how far away did the philsophy of the classical greeks go? how far did east asian philsophy go? and what of the stuff in between, did they just interact with the people in their spheres or did they borrow ideas from outside too?

I am vaguely aware of the debate centering around Guns, Germs, and Steel, as it is referenced so often in discussions on this forum. Could anyone help direct me toward the other relevant literature in this debate? I'm sure there are many works criticizing Diamond's work in particular and/or the concept of geographic determinism in itself. I know there are also many other deterministic theories for explaining the rise and fall of civilizations. I remember hearing of one theory which centers around Eurasia's horizontal orientation being a major reason for its greater wealth than North and South America in pre-modern times. I'm sure there's lots of neat stuff like this out there that I could discuss for this short undergrad essay. Thanks!

Seems as if everyone is talking about what happened at the Oscars last night, from the movies, happenings on the carpet, etc. etc. Were they discussed as much when there wasn't as easy access to media? How does it compare to when movies were a bigger part of life?

Is its prevelance more of a modern development? Did it used to have certain status connotations -- such as something just for the wealthy?

Was there any real inkling after the first world war? A few people have said that there were already indications after the Vormärz and especially after the war with Prussia, but I've not been able to find anything on that.

Everything mostly seems to start after the 2nd world war and just treats it as a fact, already existing.

To me so far, it seems to be an identity built around the Opferthese/Victim Myth. I'm also aware of the Waldheim scandal, but I'm unsure how it fits in.

I am meaning academic dishonesty in a broad sense, covering everything from plagiarism to "fudging" data.

I've looked into it and rum, dried fruits, apples, and pears seem to have been quite popular, but I'm wondering if there is anything I have missed that r/AskHistorians may have knowledge of. Thanks.

Why did Gibraltar not develop into a thriving trade city like Singapore? It appears to be located in a very favorable place, at the head of the Mediterranean and along one of the world's major trading routes.

First of all - I'm not sure this is the best subreddit for this question but I'm seeking advice on good reading material for boning up on ancient civilizations from a historical perspective.

I have a BA in History but due to how the AP exams were taught at my school I actually know very little of ancient history outside of China. I want to research ancient civilizations for a project I am working on. Specifically Assyria, Babylon, and Sumeria. Any book recommendations (or documentaries for that matter) would be greatly appreciated.

I read an article mentioning that ISIS has such talk as part of its rhetoric, but at least to a relatively uninformed layman such as myself, I don't recall reading previously that this kind of stuff was a part of Islam, whereas it is a pretty well known part of Christian thought. Obviously talking about ISIS's use now is off limits here, but I was wondering what the history of this kind of stuff is within Islam, and whether I'm mistaken in my impression that it is a generally downplayed aspect of the religion.

Also, what is the general gist of the events that shall come to pass?

Mainly fiction, not so much myths or legends.

At many points throughout Ancient Egyptian history they had two capitals. In Memphis, and in Thebes. Was this in order to recognize upper and lower Egypt as different. Was it for administrative purposes? I would understand if they were only regional capitals but they were considered to be national capitals.

I am just wondering since a majority of movies and videogames are about 101st airborne and I do not really know who they really were and what they did.

Hi all,

I'm not usually one to read a lot of history books, but I've just finished reading Christopher Robbins' excellent book "The Ravens" about the secret war in Laos and found it one of the most fascinating reads I've had for a while. I was wondering if anyone could recommend something in a similar vein about the Vietnam war?

I particularly enjoyed how it was from a relatively objective standpoint, not being afraid to criticise the US role, but focused mainly on personal accounts and stories, making it really readable.

Any ideas?

I am currently reading (re-reading) Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". I'm really immersing myself in this book, but it seems like the more I get into it, the more ambiguous certain words/phrases get.

Im hoping this can open a lot of discussion about people who are knowledgeable in this area.

Here are 3 quotes im having difficulty understanding, and hope they can be explained.

1. Section- Making of Plans "If he is angry, disconcert him"

2. Section- Strategic Offense "Ignorant meddling in military appointments perplexes officers and men"

3. Section-Empty and Full "Oh, subtlety of subtleties! Without form! Oh, mystery of mysteries! Without sound! He Is master of his enemy's fate"

Edit:Typo

Did they find large pieces of previously undiscovered land? Islands? Did it not make a difference as we had already used earlier technologies in order to map our entire world?

I've been reading up on the Vikings and noticed that they held a young death in battle to be the highest honour, but they also have been defeated in battle. I'm wondering whether they have ever surrendered, fled or deserted.

Boston has gotten more than six feet of snow this winter, and it made me wonder-how did snowy northern cities (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, etc) deal with snow removal before plows? From, say, 1700 onward. Gangs of shovelers? Horse-drawn (or powered) somethings? The residents of a street dealt with their street? Nothing, and wait for spring? How did this compare to snowy European cities, which, having been around longer, presumably had more practice at dealing with it?

I have a Bachelors in Economics, although they never taught me much about Communism at all, except in vague historical courses where communism was briefly taught and mostly shunned, hated and laughed at. I have some knowledge of the theories of Communism, although I have very little idea of how communism actually works in practice.

I was wondering: Was it possible for an individual living in a purely communist country like the Soviet Union, Cuba or other Eastern Bloc countries to become exceptionally rich compared to the rest of the population? If so how? Are there any historical examples? An example of any of the communist countries, especially Soviet Union would be great.

It seems almost impossible for an individual to gain massive wealth, if the state provides all the jobs, food, money and all that.