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History and the Sock Merchant
historyandthesockmerchant.blogspot.com
13
History and the Sock Merchant blogs about everything in the field of Modern History. Offering a unique blend of humor from its editor, an academic historian, and his observations on topics of historical debate with book reviews, articles, news, videos and more. Whatever your background, student, academic, journalist, amateur history enthusiast: this blog has something for everyone.
#96427 in All , #13 in History

The History Carnival issue 110: June 2012

Hello, and welcome to History and the Sock Merchant, my blog in which I try to make Modern History accessible and where I am very proud to be hosting the June 2012 History Carnival. Despite being a m...

1 day ago

Is There A Gap In The Costume Drama Market?

With the hype of Downton Abbey now partially eclipsed by the disappointment in Julian Fellowes Titanic, some commentators are asking have audiences now had their fill of the historic costume drama fo...

20 may 12

The History Carnival is Coming Back to HASM!

It gives me great pleasure to announce that History and the Sock Merchant will, on the 1st of June 2012, once again have the honour of hosting the History Carnival, the monthly showcase of blog writi...

10 may 12

Book Review: The Making of Modern Japan

By Marius B. JansenFor anyone who has ever thought that they’d quite like to get into Japanese history but didn’t quite know where to start, this book is a recommended starting point. The Making of M...

30 apr 12

Modern History as seen through the lens of documentary filmmakers.

The popular documentary curating website DocumentaryStorm.com is celebrating its birthday. In order to celebrate they have very kindly hand picked a few documentaries for History and the Sock Merchan...

17 apr 12

Book Review: Titanic Survivor. The Memoirs of Violet Jessop.

By Violet JessopViolet Jessop was an ocean liner stewardess and nurse who achieved fame by surviving the disastrous sinkings of sister ships RMS Titanic and HMHS Britannic in 1912 and 1916 respective...

14 apr 12

The Last Monarch of the Old School: Emperor Francis Joseph

The story of the life of Emperor Frances Joseph in not so much a life story as it is a study in political power in the modern world, a history of the Habsburg monarch, his empire, and its tumultuous ...

09 apr 12

Allies At War: Battle of Mers-el-Kébir

Not a battle well remembered in popular literature and media relating to the Second World War, and probably for good reason. Part of Operation Catapult, the Battle of Mers-el-Kébir, was a naval engag...

04 apr 12

Book Review: Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War

By Robert A DoughtyThe French army of World War I has long had bad press in military historiography, mostly stemming from British claims to have secured victory in 1918 and, retrospectively, from the...

18 mar 12

How Will You Remember Titanic 100 Years On?

Image courtesy of Titanic 100 HalifaxWherever you are in the world, chances are youre not going to be too far away from a commemoration event of some description. Here are what some of the more notab...

03 mar 12

Nineteenth Century German History -What Exactly Is It?

On a cold early-spring evening when ones mind wonders on to the subject of Nineteenth century German history, it comes across as a simple history of the unforeseen consequences of German unification,...

19 feb 12

Book Review: Left to the Wolves: Irish Victims of Stalinist Terror

By Barry McLoughlin McLoughlin is an industrious researcher, who has put in a redoubtable amount of work in Irish, British, Russian, Ukrainian and other archives in order to bring these stories toget...

09 feb 12

A Journey on the Hindenburg

Whilst trawling through an online journal archive I came across something non-related to what it was I was searching for which really peaked my interest.Now Im assuming pretty much everyone here has ...

07 feb 12

Whats the best way to organise a history bookshelf?

By Size? Period? Read vs Unread? Topic? An arrangement of books that just looks good? Whats the best way to organise a history bookshelf? Is there a tried and tested way out there that combines perfe...

04 feb 12

Le Petit Journal. An image archive for the Chic and discerning.

Le Petit Journal was a daily Parisian illustrated newspaper supplement magazine, founded by Moïse Polydore Millaud, and published from 1863 to 1944. The back and front covers were printed in bold and...

24 jan 12

Book Review: Natashas Dance: A Cultural History of Russia

By Orlando FigesOrlando Figes is Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is the author of many books on Russian history, one of which I have already reviewed at HASM: The W...

18 jan 12

Movies which Expose Historic National Issues

Over the last few decades, mainstream international cinema has tentatively stepped into a, generally, rather wonderful practice of illuminating, both through heritage films and through popular genres...

10 jan 12

Book Review: Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea

By Guy DelisleWith the death of Kim Jong-Il last month interest in North Korea has experienced a recent hype. It was off the back of this hype that I got round to reading this wonderful book which my...

05 jan 12

The Anglo-American War of 1928?

Happy new year fellow members of the great history blogosphere, I hope 2012 will be the year that all you digital humanists out there enter a golden age. Here at the start of History and the Sock Mer...

02 jan 12

Books Im Looking Forward to in 2012

2011 was a great year for fresh and groundbreaking material, Maos Great Famine showed us that, lets hope 2012 is even more fruitful. Here are a few titles due for publication in 2012 which Im looking...

27 dec 11

Top 10 Gifts for Historians this Christmas

Whether youre struggling to find that thoughtful stocking filler for your history housemate or that perfect mind-blowing gift for your historian -loved one, struggle no longer for here at History and...

20 dec 11

Treaty of the month: What historic treaty has amused me this month?

This month: The Heligoland-Zanzibar TreatyHeligoland TodayYes ladies and gentleman, after a long absence and by literally some demand the Treaty of the Month is back! This month I encountered a treat...

15 dec 11

Book Review: Republic of Egos: A Social History of the Spanish Civil War

By Michael SeidmanThis is certainly not just one more book on the Spanish Civil War. Its originality lies not only in the empirical evidence it handles but also in its unconventional way of explainin...

12 dec 11

Napoleons Secret Navy

Napoleon in Venice 1807Contrary to popular belief, Admiral Horatio Nelsons triumph over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar did not end Napoleons hopes of mounting a challenge to...

08 dec 11

Stalins Seasons Greetings

At this time of the year it is expected that we all join in the spirit of goodwill to all men and yuletide cheer!  It is noted, however, that there are certain aspects of this holiday season tha...

05 dec 11

Book Review: Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris

By Graham Robb This was bought as a present for my good lady, who loves travel and history and who is always planning long weekends in Paris, our Paris Syndrome, therefore, had long been overcom...

01 dec 11

The Nazis in 3D?

As we are about to be subjected to James Camerons Titanic in 3D (how does that even work anyway) we are now beginning to feel that 3D filmmaking is definitely something thats here to stay and that fo...

29 nov 11

Trouble in Cairo: The Force of History

Today tens of thousands of Egyptians have gathered in Cairos Tahrir Square to demand an end to military rule. Activists claim it will be the biggest day of protests so far in a week that has seen at ...

26 nov 11

Book Review: Metternich and Austria: An Evaluation

By Alan SkedIn his latest book, British historian Alan Sked deals with a not entirely easy topic: Metternich’s position in both the domestic and the foreign affairs of the Habsburg Empire. Though his...

24 nov 11

Out Today: 25 Years of Cats and Maus.

Prize-Winning Holocaust Comic writer Art Spiegelman spent 13 years writing and drawing Maus, the comic book that tells (and shows) the story his father, Vladek, a Holocaust survivor, and gave comics ...

03 nov 11

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