In the second part of this essay we look at some of the ways that public denial and public hysteria around homosexuality has influenced the military history of Britain, Germany and Australia.

A brief history of military masculinity from the Sacred Band to Frederick the Great.

How do you create an honest war museum?

Some timeless observations of Macquarie Island's wildlife from Antarctic explorer George F. Ainsworth (1878 - 1950).

Today on The Unravel we ask the question; Did 19th century sealers suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome?

Given this litany of disastrous invasions and bloody occupations, why do politicians continue to insist that their armies will be welcomed with open arms?

Despite the long history of ‘humanitarian interventions’ the idea that nations have an obligation to defend the rights of those beyond their own borders has only recently begun to gain acceptance.

The fallacy of liberation played a major part in inciting conflicts during the Cold War but realism's hindsight makes it hard to appreciate the initial idealism that accompanied these conflicts.

Case studies in strategic optimism from the Greco-Turkish War to the end of the World War II.

A brief history of the fallacy of liberation from the wars of the French Revolution to the end of the long 19th century.

The public release of ChatGPT has permanently contaminated the Web. Welcome to the world of Average Garbage Forever.

To unravel the myth of the 'aggressive' snake we have to look at the world from their perspective.

Putin's disastrous invasion of Ukraine has revealed the indiscriminate nature of Russian propaganda.

Tracing the origins of 'life admin' from sacrificial servants, to human computers, chatbots and Potemkin AI.

The surprising and somewhat tortuous etymology behind the English words for tortoises, turtles and terrapins.

A brief look at the increasingly rare Superb Parrot and its unlikely ecological niche.

Reflections from a foray into the highlands of Georgia.

How our metaphors for the internet determine success and failure in the messy world of software design.