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#10914 11/29/2000 11:13 PM
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In reply to:

On the subject of the Crusades - I went to a wonderful lecture by Terry Jones (former Python) on the subject of Chaucer's knight.


Thanks jo, I shall look that one up. I enjoyed the TV series he fronted on The Crusades, prol. that I am.


#10915 11/30/2000 12:51 AM
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What is unique about Connell's book? Anyone else read it?


#10916 11/30/2000 6:51 AM
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I was a wee bit startled to see that Sir Steven Runciman, the first Western historian to make serious use of Muslim sources in writing about the Crusades, had died at the beginning of this month. I must admit I thought he'd died years ago. Obituary: http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,392099,00.html#top

Bingley


Bingley
#10917 12/02/2000 1:41 PM
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Jackie wrote: I should think that many wars that took place earlier than this brought the horror home--literally in too many cases.

I remember, vividly, a piece of poetry called "The General" from Seigfried Sassoon, written shortly before his death on the Western Front in 1917. It went (from memory, from memory):

"Good morning, good morning!" the General cried
As we passed him last week on the the way to the line.
Now the chaps that he smiled at are most of 'em dead,
And we're cursing his staff for incompetent swine.

"'e's a cheery old card!" grunted Harry to Jack
As they tramped up to Arras with rifle and pack.
But he did for them both with his plan of attack."


Dunno, just seems to sum the whole thing up, really.



The idiot also known as Capfka ...
#10918 12/02/2000 5:28 PM
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For some great anti-war poetry, read Robert Service! You may have to get the complete works to find the war poetry as he is better known for his Yukon poems such as "The Ballad of Shark Tooth Shoal." It begins (from memory be kind) "The north country/ is a hard country/ that mothers a bloody brood/ But the wickedest known/ from Nome to the Pole/ was the Hermit of Shark Tooth Shoal."
Wonderful imagery. For example:
"He drained the morals clean as a soup tureen from the heart of that innocent child."
wow


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