Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with empire

Books about the British Empire in Afghanistan?

epersonae — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:27:35 -0800

I was talking with a friend about the "graveyard of empires," b*tching about politics, and we both realized that we knew pretty much nothing about the British experience in Afghanistan in the 19th century. (I have a vague recollection about it being background for some Sherlock Holmes stories. She remembered some Kipling.) What books would you recommend for getting a good understanding of that period of history? Bonus points for an engaging writing style and for not being the length of an encyclopedia. Thanks!

candor dat viribus alas

fantasticninety — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:32:24 -0800

What kind of racial harmony was there within the Roman Empire? I don't know much about the Roman Empire, but I am curious to know where the slaves came from and whether or not people of different racial backgrounds enjoyed equal rights or not.

Thanks for any thought out or informed answers.

Help me remember this 4X space game...

CarlRossi — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:54:44 -0800

Looking for a 4X style empire game from my youth. Difficulty: Played it on a VT-100 terminal. Crazy boring details inside. Here's what I remember. Game was made prior to 1993, single player, turn-based, ASCII characters on a VT-100 terminal. (Could be VT-102, but don't hold me to that, let's say it's in the VT-100 family.)

1. It was an Empire style game that took place on a single screen.
2. The screen did not scroll to show more territory.
3. Each planet was represented by a letter. i.e. A, B, C, D...
4. Planets were randomly populated around the screen and the player and computer player started at opposite corners.
5. When ships crossed paths in space, or when your ships attempt to take an enemy planet, they battled. What was unique was an animated counter that showed real-time losses. The victor was the one who had ships remaining at the conclusion of the battle.
6. The winner was the one who controlled all the planets. (Like Empire)
7. One could expect the game to take about 15 - 20 minutes to play.
8. I think I played this on my university's (URI) PR1ME/PrimOS, as opposed to another mainframe. I don't think there was another one, I think the other one was an internet server.

I'm hoping this game wasn't just limited to URI, but was a common PR1ME program for geeks to kill time.

Google searches turn up results that point me to Sins of a Solar Empire and the like, but sometimes I want a game that'll take 15 mins to play instead of days. If there's even a version that will still work today. But nonetheless, I want to know its name.

No pithy title: after Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize, irony died.

history is a weapon — Sun, 17 May 2009 06:46:09 -0800

I've read hints here and there that there were American soldiers who flipped sides and joined the Vietnamese. Where can I find definitive accounts of these stories? I'm looking for memoirs, histories, interviews, and articles. A sentence mention in a longer piece is okay if you think it'll lead to something, but is there somewhere I can find the motherlode?

As an aside, I'm also interested in the red scarves and the like, but mostly on people who joined to fight alongside the Vietcong.

Thanks.

Forgotten fall of the Roman Empire quote?

jellywerker — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:51:38 -0800

I am looking for a quote I once read about the decline of nations/empires. I think the quote was specifically referencing the Roman Empire and said something to the effect of when a nation starts putting the current generation ahead of the unborn generation, that's when it falls. I think the quote might have been in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, but I can't find it. I have always thought it was a very powerful quote, and rather relevant to today's social security issues.

Another way I think it might have been said was something along the lines of an empire falls when it puts pleasure ahead of the needs of the next generation.

I think this is also applicable to the cuts on education and research and development that recently went through, and I'd like to be able to quote it correctly.

Atlas of Biblical Rome in Detail ...

snap_dragon — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:50:06 -0800

I'm trying to find a good atlas that shows all of the Roman Roads built throughout the Roman Empire for my pastor friend. I think there were some 53,000 miles of highway built by the Romans, and, as he is preaching through Acts and following Paul's journeys, he'd like to have a good atlas that shows the period Roman district names, cities, terrain features, and especially the roads. Do you have any idea where he might find something like that?

What Would History Have Done?

greytape — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:51:27 -0800

What lessons should the US have taken from history in planning the invasion of Iraq? Nowadays the idea that the invasion of Iraq was doomed from the start is fairly prevalent, suggesting that attempts by great powers to impose their wills on foreign populations are simply a flawed idea (the US in Vietnam, the USSR in Afghanistan etc.)

Time was though, that great powers seemed to be able to impose their will on foreign populations without too much bother (e.g. France and Britain in the 19th century.) So what, if anything, has changed?

To this end I'm looking for historical examples of attempted regime change, successful or unsuccessful, that the US might have learnt from in planning the invasion of Iraq.

(More broadly, I'm thinking about whether certain features of the modern world (democracy, kalashnikovs, new media technologies, nationalism etc.) have put an end to the age of empires, or whether great power dominance is just having a bad run of form of late.)

Thanks for any help.

Help me find an old article

bigcheesegump — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:01:48 -0800

Looking for an old newsmagazine story about Britain. I remember looking at a piece about Britain's role in the economy throughout the years in a newsmagazine piece about 10 years ago.

The basic outline was that it detailed the role that Britain played in the world economy by era in the British history. Notable eras were the late 1890's as the Empire was at it's peak, the depressions of the 1920's and 30's and the unemployment of Thatcher's effect on Britain's role in the world economy.

It was very fact-based, not just simple talk. It backed itself with sources while being easy to understand as well. I remember it vividly BECAUSE it was such a great article.

I cannot seem to find it at all. It was in some sort of magazine like Newsweek but think 'snootier', like the Economist. Any help would be appreciated locating this resource or any resource like this.

How to choose comprehensive health insurance plan?

annabellee — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:43:11 -0800

What should I do about the drastic increase in my freelancer's health insurance? I've had health insurance covered by HIP through Freelancer's Union in NYC. Freelancer's Union is switching its plans to Empire and raising their premiums significantly with little change in their offerings. Members have until 12/31 to choose a new plan or will be uninsured come 01/01/08.

I checked out eHealthInsurance and found what appears to be a better deal on individiual insurance from Atlantis.

Quick comparison:
Empire through Freelancer's Union: $382.63/mo
Atlantis through eHealthInsurance:$308.18/mo

Neither has a deductible for in-network care. The doctor visit copays are slightly lower with Atlantis. Empire has a $50 deductible for Rx which Atlantis doesn't have.

I feel like there must be a catch or fine print I'm missing as it seems odd that a group plan wouldn't offer a better deal than an individual one. Is there something I'm missing? Do individual plans skyrocket after a year? Is Atlantis a shady company? Are there a limited number of specialists on Atlantis? Is there some unspecified waiting period that I should know about?

I am in my 30s and healthy. I do not qualify for Healthy NY. I am looking for the most affordable plan re: premiums, co-pays, prescriptions that includes full coverage for hospital stays (deductible/co-insurance plans for hospital stays seems too financially risky).

Why is the US House pushing to pass a resolution declaring the death of Armenians a genocide?

SeizeTheDay — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 07:26:42 -0800

Why is the US House pushing to declare the deaths of Armenians as a genocide committed by the then Ottoman Empire/now Turkey? I recently read this article in the Economist. I also read a NYTimes piece a week or two back, and I'm completely baffled as to why our House is getting involved in this matter at all.

Full disclosure: I don't know the situation, at all. But it strikes me as incredibly dangerous to alienate a key ally in the Middle East at a time when our ability to influence the region is becoming far less powerful. In addition, it seems odd to me that we're getting involved at all.

So really, I have several questions. Why are we getting involved? Why now? What do we have to gain by engaging in such a blatant finger-pointing event at a time when our credibility with the world is diminishing?

I'm not looking to get into a political discussion, per se. I simply want to know the rationale. The articles I've read have been relatively simplistic in their fact-finding, which allow me to quickly conclude things that perhaps aren't as simple as they're made out to be, and so I just want to know more. Thanks in advance.

The Roman Empire

tangyraspberry — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 08:34:43 -0800

My wife & I have been netflixing the HBO series "Rome" and continually find ourselves asking "did that really happen?" or "is that historically accurate?", which has lead us to wonder which book is the definitive "must read" to understand the Roman Empire during Caesar's time?

Commercial with Modern Romans?

nervestaple — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 00:21:47 -0800

I'm trying to get my hands on a TV commercial from a few years ago for some financial or business company, with a vision of a modern Roman Empire. What I remember: Caesar steps out of an SPQR limousine, illuminated by flashbulbs and surrounded by black-suited, earpieced Praetorian guard, then an image of a Roman New York, with a statue of Caesar instead of Liberty. Any pointers on finding this commercial? Also, are there any fictional works that deal with the what-if subject of the Modern Roman Empire? Thanks!

By God, Sir. I've lost my leg.

gentle — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 22:43:45 -0800

Historical movies. I love movies taking place in older times, and I have a particular fascination for the golden years of the British Empire, and the European civilization during this era. What might I like? Also: Bonus question about 1980s, possible 1970s series or movie set in this historical period. I thoroughly enjoyed the Sharpe and Hornblower series, I've seen Master and Commander more times than I should probably admit in public, I adore Mountains of the Moon, Barry Lyndon, Lawrence of Arabia, Last of the Mohicans and (to cite a less overtly British example) Valmont; I even have a soft spot for Waterloo and Revolution; and as a kid I was glued to the screen by Against the Wind. Some of these movies are about war and imperialism, but this is not a reflection of my tastes; feel free to recommend anything historical related to Europe society between, oh, say, mid-1700s until the early 1900s. What else might I like?

Bonus question: Back in the 80s I watched a series, though I might be confusing it with a movie, set in the late 1700s or early 1800s and featuring an outlaw/ranger of sorts, who I'm pretty sure was named McClane. He wore a leather coat and a cowboy-like hat, and carried a musket or rifle, the muzzle-loaded kind that he loaded from a leather pouch; and he was famous for his marksmanship. It might have taken place in England, or Scotland, or even the America colonies. I particularly remember a scene where he eludes British redcoats by hiding one of many (wine, possibly) barrels stacked along a wall in the backroom of an inn.