Tag Archives: China

How Do Great Civilizations Get Lost?

Posted on August 16, 2011 by nathanalbright

As someone who is fond of reading about ancient history, one finds that a great many civilizations vanish into thin air, leaving only the faintest traces in history, leaving archeological records that are often mis-attributed, and leaving great empires to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, History, Military History | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Burma’s Cadillac Jungle

Posted on July 26, 2011 by nathanalbright

The sobering, but excellent book Cadillac Desert [1] shows how the United States, through its attempts to control nature, fill its empty and barren west, and harness the energy capacity of its rivers, dramatically shaped population patterns, bringing people to … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Ambler Warning

Posted on July 20, 2011 by nathanalbright

The Ambler Warning, by Robert Ludlum In one sense, reviewing a book like this, from a prolific, and deceased, author of conspiratorial pot-boilers, is superfluous. The book is an easy and quick read, has no massive surprises that a reasonably … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, International Relations | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Wars And Rumors Of Wars

Posted on June 16, 2011 by nathanalbright

Today has been full of a lot of very striking military news on two fronts: the Burmese Civil War of 2011, which is now being waged across several provinces of Burma (including one province that I am supposed to be … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Military History | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Genuine Historical Treasure: T’ai Kung’s Six Secret Teachings

Posted on May 15, 2011 by nathanalbright

How often does one get the chance to read a genuinely awesome work that purports to be from three thousand years ago that was once “particularly fatal” to own, in the words of its translator into English? Well, if you … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, History, Military History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Book Review: The Book of Lord Shang

Posted on May 10, 2011 by nathanalbright

The Book of Lord Shang, by ‘Shang Yang’ The Book of Lord Shang, a classic Chinese work of political theory, has a fascinating history and relevance for such an obscure book. The classic treatise on Legalism, a particularly harsh Chinese … Continue reading →

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A Very Brief Note

Posted on May 6, 2011 by nathanalbright

I’m not through with my trip yet (I’m running behind schedule), and I have two blog entries already prepared, but they’re in my flash drive and I don’t have the time to type them out again.  So, this note is … Continue reading →

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Boundary Conditions

Posted on May 1, 2011 by nathanalbright

One of the phenomenon of the crises of 2011 has been the fact that they have not been contained to one or a few countries.  It suggests that there is the feeling (and reality) of “contagion” where the problems of … Continue reading →

Posted in History, International Relations, Middle East, Military History, Musings, Somaliland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Declaration of Independence and the Mandate of Heaven

Posted on April 15, 2011 by nathanalbright

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which … Continue reading →

Posted in American Civil War, American History, Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, Church of God, History, International Relations, Military History, Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Can Contemporary China Learn A Lesson From 1421?

Posted on April 14, 2011 by nathanalbright

For those who are unaware, during the early part of the 1400’s, China was far and away the most impressive trading empire in the world, with trading bases as far from China as Cape Breton Island (also called Cibola or … Continue reading →

Posted in History, International Relations | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments