Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
I have the distinct pleasure to announce the publication of my latest article, Together with Bloody Knife in South Vietnam: Old West Metaphors and the Kit Carson Scouts during the Vietnam War, which is completely open access thanks to generous funding from the University of Gothenburg.
The article is part of my ongoing research into the Kit Carson Scouts during the Vietnam War and this particular piece of research harkens all the way back to my initial ideas about what I wanted to write my bachelor's thesis about. I originally wanted to write something surrounding the use of Old West metaphors during the Vietnam War, even choosing a catchy title ('Sitting Bull in Vietnam'), but then stumbled upon the works of Richard Slotkin and realized that I could not do it any better. I reoriented my research topic to the Kit Carson Scouts during the war instead, something that I had encountered during my preliminary literature review. To see it come full circle is very fun and to be able to build upon Slotkin's work has been very inspiring.
Abstract:
The Vietnam War saw widespread usage by American soldiers of metaphors and imagery referencing the mythic Old West of American history. This article examines a case of an Old West reference that has been overlooked in previous research: The Kit Carson Scouts, former PLAF and PAVN soldiers who had volunteered to work for the United States. I argue that Americans, ranging from high ranking officers to enlisted men, used Old West metaphors and imagery drawn from popular culture to interpret and understand the place that the Kit Carson Scout had amongst American forces and how the cooperation between South and North Vietnamese defectors and American soldiers was meant to function. In the process, Americans faced resistance from Vietnamese scouts who could not identify themselves with examples from mythologized American history.
The students in my theatre history class told me on Tuesday that they learn as much or more from my digressions and rants as from the primary material of the day. I’m calling it a win for engagement.
How do I subscribe to the "Best Of" release that comes out every week or month? I was s bscribed on a previous account, but I forgot the password and now I can't figure out how on this account.
Has there ever been anything that was once considered pseudohistory that was later found to be actual history?
Not sure if this is allowed or even a good question for this sub, but does anyone know of a website where someone can read translations of Mesopotamian cuneiform? I found one website but can't get it to work and was suggested another website that is nice, but doesn't have a lot of translated pieces.
Has anyone ever taught or taken a thematic history class? Anyone have any tips for what works well and what doesn't? How did you/your professor/your teacher create a through line or narrative arch? Or maybe there wasn't one? I've only ever experienced chronological history for secondary students and undergraduates.
Is Anne Applebaum reliable? I know she comes recommended by some, but she's also suffered some clunkers in the past, including stumping for the Iraq war, not to mention the questionable company she keeps (thinking about her husband here).
I don't mind a right-wing slant, but I'd like some assurance the author isn't a complete crank before I dive head-first into a considerable tome.
Your Weekly /r/askhistorians Recap
Friday, September 23 - Thursday, September 29
###Top 10 Posts
| score | comments | title & link |
|---|---|---|
| 3,216 | 84 comments | In U.S. television situation comedies (sitcoms) from the 50s, 60s, and early 70s, there is a common trope of a male office worker inviting his boss to a homecooked dinner with the ultimate goal of asking for a raise or currying favor for a promotion. Did this really happen? If so, how common was it? |
| 3,065 | 58 comments | Has there ever been previous "haha funny sex/drug meme" numbers like 69 and 420 in the past? Were ancient Roman kids giggling every time 17 came up, or Sumerians over 190? |
| 2,933 | 173 comments | The Rubicon River is one of the most famous in history because Julius Caesar started a civil war when he crossed it. "Crossing the Rubicon" now means to do something you can't take back. So how did we manage to lose the Rubicon River? Why don't we know where it is? |
| 2,890 | 64 comments | Why did the surname of Mussolini not fall out of favor in Italy the way that Hitler did in Germany? |
| 2,514 | 60 comments | The last known auroch only died in 1627. There were royal restrictions on hunting them as early as the 1200s. How did 400 years of proto-conservation fail for such a high status, visible animal? |
| 1,724 | 13 comments | What did healthcare look like for a pregnant queen in the Middle Ages in Europe? |
| 1,723 | 133 comments | North beats South? |
| 1,627 | 32 comments | The Starship Enterprise traces its name back through many generations of fictional and real life ships, dating back to the 16th century. Do other cultures with strong naval traditions (China, Portugal e.g.) have equivalent ship names that trace back through many iterations of naval or space travel? |
| 1,484 | 60 comments | "Moby Dick" describes a whaling voyage where the captain remains shut in below deck while the ship departs, and most crew members only meet him several days into the voyage. Is this even remotely realistic? |
| 1,384 | 23 comments | I often have heard that throughout history cities were destroyed and then rebuilt in the same location on top of the old one. How did this actually happen? Was there massive leveling projects where new soil was placed on top? Why are ancient ruins always underground? |
###Top 10 Comments
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There are some controversial claims by writer Chris Fogarty about the potato famine. He cites the Public Record Office in London for locations of British troop deployments in Ireland. I just wonder if any professional historians would 1) corroborate or disprove those deployment claims and 2) whether there is any more context that Fogarty is missing eg what exactly were their orders, were the numbers unusual compared to non-famine times, compared to Indian famines etc? 3) what and where were export/import ratios (he cites some Times of London export records iirc)