judgment), but academically the French government has its act together. The Ministry of Culture has a web portal for all museum holdings and catalogs in France. Vive la France!

And apparently a major conflict archeology study has been completed, or nearly completed, and the true location of Bosworth field is about to be revealed. Among the speakers will be familiar names, such as Anne Curry, Matthew Strickland, Steve Walton, and Robert Hardy.

Also from Medieval News, something about which I know virtually nothing: medieval Sweden. Apparently the major Swedish statesman Birger jarl is having celebrated his eighth centenary. There's even a facebook group about the event--sobering to think that, less than a decade after it was created, Facebook has become the benchmark of whether an event is "noteworthy."

Just to follow up on that thought for a moment, I'm one of the "first wave" of college facebook users, since Rice was one of the first batch of schools to be allowed access to the site after the Ivies. Memory fails as to when exactly I joined, but it must have been in the autumn of 2004, since I had my own individual dorm room, and I believe the site was opened up around June or so. I recall one of my roommates berating me for not being more technically and socially savvy, and creating an account for me right there. How times have changed...The younger generation soon won't be able to remember a time without this tool. And it remains a very useful tool, I think.

Kalamazoo 2010 Program!!!

2010-01-17T20:30:00.003-05:00

The International Medieval Congress at Kalamazoo, May 13-16, 2010, has been posted!! Let the good times roll...Ah, wine hours. I'm really looking forward to this one, and will probably be more than ready for a break at the end of the semester. See you there!

Web links for Medieval Studies

2010-01-17T16:17:00.003-05:00

Well, it's taken me long enough, but I finally put my collection of medieval studies links and bookmarks in order, and they are now up on my webpage. Currently, they are just titles and links, although eventually I hope to get some annotations written as well. The links will naturally grow in number over time. So, there's one thing done...

In other news, here's a link to GameTrailers.com's brief notice of an up-coming video game on the crusades, entitled Lionheart: Kings' Crusade. Apparently this is a follow-up game to an earlier release entitled Crusaders: Thy Kingdom Come. A bit more info can be found here. Might be worth checking out. I'm of the opinion that academics should keep up on fields such as video games, since many of our students draw their initial knowledge from such things.

King John, the Dark Ages, oh my...

2010-01-16T13:02:00.004-05:00

So, Bad King John's castle/palace at Kings Clipstone has been repaired...Good-o. Medieval News and Chad.co.uk have more details:
http://medievalnews.blogspot.com/2010/01/king-johns-palace-saved-from-collapse.html
http://www.chad.co.uk/sherwood/King-John39s-Palace-repair-scheme.5972642.jp

Here's an interesting, and fairly recent, article, by Rabbi Avi Shafran, critiquing aspects of the BBC's The Crescent and the Cross. In some respects he has a point, since casting the wars for control of Jerusalem in terms of "ownership" will strike modern ears with a very particular significance, and will only assist interested parties in highjacking the historical narrative for their own ends (yes, yes, I know, who doesn't do that, but that's not the point). The point is that by subtly portraying the Jewish presence in the Levant as fairly recent, the BBC is giving fodder to current political/moral debates.

On the other hand, to put the crusades in context, in 1095 any Jewish presence in and/or claims to the Holy Land were a non-factor. Neither the Frankish armies, nor the Byzantines, nor the Fatamids, nor the Seljuks gave much thought to the Jewish communities, unless it was to persecute them (the Franks, naturally, being the worst offenders here). Rabbi Shafran says, "And so, an ignorant but attentive student of the BBC will conclude from the network’s history lesson that Jerusalem is sacred to Christians and Muslims, and that adherents of the two faiths have fought over it for centuries" That "ignorant but attentive student" would be broadly correct in those conclusions. His next sentence, concerning the consequences of portraying the Jewish presence as a recent phenomenon, is more on point, but the fact of the matter is that, for both Gregory VIII and Saladin in 1188, the issues had nothing to do with the Jewish faith, since they would have agreed that Judaism had been superseded centuries earlier. The larger lesson here, I suppose, is that historians do not work in a vacuum, and, especially with a subject like the crusades, we need to consider the consequences of our words and works...

Now, HERE is the mother-load of badly written, pompous, slick, condescending, twisted, bulls*** attempts to write a "smart" bit of popular "history." So much wrong with Rob Kezelis' analysis here that I can hardly begin to analyze it. And I'm not talking about the modern political commentary, only the medieval "facts" he claims to be presenting. Worse than William Manchester's A World Lit Only By Fire, just when I thought that wasn't possible...And the absurdity of trying to use Charlemagne's situation as a historical comparison with President Obama should be patent to anyone who knows anything about medieval history. Ugh...well, I'll come back to this piece of nonsense later. (Pardon my anger, but this is really an affront to everything I believe is valuable, honorable, and worthy in the historical profession. I'll probably be told I'm over-reacting.)

And I wonder sometimes where my students get some of their ideas about the past...

Brief round-up of random medieval items...

2010-01-14T22:52:00.003-05:00

Here's a few new stories that involve medieval figures in some way...Yes, yes, some of it's pretty random, but whatever. The Black Prince is the Black Prince is Edward of Woodstock...

Let's lead off with a great article from Telegraph, about why we're more interested in the Middle Ages than ever!!!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/6952220/Why-were-in-the-grip-of-medieval-mania.html

Speaking of the Black Prince, apparently it was one of the early ironclads...
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/31/new-era-dawns-in-naval-warfare/

The Bardi and Peruzzi put in historical economic meltdown perspective. There's nothing new under the sun.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/1231/1224261470650.html

An interesting ramble from a chap who seems to conflate the Hundred Years' War with the Wars of Religion. And I wonder why my students seem to have trouble grasping the complexities of medieval society.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977991420&grpId=3659174697241980

A recent assessment of the war against fundamentalist terrorist activity somehow manages to mention Bosworth, Castillon, and the Hundred Years' War. Not too bad on the whole...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/03/al-qaida-taliban-iran-afghanistan

Henry V (Shakespeare's version, anyway) becomes a model for CEO's and business strategists--you see, he "transformed his noisiest and most disruptive doubter into a vociferous supporter" [sic]. That's one way of looking at the St. Crispin's Day speech, I guess...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010803780.html

And lastly, for now anyway, the reference in this short piece to poor farmers getting rich from aristocratic ransoms doesn't really have it right. YES, theoretically it was possible to have this kind of rags-to-riches story, and military indentures were careful to spell out procedures for prisoner ransoms, exchanges, and reimbursements. In practice archers, especially earlier levies raised by array, often didn't land the big prisoners, and if they did they would sometimes be obliged to surrender the prisoner, or sell him at a comparative loss to their captain (or sometimes, depending on the prisoner's status, the king). Not everyone was John Copeland at Neville's Cross, 1346. And receiving knighthood and some money often had problems of its own, since the new knight still didn't have the resources to support his position. Sooooo, relating "combat pay" to plunder and ransom is rather over-simplistic. Anyway...
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmoral/articles/20091230.aspx

Ok, this last one was pushing relevancy limits, but whatever. Good night!

Chinese 1602 world map

2010-01-14T08:30:00.005-05:00

This just in from Medieval News:

http://medievalnews.blogspot.com/2010/01/rare-1602-world-map-first-map-in.html

Very interesting, and I'm always fascinated by just how accurately they could make maps in the days before satellite. And also, it's a reminder why the University of Minnesota enjoys the reputation it does.

It is cold as heck there, just so you know. Fantastic history department...

Haiti and Bipolar disorder, really?

2010-01-14T08:05:00.005-05:00

Here's a link from a short piece Dr. Grimsley posted on his blog a short while ago.
http://warhistorian.org/wordpress/?p=2184#more-2184
Interesting, but I'm not sure when being financially careful (a trait I don't seem to have, incidentally) suddenly became a symptom of bipolar disorder. Now, I fully intend to donate some part of my funds to Haitian relief, but anyone who's done something like that can tell you that not all charities and philanthropies are equal, not by a long shot. Ideally, you need to do a bit of background research on the group in question, because, especially with large ones, it is possible that few cents of your dollar actually make it to the front lines--that Red Cross scandal some years back is simply a case in point. Hopefully the situation is somewhat improved, since they are the donation link on the page.

Also, at times of crisis like this, there are any number of "charity" scams that suddenly sprout up and take advantage of people's generosity. CNET's article is helpful here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10434237-36.html. And here is the FBI bulletin, http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel10/earthquake011310.htm. Hopefully these will be of some use...

So, I wouldn't be too hasty in attributing brief hesitation to a disorder. But that's just me. And incidentally, my total credit line is less than $20,000--comes with the grad student territory, I guess.

Program up for St. Louis crusades conference

2010-01-12T21:02:00.004-05:00

Well, the program for the crusades conference has been posted. This looks very exciting--not quite as exciting as that conference over in Syria and Jordan recently, but close. I'm afraid nothing quite beats going to a conference session in the Krak de Chevaliers...

Here's the link to the program: http://crusades.slu.edu/symposium/schedule.htm

The annoying thing is that the sessions are concurrent, which will necessitate a bit of jumping around--I've learned that, at events like this, time is too precious to adhere to the normal dictates of politeness and attend an entire session just to hear one paper. The chance to hear my former advisor, Eva Haverkamp, give what will doubtless be another excellent presentation, is my main reason for going. However, the program looks very exciting in any case, and I've observed that conferences are, for my own part, extremely exciting and dynamic occasions...Among the papers I'm looking forward to hearing (barring the plenary sessions, which will happen as a matter of course):

"Turks on the Hills: The Seljuks of Asia Minor Fighting Crusaders and Byzantium"
Roman Shlyakhtin, Central European University

"The Rhetoric of Reconquest: Pope Urban II and the Populus Christianus"
Matthew Gabriele, Virginia Tech University

"What Pope Urban II Understood by Crusading"
Paul E. Chevedden, Ctr. for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, UCLA

"Rough Diplomacy in the Crusade of Henry VI"
Daniel Webb, Saint Louis University

"National Identity, Language, and Internal Conflict in the Armies of the First Crusade"
Alan V. Murray, University of Leeds

"'A Man Totally Devoted to War and to God': The Spiritualization of Godfrey of Bouillon, 1100-1145"
Simon John, Swansea University

"The Self under Siege: Ideas of Identity and the "Other" in the Era of the Crusades"
Mith Barnes, University of Louisville

"Gregory VII and the Idea of a Military-Religious Order"
Paul Crawford, California University of Pennsylvania

"Visionary Intellectual or Ordinary Knight? The Early Career of Philip of Mézières"
Anne Romine, Saint Louis University

"The Last Crusade in Medieval Spain: the War for Granada (1482-1492)"
Bárbara Boloix-Gallardo, Washington University

"Ecclesiastical Chivalry: A New Model of the Military Orders"
Sam Conedera, S.J., Fordham University

Can't wait...

La Chanson de Roland, 1978

2010-01-10T14:18:00.000-05:00

Does anyone know where to find a copy of this film: La Chanson de Roland, 1978, dir. Frank Cassenti? I have been unable to turn up anything on Amazon.com, Ebay, or iOffer, to name a few websites.

Some recent calls for papers:

2009-11-23T11:36:00.001-05:00

Some interesting conferences coming up; please excuse the plug for my own conference, but what's life without a little self-promotion?

“Twenty Years in Iraq: RAF Operations in the Gulf since 1990”

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=172082

The Forty Years' Crisis: Refugees in Europe, 1919-1959

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=172028

CALL FOR PAPERS ‘Fighting Religion’: Expressions of Violence and Resistance

(University of Toronto)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=171996

Coalition Warfare from the Early Modern Era until today

(Royal Danish Defense College and the Danish Commission for Military History)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=171982

Call for Papers: War and the Body

(University of Portsmouth, held at the IWM)

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=171924

Dissent and History

(Graduate Conference, University of Rochester)

http://www.rochester.edu/College/HIS/Dissent/cfp.html

The Lost Persian Army...Found?

2009-11-09T20:37:00.002-05:00

Sooooo...it looks like Herodotus may well have been right again, if this story from MSNBC is accurate. I'm always pleased when the old fellow is vindicated in one way or another.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33791672/ns/technology_and_science-science?GT1=43001

Cry God for Harry, England, and St. George!!!

2009-10-25T17:00:00.002-04:00

So, the anniversary of Agincourt is here, and one of my friends sent me this link to a NYT story on the recent scholarship, particularly the controversy over whether or not the English were really heavily outnumbered.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/world/europe/25agincourt.html?_r=2&hp

It's a tough call, deciding whether Anne Curry or Cliff Rogers presents the better arguments for French numbers. I tend to lean toward Rogers, though I suspect that it is rather too common to calculate standard formulas for the supporting personnel accompanying French men-at-arms. How many valets and esquires accompanied a man-at-arms was most likely anything but standardized in practice. And one also does wonder about the speed with which such a large force could have been assembled, moved, and supplied, as Curry and other scholars note. So, it's tough to say. In his outstanding article in The Hundred Years War II: Wider Vistas, Rogers has cogent objections to Curry's reasoning. It will unlikely be resolved for some time, but I'm still of the impression that Henry V was significantly outnumbered, even if wasn't the 4-1 odds often cited.

Crusades Studies conference

2009-09-04T12:29:00.001-04:00

This in a couple days ago:

Conference Announcement and Call for Papers

Crusades: Medieval Worlds in Conflict

The Second International Symposium on Crusade Studies

February 17-20, 2010

Saint Louis University

The Second International Symposium on Crusade Studies will be held at Saint Louis University (St Louis, Missouri) on February 17 to 20, 2010. The title of the Symposium, Crusades: Medieval Worlds in Conflict, will this year place the focus on the “worlds” of the Mediterranean and the impact of the crusades on them. Plenary speakers include Michael Angold (University of Edinburgh), Ronnie Ellenblum (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Eva Haverkamp (Rice University), Ahmet T. Karamustafa (Washington University), Christopher MacEvitt (Dartmouth College), Suleiman Mourad (Smith College), Jonathan Phillips (Royal Holloway, University of London), and John H. Pryor (University of Sydney).

Phase I of the conference will take place on the evenings of February 17, 18, and 19 when two distinguished speakers will deliver plenary lectures of general interest followed by questions and discussion. Phase II will begin on Friday, February 19. It will consist of scholarly papers of twenty minutes in length delivered in concurrent and plenary sessions.

Call for Papers. Twenty minute scholarly papers will be delivered on February 19 and 20 in concurrent and plenary sessions. All topics relating to the crusading movement are welcome. Sessions will be followed by discussion, fellowship, and a banquet.

Abstracts should be submitted by mail, fax, or email by December 1, 2009 to:

Second International Symposium on Crusade Studies
Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Saint Louis University
3800 Lindell Blvd.
Saint Louis, MO 63108
Fax: 314-977-1603
Email: cmrs@slu.edu

For more information go to http://crusades.slu.edu/symposium/ or call 314-977-7180.

The Second International Symposium on Crusade Studies is sponsored by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University.

Texas Medieval Association

2009-09-02T11:30:00.002-04:00

I've heard these are very good gatherings, which shouldn't be surprising given the reputations of the organizers.

Call for Papers: Texas Medieval Association—The Texas Medieval Association is holding its 19th annual state meet at the University of Texas at Austin, October 23-24, 2009. Subjects on all medieval topics are welcome and abstracts (100-200 words) should be submitted by September 21, 2009, to either L.J. Andrew Villalon (avillalon@austin.rr.com) or Don Kagay, 2812-A Westgate, Albany, GA 31721. E-mail: dkagay1@netzero.com.

In medieval news...

2009-09-02T10:33:00.001-04:00

I posted this a while back on the old blog, but some of these articles are too good not get a second airing...

IN other news...

Jonathan Sumption's third volume in the Hundred Years' War came out, at last, though I heard vague rumblings about publisher sqabbles, something about UPenn, I think it was, not entirely pleased that it was unilaterally released in the UK by Faber. I could be wrong. The review from The Times:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/non-fiction/article5979921.ece

I was not aware that "egads" comes from "Godfrey of Bouillon", or that "to not give a damn" should actually be "to not give a dam", but apparently it is so...Any counter etymological opinions on these subjects?
http://www.journal-advocate.com/news/2009/apr/03/changes-language/

Here's an article from mid-March on Robin Hood. I will not attempt to comment, but leave the gnashing of teeth to the experts, heh heh.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7946000/7946724.stm
Slightly more information on this new source:
http://www.startribune.com/nation/41264582.html?elr=KArks:DCiUBcy7hUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

And an actual synopsis of the new Robin Hood movie, at least as it was momentarily...
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/03/cast-and-plot-details-unveiled-for-ridley-scotts-r.html

I was never as averse as many of my friends were to the idea of Crowe playing both roles; the problem, as I saw it, was that, in that case, how do you keep the film from becoming a "medieval Batman"? Moot point, now. Also, apparently some purists are unhappy that the film will be shot in Wales. Sherwood Forest is too protected, and doesn't really have enough trees...

This just in! Lisa Hilton's rather justified umbrage at David Starkey, for apparently claiming "that women historians, and female readers and audiences, have reduced history to 'soap opera'." Uh, okaaaaayyyy...?:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/behind-every-great-man--how-women-made-history-1662814.html
Of course, I understand that she is being polemic, but I hardly think it's all about subversion from here on out...And after all, whether we're talking about dead white guys, or dead white women, they're still dead. And no amount of reactionary or revisionist scholarship will change the fact that Henry VIII made Ann Boleyn that way...

I have yet to read Cornwell's new novel on Agincourt, but I doubt he claims the longbow was a "new" weapon in 1415!!!! But, apparently, this sort of bodkin-meets-breastplate paradigm shift is influencing our secretary of defense. Amazing how things work sometimes, eh?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/03/17/gates_readies_big_cuts_in_weapons/

WW2, Korea, Vietnam era conference: call for papers

2009-09-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

CFP: World War II/Korea/Vietnam War Eras Area 2010 Southwest/Texas Popular Culture/American Culture Association 31st Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico February 10-13, 2010

Proposals are now being accepted for the World War II/Korea/Vietnam War Eras Area at the 2010 SW/TX PCA/ACA Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our conference hotel once again is the fabulous Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, 330 Tijeras, Albuquerque, NM 87102. They can be reached by phone at 505.842.1234

We are currently in the midst of the 70th anniversary of the World War II era, so presentations dealing with any and all aspects of World War II are particularly encouraged. The area is not limited solely to battles or politics, but encompasses popular culture and the various home fronts as well. This area strives for well-researched, professional presentations that both enlighten and entertain. Listed below are some suggestions for possible presentations, but topics not included here are also welcome.

Battles and battle strategies
Oral history and the experience of military personnel
Film adaptations (docudrama, documentary, fiction, etc.)
Literature of and about war time
Video games, television programs during time of war and about particular wars
Biography, autobiography, and nonfiction adaptations
The home front experience
And much more...

Inquiries regarding this area and/or abstracts of 250 words may be sent to Brad L. Duren via email or postal mail by December 15, 2009. Priority submission and registration are encouraged and will be granted to proposals accepted and registrations made by November 1, 2009.

Brad L. Duren, Area Chair
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
PO Box 430
Goodwell, Oklahoma 73939
Phone: 580-349-1498

Email: uriahok@yahoo.com
Visit the website at http://www.swtxpca.org

The Militarization of Childhood: call for papers

2009-09-01T13:08:00.002-04:00

Again from H-Net, on a serious and troubling subject:

CALL FOR PAPERS:
THE MILITARIZATION OF CHILDHOOD

In its various manifestations, the campaign to end child soldiering has brought graphic images of militarized children to popular consciousness. In the main, this has been a campaign that has seemed to speak to African contexts without as much reflection on the myriad ways in which the lives of children are militarized in advanced (post)industrial societies. This call for papers is for an edited volume addressing the multifarious ways in which childhood is militarized. Papers adopting novel approaches to the issue of child soldiering and other such explicit enactments of militarism are welcome, as are contributions examining the underinterrogated and everyday ways in which children’s lives are militarized in less scrutinized contexts and settings.

Possible topics may include but are not limited to:

Everyday militarism and childhood Feminist and postcolonial readings of the militarization of childhood Comparative historical analysis of the militarization of childhood Military public relations campaigns targeted at children ROTC and other military and paramilitary youth programs War pedagogy Militarized video gaming Combat role-playing Critical (re)readings of child soldiering Militarization of children as a techne or enabling condition of war Normalization of violence Impact of ‘war footing’ patterns of social life Weaponization of children Critical (re)readings of ‘victimization’ Timetable:
Submission of abstracts for consideration: 1 November 2009 Notification of acceptance: 15 December 2010 Deadline for final draft of papers (7000 to 8000 words, inclusive of notes): 30 June 2010

Reviews and revisions: July to October 2010

Final revised versions to publisher: 1 November 2010.

Abstracts should be submitted via email to Marshall Beier at mbeier@mcmaster.ca. Potential contributors are encouraged to be in contact in advance of the deadline for submission of abstracts. Please circulate this call for papers to colleagues who may be interested in contributing to the volume. Apologies for cross-posting.

J. Marshall Beier, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science
McMaster University
Kenneth Taylor Hall 508
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON
Canada L8S 4M4
Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext.23888
Fax: (905) 527-3071
Email: mbeier@mcmaster.ca

Trebuchet to Cannon: call for papers

2009-09-01T13:03:00.000-04:00

This from H-Net:

Trebuchet to Cannon: Military Technology 1000-1600

A conference and workshop to be held at the Danish Medieval Centre, Nykøbing, Falster, Denmark

For the last two decades the Middelaldercentret in Denmark has carried out research into the construction and performance of medieval military technologies. Since 2001, the Ho Group (dedicated to the study of early gunpowder and gunpowder weapons) has met to experiment with gunpowder recipes and reconstructed artillery. The tenth meeting of the Ho Group will be an international conference to discuss all aspects of medieval military technology, including artillery, siege engines, gunpowder and cannon, and other weapons. The Organizing Committee extends an invitation to all those interested in this area—textual scholars, experimental archaeologists, curators and historians—to attend and present their work and discuss solutions to, and further problems in, the understanding of military technologies in the Middle Ages. The conference will include a series of workshops and hands-on demonstrations by the Ho Group of medieval technologies, including trebuchets, gunpowder and incendiary weapons, and reconstructions of cannon.

The conference will be four days in length, with three days of papers and workshops, one day-long excursion, and a closing banquet with Renaissance fireworks. The venue will be the Middelaldercentret (Danish Medieval Centre) and the adjacent Femern Link Hotel & Conference Centre. The primary language will be English. Presented papers will be considered for publication.

The organizers request a brief abstract for a paper proposal (200 words, along with a brief CV) or an expression of interest to attend without presenting a paper by 15 November 2009. Full details of the conference and accommodation fees will be finalized by the end of 2009, with a registration deadline of 15 May 2010.

Robert Smith
Leeds, UK
Phone: +44 0113 263 7547

Email: hox@basiliscoe.fsnet.co.uk
Visit the website at http://www.middelaldercentret.dk/HoX

sources: various

2009-08-26T17:46:00.002-04:00

That's the bibliography of this article from Wired, on "first canon fired in battle, maybe." Darn. I wish I could get away with that sometimes. It would come in really handy for those cases when I lose a footnote in the shuffling of drafts...

As for the factual stuff, there is actually little indication that the "canon" made much of a difference to the Genoese. At least from what I've seen. Read Ayton's edited volume on Crecy, or the archery articles in Villalon and Kagay's new volume on the Hundred Years War.

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/08/0826crecy_cannon/

Yet another stupid reference to the Middle Ages

2009-08-24T18:21:00.003-04:00

As in, "your article was plenty informative, why did you have to say THAT?" stupid. He doesn't even make an attempt to link his pejorative use of the word "medieval" to anything, except to assume readers will connect donkeys and illiteracy with some dark, mysterious passage in Western history. Put down your copy of Manchester's A World Lit Only by Fire, and pick up something like Hollister and Bennett, for crying out loud....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090824/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

Crusades in the news.

2009-08-24T11:27:00.003-04:00

Some interesting articles here on the crusades, pro and con as it were.

Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/6572753.html

The Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-8274-San-Diego-Christian-Examiner~y2009m8d21-Stop-blaming-Christians-part-one-the-Crusades

The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fiskrsquos-world-from-the-crusaders-on-contempt-for-the-arabs-is-written-in-stone-1775845.html

Debates over the nature of the crusades are some of the most mentally tiring of activities--with the possible exception of listening to crusades scholars debate the origins of the events themselves (cue an excellent and entertaining session on the first day of this past Zoo congress). The problem, as I see it, is two-fold. Firstly, the outrageous claims of those "not down with" the crusades are, by and large, wrong. The crusaders were not "monsters", incapable of "normal" humanity, and so on. Massacre and brutal warfare was practiced by both sides, and was not a Christian monopoly. Attitudes towards Islam were far more complex than the outraged group portrays as well. Most of the fallacious claims have been exploded by excellent scholarship in the last couple decades. HOWEVER, secondly there is one major problem with the scholarship dedicated to correcting these mistakes, and that is the tendency to emphasize, for reasons unknown to me (but probably having something to do with current politics), the portrayal of the crusades as a series of "defensive" wars. To our own age, this conjures an image of counter-attacking an invading force, or parallels to that scenario. The crusades, in my opinion, were categorically NOT a defensive war, in that sense. To medieval minds, the right of controlling the holy places of one's faith, as well as foreign powers' oppressive behavior towards co-religionists, were sufficient conditions for a just war which they might define as "defensive"; but they were waged offensively, towards lands not currently (or even recently) under Christian control. Certainly recovery of lands formerly part of Christendom was a rationale, but it was hardly the only or, I would dare argue, the deciding one. And further, "Christendom" (as in the western part of Europe) was not under any sort of overt threat by 1095; after the Barbastro expedition and the Mahdia campaign, the "strategic" situation in the western and central Mediterranean was at least one of parity, threatening though Muslim military presence might have been at times. The view of "Christendom under threat" also assumes a closer Western affinity with Byzantium than I think can be proved from the sources. So, there are definite weaknesses in the "sympathetic" approach, which need to be borne in mind when reading Stark's and Madden's work. On the other hand, Fisk's reference to "crusader grafitti" is vague, general, and hardly unique to Majorcan Christians. Offensive English grafitti existed concerning the French in the Hundred Years War...

Well, what's life without some argument and discussion?

Of gunpowder, clay pots, and chaos

2009-08-22T21:33:00.002-04:00

These links courtesy of Kelly DeVries, who, along with Steve Walton and others, had waaaaay too much fun in Denmark this summer. Whacha gonna do, I say...Anyone who likes things that go flash-bang, or bang-flash, or BOOM...you get the picture. Check out this footage of experiments with late medieval incendiary weapons:

HO Seminar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuWslUzW2P8

Medieval Warbooks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTm8Lwn2exQ

IMC, Leeds 2010 Call for Papers

2009-08-22T21:27:00.002-04:00

Just got this the other day, for those of you who fancy a flight across the pond, as they say:

International Medieval Congress 2010: 12-15 July 2010
Paper proposals must be submitted by 31 August 2009, session and roundtable proposals by 30 September 2009.
Plans for next year's Congress are well underway. As in previous years, papers and sessions on all aspects of the study of the European Middle Ages are most welcome, in any major European language.
One of the focuses for 2010 will be the special thematic strand on 'Travel and Exploration'. IMC 2010 commemorates the 550th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry 'the Navigator' by making 'Travel and Exploration' a special thematic focus. The voyages undertaken in the name of Henry exemplify many of the motives that had long driven people to travel and explore: the prospect of wealth, trade, and territory, knowledge and curiosity, piety and religious zeal, legends and external salvation.

The IMC seeks to provide a forum for debates on the motives, processes, and effects of travel and exploration, not only by Latin Christians in the so-called 'Age of Discovery', but across cultures, and throughout the medieval period and beyond. The full call for papers is available on our website at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/imc2010_call.html

The IMC Core Strands are:
. Anglo-Saxon Studies
. Archaeology
. Art and Architecture
. Byzantine Studies
. Celtic Studies
. Central and Eastern European Studies
. Church History and Canon Law
. Crusades and Latin East
. Culture and Society
. Daily Life
. Drama
. Gender Studies/Women's Studies
. Geography and Settlement Studies
. Government and Institutions
. Hagiography and Religious Writing
. Historiography (Medieval and Modern)
. Jewish Studies
. Language and Literature - Comparative
. Language and Literature - Germanic
. Language and Literature - Middle English
. Language and Literature - Romance Vernacular
. Late Antique and Early Medieval Studies
. Latin Writing
. Literacy and Communication
. Material Culture
. Medievalism and Reception of the Middle Ages
. Mediterranean and Islamic Studies
. Monasticism and Religious Life
. Music and Liturgy
. Philosophy and Political Thought
. Scandinavian Studies
. Science, Technology and Military History
. Social and Economic History
. Sources and Resources
. Theology and Bible Studies

We prefer proposals to be completed online - a quick, easy, and secure method. To submit a proposal, go to http://imc.leeds.ac.uk/imcapp/
Remember to order your equipment for 2010 on your proposal form! Check http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/equipment.html for more details.

Future IMC Dates
. IMC 2010 Paper Proposals Deadline: 31 August 2009
. IMC 2010 Session Proposals Deadline: 30 September 2008
. IMC 2010: Special Thematic Strand: 'Travel and Exploration', 12-15 July 2010
. IMC 2011: Special Thematic Strand: 'Poor-Rich', 11-14 July 2011
. IMC 2012: 9-12 July 2012
. IMC 2013: 8-11 July 2013
. IMC 2014: 7-10 July 2014

Society for Military History Conference

2009-08-22T21:22:00.002-04:00

Certainly worth considering, if you are "one of those military historians"!!! You know who "those" people are!!! Anyway, the details:

CALL FOR PAPERS
The Society for Military History is pleased to announce a call for papers for its 77th Annual Meeting, hosted jointly by the Virginia Military Institute and the George C. Marshall Foundation at Lexington, VA on May 20-22, 2010. The conference theme is "Causes Lost and Won," and will provide an opportunity for a wide examination of military institutions and practices - including the causes, conduct, resolution, and consequences of past wars. While the theme of the conference will provide a basic guide to determining the final program, the program committee will gladly consider proposals on other facets and perspectives of military history.

Panel proposals must include a panel title, contact information for all panelists, a brief description of the purpose and theme of the panel, one-paragraph abstracts of each of the three papers, a brief curriculum vitae for all panelists, including commentator and panel chair. Proposals for individual papers are welcome and should include a brief abstract, abbreviated curriculum vitae, and contact information. All panelists must be Society for Military History members. The deadline for proposals is October 1, 2009. Proposals may be submitted electronically to the conference coordinator, Dr. Timothy C. Dowling (DowlingTC@vmi.edu) or by regular mail to Dr. Timothy C. Dowling, Department of History, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA 24450. The program committee will acknowledge receipt of your proposal within two weeks of its submission. If you fail to receive such notice, please contact the conference coordinator.

The meeting will be held on the Post of the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, with the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics and the George C. Marshall Library serving as principle venues. Lexington is conveniently located at the juncture of Interstate Highways 81 and 64 and is easily accessible via Roanoke Regional Airport. The City of Lexington offers excellent local restaurants and shopping and a broad choice of hotels with comfortable accommodations.

For more details, please contact Dr. Tim Dowling at DowlingTC@vmi.edu or (540) 464-7472.

Kalamazoo Sessions seeking papers...

2009-08-22T21:09:00.001-04:00

So, we're getting to that time of year again, when proposals are due for the big medieval congresses next year...This also means the semester is beginning soon, too. There are several sessions for the 'Zoo next year seeking paper proposals (including my own). More will probably follow:

1. SEEKING PANEL PARTICIPANTS
Dana Cushing is looking for papers for a session about "Maritime History of the Early Crusades (before 1204)" to be presented at the next Kalamazoo conference (May 13-16, 2010).

This is an emerging field, so he would like especially to encourage graduate students and non-medievalists (such as art historians, archaeologists, professional seamen, etc.) to participate.

Please send a one-page Abstract before 25 September 2009 to:
Dana Cushing
PO Box 187
Grand Island, NY 14072
dana@antimony.biz

The conference website: http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/index.html

2. (from Anne Romine) Seigneurie, a group for the study of lordship, the nobility, and chivalry, invites paper proposals for a session at the International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, MI, May 13-16, 2010.

The Contestation of Chivalry

The scholarship of recent years makes it ever more clear that the values of chivalry were under constant tension, as clerics, kings, and knights themselves worked to revive, reform, or otherwise influence them. Bernard of Clairvaux held up the newly founded Order of the Temple as a model, calling knights to greater efforts in the service of the church and the Holy Land. Edward III of England, founding the Order of the Garter in 1348, sought to reinforce the links between chivalric prowess and loyalty to the crown. Ramon Llull’s Book of the Order of Chivalry urges self-policing within the knightly ranks, so that robber and traitor knights should not be permitted to tarnish the praiseworthy name of knighthood. In 1394, Philippe de Mézières predicted darkly that the upcoming crusade to Hungary (which would end in disaster at the battle of Nicopolis) could not succeed unless the knights involved were to repent and reform their lives. As scholars continue to debate just how meaningful chivalry was in practice, we must take into account the many examples of contemporaries who attempted, by invoking chivalric ideals, to influence the priorities and the behavior of knights. Papers might explore such topics as:

· Ecclesiastical and literary critiques of chivalry, the knightly class, or specific activities like tournaments

· Disputes with the nobility itself as to what constituted proper chivalric behavior

· The relative importance placed by writers of chivalric manuals on different elements of the concept

· Institutions, like orders of knighthood, which attempted to promote specific interpretations of correct chivalric behavior

Please submit one-page abstracts for a 20-minute paper and contact information (name, email, and affiliation) to Anne Romine of St. Louis University via email (aromine@slu.edu) before September 15, 2009.

For more information about Seigneurie, or for correspondence by post rather than electronic mail, please contact Donald Fleming, History Department, Hiram College, Hiram OH 44234 (Flemingdf@Hiram.edu).

3. SEEKING PAPER PROPOSALS
Daniel Franke, University of Rochester, is seeking paper proposals for a session entitled "Warfare in Staufen Germany: New Directions and Perspectives," which he is organizing for the next Kalamazoo conference (May 13-16, 2010). The term "Staufen Germany" is broadly construed to include all aspects of warfare in the German imperium from roughly 1120 to 1300. Medieval German warfare has slowly been receiving increased attention in the last decade, and this session seeks to highlight advances and new contributions to this under-appreciated topic; thus it welcomes proposals on diverse topics from a variety of fields, such as military, technology, or art history.

Interested participants should send 1-page paper proposals, with the Congress cover letter, no later than September 15 to the following paper or email address:

Daniel Franke
Department of History
364 Rush Rhees Library
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY 14627
Fax: 585-756-4425
danielfranke79@gmail.com

Congress paper submissions page: http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html

Robin Hood film; interview with Crowe

2009-08-19T10:54:00.002-04:00

This is actually a rather thoughtful interview, all things considered. Some of my English Department friends take rather a more jaundiced view of it, but that's typical. My own hope is that the film amounts to something more than Kingdom of Heaven transferred to England (of course, I also don't share the same loathing of that film that many of my crusades historian friends do!). Anyway, let the man speak for himself...

http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi682623513/