Comments by "" (@craigkdillon) on "The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered" channel.

  1. I couldn't help recall the great movie, "The Enemy Below", with Robert Mitchum and Curt Jurgens. Made around 1958, it is a riveting tale of destroyer vs u-boat duel. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
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  2. Had no idea. Always liked Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Now I respect and admire him so much more.
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  3. How about the GBS statement that the English invented the language, but it took the Irish to show them how to use it.
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  4. "White Man's Foot" is what Native Americans called it, as it followed the incursion of settlers.
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  5. The British either cannot spell or do not know how to pronounce their own language. Accepted British pronunciation often has no relation to the spelling. So, something is wrong.
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  6. I think it is amazing how ancient Rome fascinates us today. It is talked about, debated, and analyzed endlessly. I wonder if the United States will be talked about and debated in 2000 years? I wonder if there will be anyone alive to care?? I guess I will just have to stick around, and find out.
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  7. I doubt the plane "flew into the setting sun", since the sun 93 million miles away. Flat Earthers would use that statement as "proof" that the sun is only a few thousand feet up, and that the Earth is flat.
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  8.  @OkieSketcher1949  Another great movie from the same year, I think, is The Bedford Incident -- starring Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier. It is tense, taut, and has a remarkable ending. I won't tell you, and give it away. It is different from any war movie you ever saw.
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  9. That was great. I love the odd connections that history unveils. Thank you.
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  10.  @OkieSketcher1949  It is rare to meet someone who has even heard of the movie, let alone hold it in high regard. Its refreshing.
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  11. I suggest the movie "1, 2, 3..." with James Cagney and Horst Bucholtz. Cagney plays a Coke executive trying to get the rights to sell to Iron Curtain. It is a great comedy. I am sure it was inspired by these events.
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  12. It is less than a footnote - it is not mentioned. I have read several histories of the North Africa Campaign, Operation Torch, etc and I have never heard of this battle. Maybe I forgot it. But, I don't think so. From a military perspective, this reminds me of the defense of the Tin Cans at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Outgunned and overmatched defenders somehow prevent a breakthrough victory. Thanks for the education.
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  13. It is stories, like this one, that made me stop reading fiction. True stories, like this, are more entertaining, than fiction for me. The knowledge that the story really happened makes it that much more profound. The tragedy or comedy is made sublime by the reality of it.
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  14.  @arctos49  I loved Curt Jurgens as the U-boat captain. He was a good English speaking German actor, who appeared in a lot of American films.
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  15. Plate tectonics became accepted in geology only in the 50's and 60's, within my lifetime. Let's not think poorly of the 18th Century thinkers who had no idea of geological forces, plate tectonics or other concepts taken as basic concepts today.
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  16. Graham Hancock is not an historian, and moreover, is very sloppy scholastically. He has an axe to grind. He is more of a propagandist. He does not seek truth...only to push what he thinks is truth. If you notice in his books, his footnotes are very thin.
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  17. Basically, there was no loss at the Battle of Kasserine Pass, since Kasserine Pass was not the entire battle. The Battle of Thala has to be seen as an episode of the larger Battle of Kasserine. The victory at Thala resulted in the VICTORY at Kasserine. Just as you don't look at the result of a battle by only looking at the right flank or left flank, you cannot judge the results of a battle by looking at any one portion. The ENTIRETY of the battle must be looked at. Thala was really a part of the Battle of the Kasserine Pass, and the battle CANNOT be assessed without Thala. When Thala is included, what is seen is victory, not defeat. Excellent video. Excellent lesson.
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  18. Great story. Congratulations for surviving. I envy you for having such a great wife, who was willing to stand by you during hard times. That is truly exceptional. My wife left me, when I had a hiccup in my career. Nothing as tough as what you experienced. Your story would make a great movie. You should write it down.
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  19.  @skiidahonorthsouth  I was going to reply, but you did a great job explaining it. Words change in meaning all the time. Look at how "bad" can mean "good", LOL.
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  20. LOL. We attacked ourselves, and we lost.
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  21. If Mackinac is pronounced Mak-in-aw, then..... shouldn't Cadillac be pronounced Cad-il-aw???
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  22. Thank you. I never knew the context of situation in Mexico during the time of the Texas independence. The dispute in Mexico between centralization and federalization I was never aware. I understand a little more what drove Santa Ana.
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  23. Oh, we have learned. We are so much better at all three today.
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  24. School only has the time to acquaint you with the highlights of history at best. Besides wars, did you learn about Spanish American War, Roaring Twenties, Suffragette Movement & the Vote for Women, The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, The Progressive Movement & The Roosevelts, The Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Cold War, Civil Rights movement, Vietnam War, a few other 20th Century goodies???
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  25. Our society is structured such that young men and women have to leave home to find work or establish a career. Families are separated, willingly, maybe, but I am sure all wish they could have found jobs and success closer to home. In my case, my daughter lives in LA, while I remain in Chicago. Too many families are divided, and cannot easily get together. I wish them all a very merry Christmas.
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  26. Thank you. That was fascinating. That showed phenomenal project planning and management skill.
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  27. As a child in the 50's in Chicago, I remember being taught about the necessity of windbreaks and watersheds. They were important to farms to protect their farms from wind erosion, and water retention.
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  28. I am sure there are many stories that require more time, or more episodes. Please tell some of those, too.
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  29. Unlike most of your videos, the title of this one, made me feel it would be boring. I avoided clicking on it, for awhile. Then I did. Boy, was I wrong. Like all your videos, this was interesting, captivating, and inspiring I will doubt you no more.
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  30. Wow. Crazy.
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  31. I think the battle of Tours was actually a Non-turning point. A defeat at Tours would have made France Muslim -- and THAT would have been a turning point. BUT - with their defeat, France was able to continue to develop as it was. NO change -- and therefore NOT a turning point.
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  32. Like so many of your historical snippets, this, too, deserves a movie.
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  33. I wonder if Pantelleria was an inspiration for the movie, "The Guns of Navarone"?? I see similarities.
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  34. Not sure about that. But, I can predict the past.
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  35.  @freesk8  History is difficult. 1. We all have selective memories. We remember what we like, and suppress or forget what we don't. 2. I do not believe much of history has intentional lies in it. One problem is historians usually believe the standard telling of it. For instance, there are aspects of the Revolutionary War that are strange, when you think about them. But, those questions are never even recognized. BTW. I don't believe there any "lies" in it, but incomplete truths that don't tell the whole story. If you want to really know and understand history, you have to read different histories. And, you have to read those who challenge the usual story. Unfortunately, the "alternative" histories usually have an axe to grind, and are more likely to make things up -- like the black revisionist histories that want to make the Egyptians black. So, you have to be careful whatever you read.
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  36. Excellent episode. This illustrates, and you so well explain, the impact that logistics and supply can have on a war. I wish you would do an episode on Gen'l Lucius D Clay and the Arsenal of Democracy.
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  37. You should do an episode on Simon Butler, aka Simon Kenton. He was important in the settling of Kentucky, and in the conflict with the Shawnee. His tale is told well by Allan Eckart in his book The Frontiersmen, which is well referenced and is more history than novel.
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  38. You also need to do a piece on Mackinac Island, its founding, and its central role in the French & Indian War. It was key to the early economy and settling of America.
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  39. I wonder what history will say about Donald Trump? And, what will it say about us, who elected him and the Republicans who enable him, support him, and enact his edicts. What will it say about about our taking and killing of the children of immigrants???
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  40. Dear History Guy, Thank you for such clear, concise, and often moving episodes of history. Your videos are all valuable. I recommend your videos to all I know. The fact that anyone in Youtube would have a problem with any of your videos shows how rampant ignorance is. The ignorant resent anyone else getting knowledge. It seems that YouTube is run by the ignorant. Pity. Anyway, I hope you keep up your good work. Your wife does good work, too, and I look forward to her further contributions. BTW, any plans of having your cat to contribute??? Thanks, Craig
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  41. And you present History as it should be, but is done so rarely. I have read much history. But, never have I read a story so profound, and so touching. I wish our current monarch, Emperor Trump, had the wisdom and kind spirit that Emperor Norton, The Great, had.
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  42. That period was also important for the development of the Progressive and Labor movements. The 1890's was the time of the Robber Barons and monopolies. That gave rise to Progressives in the Republican Party, headed by Theodore Roosevelt. That led to the Taft Hartley Act, and the break up of Standard Oil. Monopolies have since been frowned upon, until the recent changes in the GOP since Reagan. It was the period of the Haymarket Riots, and the demand for better working conditions, adequate pay, and a shorter work week. The current era of new monopolies, like Facebook, Google, and Amazon have created a new era of Robber Barons, who control our economy, and with the GOP, our government. In response, a new Progressive Movement has been born. Will it succeed? Will our economy and government be saved, and returned to working for the people? I wonder.....
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  43. Amazing how they both died on the date they made so famous. Although being Agnostic, it does seem somehow, that a larger hand helped our country get started. At the moment, it seems that hand of Providence, has left us.
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  44. Let your hair grow.
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  45.  @Erewhon2024  I learned that in a course on Ecology in college. Over the years, I have learned that much of what I learned in college was mistaken. It is possible (hard to believe?) that I am wrong on this.
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  46. What a grim and shameful story. It shows that the veil of culture and civility that we have is thin, and easily shredded. It is sad that we have Trump, Republicans, and FOX News stoking hate and violence today with the predictable tragic results.
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  47.  @samuelbean9928  You insult, but offer no evidence to your point of view. The fact that slave holding status is what defined the Confederate states, seems to me to make slavery the predominate issue in The Civil War. Were there other issues?? Yes, but to me and most others, their importance was due to the slavery issue. Do you have any recognized historians that you can cite to support you view?? I think not. So you will just rant and wail, insulting all who disagree with you. Which is just about everybody.
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  48. May I suggest two history books, which I think would be great episodes for you. First, "The Great Hedge of India". That is one of the curiouser history books I ever read. And, it is so British. You must read it at least. Second, "Cod". Great history of the impact of cod on history. For instance, did you know that the Basque dominated the European salt cod trade?? Well, they did that by getting cod at their secret cod fishery off of North America. They had been doing that for centuries before Columbus came along. When John Cabot "discovered" New England, he observed the Basque fishermen drying their cod on shore. (Check that, I think its right.) Good Luck...
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  49. Interesting. Very good. BUT>>>>> Where do you get all this stuff????
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  50. The era 1866 to 1913 is not forgotten. It is not taught in most high schools, I believe. But, the books are there. Historians have done their jobs.
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