The Meaning of ‘Mafia’
Shrouded in mystery, eerie in sound, mysterious in origin, menacing in the images it provoked, the word ‘mafia’ came into common usage in c. 1875.
Sir Robin William V. Harcourt Hood, M. P.
Whenever a politician proposes raising a new tax or cutting a public service, a newspaper columnist will often respond that the proposed changes are ‘Reverse Robin Hood’. Alternatively, those who look favourably upon governmental tax and finance reforms might attempt to portray the politician in question as embodying Robin Hood values.
“Lenin Lives!” (2017) by Philip Cunliffe
Philip Cunliffe has written a fascinating book which gives an account of how history might have turned out had the goals of early twentieth-century socialists been realised.
Outlaws vs. Vampires
On the same night that Mary Shelley conceived the idea for Frankenstein, her friend, Dr John Polidori, conjured another frightening creature – the vampire. Yet his malevolent vampire was no match for some Italian bandits, it seems.
Dimas and Gestas: Bandits Crucified with Christ
The two men crucified alongside Jesus were not just petty thieves but dangerous bandits and possible revolutionaries.
The Virgin and the Outlaw
In the earliest medieval poems, Robin Hood is devoted to the Virgin Mary. While this may seem odd, many thieves in medieval Europe had an attachment to her.
A Hymn of Dissent: Inscriptions from the Dungeons of Richmond Castle
In WW1, Conscientious Objectors under sentence of death left their mark in their cells detailing their thoughts and prayers before in what they imagined were their final hours.
Mexican Cartels
Carlos Rodriguez gives a brief history and analysis of Mexican cartels from the 1980s onwards.
The Underclass of 19th-Century New York City: The Work of Jacob A. Riis (1849-1914)
Stephen Basdeo takes a look at the life of one of New York’s pioneering social reformers, Jacob A. Riis.
“One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”: Deciding what is and what is not an act of terror
Tyler Welch explains why it IS possible to distinguish terrorist acts from the actions of legitimate freedom fighters.
