History

History Education

Since retiring I have been busy learning history. I blame Mr. Savage, my high school Latin teacher. His Latin classes also opened my eyes to ancient history. As a youth I devoured books about European history, and more than a few historical fiction novels. And almost all of Winston Churchill's books. But to understand history you also have to know a bit of geology, linguistics, archeology, and evolutionary psychology. So I continue to be a student. Mostly by taking 55+ continuing education courses at Simon Fraser University Typically each SFU "course" consists of six two-hour lectures at the downtown campus.

Becoming Top Dog: The Rise of Europe's Great Powers (1618-1795).
Major Peace Treaties and Their Consequences
The First World War: Origin, Peace and Consequences,
100th Anniversary of the Armistice: Origins of the First World War: Lessons and Legacies
At the Crossroads of Empires: The Balkans 1453–1914
From Nationalism to Nightmare: The Balkans 1900–2015
The Complexities of Conflict: War of Words: The Western Balkans in the Early 1990s
Bosnia: Centuries of Conflict and Coexistence
Albania from the Second World War to the Present
A New Ottoman Empire?
Canada and America 1713-1867: From Sea to Sea
Homer's Iliad: History, Myth, Tragedy and Oral Poetry
Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain and the Spanish Inquisition
The First Crusades: Faith, Hope and Swords
The Protestant Reformation: Its Impact and Inheritance

Asia

Japan, China and the Western Powers 1600-1976
Realms of Chinese Art: Ritual, State, Studio and Market
A Retired Diplomat’s Candid Report on His Encounters with World Leaders
The Colours, Beauty, and Sounds of Persia
Chinese Wisdom from the Classics: Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism
Fabric of Empire: How Silk Defined China

Art History

Fakes, Forgeries and Frauds in the Art World
Mediterranean Art from the Minoans to the Byzantines
The Art of the Baroque Age
Rococo, Neoclassical and Romantic Art
Western Art of the 19th Century
Deciphering Ancient Egyptian Art

Archeology

Underwater Archaeology of Early Modern Naval Vessels
Human Origins: Where Did We Come From and How Did We Get Here?
Old Rocks, Young Science: Introducing Geology
Building Ancient Egypt, One Brick at a Time
From Stone to Metal: An Archaeological Exploration of Ancient Technology

Language

The Story of English: A Thousand Years and Counting
To Whom It May Concern: Conventions of Standard English Grammar
Babel Here and Now: Language Families Across the World.
Signs of the Scribes: The Story of Writing
The Glamour of Grammar: Modern English Through Traditional Grammar
On Top of the Word: The Structure and History of English Words
The Fabulous Origins of English Words, Nov 2016
A Manner of Speaking: The English Sound System
Finding Your Funny: Discover Standup Comedy

Geography

Six Fascinating South American Countries: A Virtual Tour of the Andes
Island Worlds: The Lands, the People, the Heritage
Around the Sahara: A Virtual Tour of North Africa
The Pacific Ocean and Its Islands

Other

To Boldly Go: Six Unresolved Questions in Physics
Mathematics: A Subject of Sublime Beauty
Radium, Radiation and Nobel Prizes: The Curie Family.
On Religion: Christopher Hitchens' Greatest Hits
Making Sense of Scents: The Art and Science of Olfaction and Perfumery
Using AI in Your Work and Life