Abstract This paper discusses how much of the Western military legacy came from the Greeks, especially Alexander the Great, and looks at how, through his military genius and force, Alexander eliminated all dynastic rivals and promising monarchs in his first two years. In the next eight years, he annihilated the Persian Empire and expanded the Greek region 3,000 miles to the East. It analyzes his army, tactics, and use of weapons, such as the use of catapults, which made as much of an impact as assault artillery in the late 20th century.
From the Paper "The 20-year-old Alexander set the stage for victory with the destruction of Thebes. At Grancius, his first major attack following his father's Persian invasion, he developed a model of military strategy for his subsequent wins at Issus, Gaugamela, and Hydaspes. This approach consisted of adjusting to a difficult battle topography, personally leading his men into an attack with no concern for his own safety, and focusing on a vulnerable spot in the enemy's flank, attacking the startled foe with the advancing phalanx and destroying the field troops with the goal of complete eradication. Like his father Philip, before him, Alexander stressed that war did not bring negotiations. Rather, it meant the total destruction of the enemy and its culture (Durant, 541)."
Abstract This paper explores horror actor Peter Cushing's ancestral ties with Sir Henry Irving, the great English stage actor and Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, in the context of the English stage and Irving's tours of America, from 1881 to 1889. It examines Bram Stoker's work in April of 1912, that used a new medium of artistic expression and brought Stoker his posthumous fame--the motion picture industry which catapulted Stoker's Gothic novel to the darkest realms of cinematic exploitation and created a new cultural icon in the form of a blood-sucking, malevolent human monster known as Count Dracula.
From the Paper "While Ellen Terry and Henry Irving enjoyed some days of quiet and peace in the privacy of their drawing-rooms and staterooms, the rest of the (touring) company, the tons of scenery, the hundreds of costumes, the 1,200 wigs, the small-part actors, the supers and Bram Stoker, were sailing to America in a slow boat called The City of Rome." Although this quote from Madeleine Bingham's 1978 biography Henry Irving and the Victorian Theatre seems at first glance rather superficial, two specific points deserve closer examination--first, Henry Irving, the legendary British thespian, the Sir Laurence Olivier of his time, who dominated the English stage for more than thirty years and was the first actor to be knighted 1, and actress Ellen Terry, his longtime leading lady, must have thought of themselves as blue-blood royalty, due to sailing to America from Liverpool in October of 1883 aboard the luxurious steamship Britannic on their first U.S. tour; and second, as the remainder of the company trudged along on that "slow boat" The City of Rome, Irving's business manager, the Dublin-born Bram Stoker, apparently was not considered as deserving of better quarters during the long voyage across the Atlantic to the theatrical citadel of New York City. However, this may have been in Stoker's favor, for it is quite possible while separated from Irving's manic desire for control that Stoker retreated to his conjoined cabin ( No. 100, a few steps from the promenade bar 2 ) and took pen in hand to scribble in a "dogeared notebook (with) hieroglyphical entries in thick, half-obliterated pencil," 3 more notes concerning his ten years of research into the occultic sciences."
Abstract Trudeau was an eccentric and eclectic leader whose personality and charisma created the phenomenon of Trudeaumania throughout 1968 and catapulted him to the Prime Ministership. Trudeaumania was an expression of the 1960s.
Abstract Renaissance ("Rebirth") refers to the period after the Middle Ages when a series of dynamic intellectual, cultural, and artistic movements, from the 14th to 16th century, catapulted Europe towards rapid development, leading to the Age of Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution and modern times. During this rich period of exciting developments in arts, sciences, and politics, Italy was the major catalyst and became the cultural leader of Europe. It also produced several outstanding artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, who changed the face of European art forever and are worthy representatives of the Renaissance era. This paper is about the Italian Renaissance and the impact of the three great artists on European culture.
Outline
Background
Italian Renaissance and its Emphasis on Art
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)
Raphael (1483-1520)
Conclusion
From the Paper "The period following the eclipse of the Roman Empire around 500 AD until the start of the "Renaissance" at the start of the 14th century is known in history as the Middle Ages of Europe. The period saw the rise of Christianity and the power of the Church that became a major influence in culture as well as politics. The Christian doctrine focused on salvation and the life hereafter and de-emphasized the worldly life and possessions. The period also saw the rise and spread of Islam, although most of Europe remained under the Byzantine Empire and a fragmented West. Italy's cities and towns in general became largely depopulated and the country, as a whole, became a rural society after the fall of the Roman Empire. This situation lasted until the 11th-12th century when Italy's strategic location on the trade routes between Western Europe and the Muslim world and Asia helped revive commercial and trade activity in the region."
Abstract This paper explains that, when Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was first published in serialized form in 1965 in "The New Yorker", it created a sensation, which catapulted the young author to the forefront of the literary world, and, according to the author, created a new genre called the non-fiction novel, an artful blending of facts and fiction. The author stresses that Capote's practice of simply listening to his subjects without the aid of recording devices or written notes was decidedly unscientific and, due to the unpredictable idiosyncrasies of the human mind, susceptible to corruption. The paper relates that, following the enduring success of "In Cold Blood", other authors have indulged in Capote's penchant for exaggeration, sometimes crossing over into outright fabrication such as the cases of Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair and James Frey.
From the Paper "Capote's colorful treatment of the Clutter family's murder and the careful yet fanciful examination of their killers showed the world the value and power of presenting a story with a theatrical flair, but questions about Capote's methods and the accuracy of his "true account" have existed since In Cold Blood's publication. Capote seemed to argue that the point of the story was more important than the details presented to illustrate it, but that sentiment has not helped Stephen Glass or Jayson Blair to regain their credibility or James Frey in the defense of his book, nor should it be acceptable when history looks back on Capote's work."
Abstract This paper examines the tense relations between the media and the government -- including the army -- over the current war in Iraq. The paper discusses how, in the age of the internet, digital connectivity allows for the immediate dissemination of facts. However, as the paper also points out, whether or not that factual wave actually makes it o the public is up to two groups: the media and the government. Using the current U.S.-led Iraq war as an example to highlight this issue, the paper dissects the dynamics between the government and the media, both at home and abroad. The paper also examines how those tensions were catapulted into an abyss by the complexity of election season politics, the nationalistic idea of "spreading democracy," and current religious tensions worldwide.
From the Paper "Chronicling the events that incited the current war could be attributed to either these weapons of mass destruction as of yet unfound, a key flaw in evidentiary support on behalf of the Federal government, a familial vendetta against the Hussein family a la House of Bush, House of Saud, the energy and gas crises currently heading the worldwide economy, or the rising Christian: Arab tensions engulfing the powerfully well-resourced Middle East - but the reason for war is different depending on not only which side of the struggle you ask, but all of those reporting on it. From this the political surveyor and astute citizen can glean one key truth in the purpose of this war: America has launched a war on a leader, a country, an idea, and an area based on a wide variety of reasons, sometimes all conflicting, but none without key, moneyed, and powerful supporters."
Abstract The paper discusses how many attribute Mao Zedong's successes to the fact that he was a brilliant tactician who could turn defeat to failure, citing the Long March as a classic example. The paper argues, however, that Mao was indeed relentless, ruthless, and self-confident, but he was no miracle-worker. The paper reveals that on the contrary, when it came to the Long March, Mao was simply the right man in the right place at the right time, a classic example of how good luck can catapult a person to the centre of the historical stage.
From the Paper "Few figures in history inspire quite such extreme reactions as Mao Zedong. Some people revere him, while others revile him as a mass murderer. Whatever your point of view, there can be no doubt that Mao was one of the most influential people of the 20th century. He was revered by millions of Chinese as a supreme hero, and sometimes referred to as "the red sun rising in the east." Without him, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Peoples' Republic of China would not have been the same, and the latter might not have existed at all. As has been said of him, although his origins were commonplace, his education episodic at best, and his talents arguably unexceptional, nevertheless "he possessed a relentless energy and a ruthless self-confidence that led him to become one of the world's most powerful rulers"."
