ROBERT EVERETT
I am a retired business professor, and am taking advantage of the opportunity to study things I am interested in, rather than things I need on the job. I am SO looking forward to this.
Location St. Charles, Missouri, USA
Activity
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I used my love for the Spenser novels to start, then used a street atlas of Boston to find actual street names. Everything but the street names and locations are totally imaginary.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Let me tell you something. Looking for something in Boston when all you know is that it is close to the Commons means you know nothing. The city is notorious for its jumbled streets and meaningless street names. A Boylston Street seems to be a main drag, and then simply dies by a park. I decided to wander around by the Commons and see if anyone could be of...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I was in Boston, looking for Spenser's office. All I knew for sure was that it was close to the Commons. Spenser had disappeared with Susan and Hawk about a week ago. They had been working on a case and I was helping with some of the legwork. All my contact had been by phone, and now that had stopped. I needed to find them.
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Jacqueline Caffrey
We are all in the same boat. I hope people are helpful and friendly so that nobody feels pressured or ridiculed.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Hello. Like many others, I am hoping to fill in some of the lockdown time with something positive and creative. Hope we all end up with Pulitzers (ha).
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to P M
Same here. I am bored out of my skull with the lockdown. Good luck to you.
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Anita Winn
Hi, Anita. Appears we are here for the same reason. How long have you been thinking about it?
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I find it awkward to keep trying to relate to UK monetary figures. A pence is 1/100 of a pound? So a price of 456 would be 4 pounds and 56 pence, correct?
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I recall a fool proof investment strategy proposed by Will Rogers in the 1920s ... You buy a stock of choice, wait for it to go up and then sell it. If it doesn't go up don't buy it. Trite, but true.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I would say the key factors are the amount saved, the time it is saved and accessibility of the funds. Generally, the higher the amount saved, the longer the money is committed and less accessibility means a higher return.
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I think you are spot on, Ellie. Money that you never see, you never miss. It should come off the top on an automatic basis. I have followed that philosophy all my life. The other aspect I have held to is that an investment has to continuously prove itself by remaining on track. If I require a return of 5% per year, and it gets less than that for two...
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Return and risk are intimately related. The broad (very broad) rule of thumb is the higher the risk you assume, the higher the return must be to justify investment in that vehicle.
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Kellie Bursey
Very true, Kellie. One thought ... the level of savings can be made automatic. For instance, assume an income of $100 per week, and we can only save $2. That is a rate of 2%. Now, let's assume you get a raise to $110 per week. You apply the 2% rate and increase your weekly savings to $2.20 ... The amount of saving goes up but the rate remains the same. ...
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Can't wait to hit those bonds!!!
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I have learned a lot about the style of leadership that Wellington displayed. I have learned that the Battle of Waterloo is probably overstated, since I had never before considered that the outcome of the battle had very little effect on the overall outcome. I also enjoyed the discussions with other historians. I would love to find a course about the...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I also noticed Prof. Esdaile's lack of participation in most of these discussions. Very disappointing because when he did say something it was usually very much on point. Would like to hear a one-on-one interview with him.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Jeezel, folks, lighten up a bit. Wellington was a great soldier, an outstanding patriot and an accomplished man. Perhaps he simply lived too long and his blemishes had a chance to show.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
The Wellington Arch certainly looks better without the Wellington statue sitting atop it. The only word that seems appropriate for the statue on top version is "tacky."
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I have never read any of this Wellington-written material. I find I will have to do so now. I have always wondered about the details of army life in the Napoleonic era. Now is my chance to find out.
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Pamela R
Churchill was in a shadow in the U.S. as well during the Obama administration. Obama's father was sympathetic to the Mau Mau movement which Churchill suppressed in the late 40s, early 50s. When Obama came into the Oval Office he had Churchill's bust removed and placed in storage. When Trump came in he had the bust brought out of storage and displayed it...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Taken as a whole, Wellington's political career was unsuccessful. Many great soldiers have made the same mistake. U.S. Grant, William H. Harrison, and James Garfield in the United States come immediately to mind. Maybe they should have an exit interview when they leave the military that points out the pitfalls of trying to extend military fame into politics.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
It seems to me that war has been much more truthfully depicted in literature and the movies in the last 20-25 years than it was prior to that time. Generally, the old method tended to glorify war or to depict the heroism of the "home team." Films like Mrs. Miniver, and Twelve O'Clock High are examples. Films beginning in about 1970 have been much more...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
It is amazing to me how people can get so stirred up of over artistic poses. I think it still goes on today. A friend of mine call it 'unexpected skin,' and thinks that most people react to toe surprise more than the skin itself. Oh, well, to each his own.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I know that the military art of the Napoleonic Wars is not very accurate, and is highly stylized, but you know what, I don't care!! My God they are beautiful. I don't know how anybody could draw down on a hussar. (Well, I can, but I don't like to.)
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I found it interesting that Mr. Esdaile had absolutely nothing to add to this discussion. Is that because of lack of interest in the material being discussed, time constraints, or simply that he agreed with the others, and had nothing to add? I ask because I found his points to be very interesting in both of the previous discussions.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I now feel guilty about complaints I had about the food when I was in the military these many years ago. SOS is a huge improvement over the rations Wellington's men had. I would like to see a similar listing for the French troops and the Prussians as well. I don't know but I would guess that the British soldier was at least as well provided for as the...
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to David Armitage
I have heard the same argument posed against the support of the United States for the British in World Wars I and II. It is sometimes stated as the willingness of Britain to fight to the last American. It is a bogus argument in both instances. Nations act in their self-interest, always have, always will. We should all be a bit more forgiving of the other...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Having captured Napoleon, the British had a severe problem...what to do with him. I think the problem was dealt with relatively quickly and mercifully. The man was put where he could do no harm, the British did not have to deal with his "martyrdom", which I think would have been the result of his execution, and the Allies had no heavy expense to shoulder in...
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I too wish that more had been said about the heavy rain the night before and its effects on the battle. If you have ever tried to move a heavy weight through mud, you will appreciate the difficulties that raised.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Very good read, but I would keep my tongue firmly in my cheek. Every account of men in battle I have seen includes the scene about the man who knows he is going to die. It is almost automatic. Invariably, he winds up killed. It livens up the action but is probably apocryphal. The bits about the liquor ration, the rain, the discomfort, all of that seems...
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Paul Kettle
It is sad but true, that a lot of old soldiers became slaves to gin and other alcoholic beverages. With the ghastly memories they carried, this should not surprise anyone, nor should they be too harshly judged for it. As Wellington himself said, the only thing more dreadful than a battle lost is a battle won.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I had not known that additional service time was granted to all surviving members of the British army at Waterloo. I am not sure what that two years may have been worth monetarily, but it had to be something. Good to know that the "thin red line" was actually acknowledged to some extent.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I too would like to see what Napoleon had to say about the battle. Given his nature, and his love of the personal pronoun, I'd wager that he was not as lavish in his praise of subordinates as the British appear to have been. His appears to me to be a brain that was brilliant but flawed by personal demons. Could it have been the short man's disease?
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Very interesting material. It shows Wellington's grasp of events, and is done with modesty and makes a fair effort to divide credit among worthy subordinates. His avoidance of the word "I" is very commendable. I suggest comparing his dispatches with those of General Pope in the American Civil War, for whom "I" was a very favorite one.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Military dispatches following a major operation are filled with references to those who distinguished themselves in combat. It is the basis for the phrase that so and so "was mentioned in dispatches." It is a sort of scoreboard for the officers to have their efforts approvingly brought up by the commander. It is the raw material for promotions,...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I very much enjoyed this discussion. I agree that in the end, it would have made no difference if Napoleon was victorious at Waterloo. He went into the battle with 75,000 men. The Russians were advancing with 170,000! After the casualties of Waterloo, I doubt very much if the French could have withstood the pressure. I also think that the European powers...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
This sort of thing always happens with allied armies. Each country involved tends to think that theirs was the major contribution and that the others were more in the way than anything else. I recommend to everyone book Masters and Commanders by Andrew Roberts that explores this idea using the World War II leadership of Churchill, Roosevelt, Brooke and...
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Philip Burgess
I agree with you Philip. It always amazes me the punishment that disciplined troops will stand. When you picture two lines of men about 75-100 yards apart, and just blowing the biJesus out of each other, you have to either admire their courage or shun their stupidity.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I am curious as to Napoleon's health on the day of the battle. I saw a movie about Waterloo many years ago (Rod Steiger played the Emperor) where it was implied that he was very ill the night before the battle. I have also read that he may have suffered from Crohn's disease. Any information you can give me on this would be most appreciated.
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I was very much impressed with Professor Esdaile's stance on the inability of Napoleon to win his long-odds gamble. Interesting that he believes that Napoleon had lost the support of the French people. When you look objectively at the time he was in power (about 20 years), his constant warfare, the loss of so much French blood and treasure, and the prospect...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Putting together conglomerate forces is never easy. This section gave a good deal of insight into the negotiations and horse-trading that went on in building up the Allied forces in Belgium. Very interesting stuff.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
The powers had to be careful in how they tread here. Napoleon was anathema for the Allies and yet they couldn't just come tramping through France to chase Napoleon. It was after all a sovereign nation. What they did do was paint Napoleon as a criminal beyond the protection of any nation. It didn't work as well as they may have hoped ... after all Napoleon...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I would love to have been a fly on the wall at the Congress of Vienna when word arrived that Old Boney was back!! A good number of people must have been concerned about their physical well-being with the emperor's return.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Many of the observations posted show considerable insight and understanding. I have found the quality of the discussions to be quite high. Just sayin'.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
It seems to me that the diplomats did't succeed in settling important questions regarding borders, ethnic considerations, etc. This would have added to the irritation level and made it more likely that Napoleon would have an opportunity to return.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 was truly the point where the point of the French army was irredeemably broken. Many fascinating books about the campaign are in print, and I think any one of them would be most informative for the reader.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Has anyone but me noticed the similarities between France in 1791 and the Soviet Union in 1919? The violence, the isolation from its neighbors, and the emergence of new leaders are all similar. Indicates to me that when old institutions are torn down, with nothing to replace them, the stage is set for cruel, violent reactions.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Anyone who has not been in a mob-centered situation can have no idea of the fear, the insanity, and the loneliness of the situation. Mobs are intrinsically violent and irrational. This family was in peril for their very lives.
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Hitler? Really?
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Fred Feelders
I had Beef Wellington several years ago at Tiddy Doll's in London. It was a business trip, I fell in with a group of kindred spirits and we had a lovely evening on the town. It was good to have interaction with locals who seemed to accept me, a mere colonial.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Wellington was a very distinguished and able commander. He was also a steady and phlegmatic leader. There would be nothing unusual in his exhorting the Guards before their charge. He knew that the entire campaign would be won or lost at Waterloo. Did he actually say "Up Guards?" Who knows, but the quote is totally within his character.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
After so many years of identifying with Richard, and resisting the self-serving Tudor interpretation of events, I had tears in my eyes during this video. Rest in peace Richard of York.
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Why? What purpose would it serve? Strikes me as ghoulish.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Evidently Richard was savaged after death. I think this was more or less common in the period. The killer or killers would have hacked away at his head trying to remove his helmet to prove it was indeed the king. I don''t blame them for that. Traitors have to make sure the rightful ruler is indeed dead before they give his crown to a stable boy.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Judging by things that have occurred elsewhere, I sincerely hope that Leicester doesn't become a big tourist attraction. Standing in a queue at the Richard III Fish 'n Chips, or having a Bosworth ice cream cone is a poor outcome for this project. The tomb is a good start. I hope it continues in that vein.
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It would have been very unlikely for Richard to have the relative dignity of a coffin bestowed upon him. It is all so sad.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I find it almost impossible to believe that Richard's burial place could have been so forgotten for 400 years. Once again, the fine hand of the Tudor revisionists seems to be present.
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Deborah McGowan
I agree, especially because of Henry's known aversion to exposing himself to any danger and his thoughtless cruelty when he was in control. The Tudors in general were a cowardly and bloodthirsty lot.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
The foods shown include what appears to be a squirrel or some other rodent, and a fish. I saw three knives on the table, but no spoons or forks. The plates seem square, and I was surprised that I saw no salt cellars.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I have to ask ... what was the "proper" method of keeping weapons close to hand while dining? Did they simply not carry their broadsword to table? Or did they have a place to deposit their cutting weapons while at table?
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I am surprised I have seen no mention of cod or sole. I thought both of these were very popular in the UK.
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to April Taylor
Ale can indeed leave you "ratted" (loved that term), but it comes in many strengths and it entirely possible to down four pints and feel no effects at all. Most commercial ales today are stronger than beer, but not overly so.
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to jane pearson
That's a good one, Jane. Philistine indeed.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I agree with others that the Livre de Chasse is beautiful. It made me want to know more about hunting in the late medieval period. I have a couple of sources to look at. Wish me luck.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Isn't it curious how a new regime's first priority always seems to be to destroy the remnants of the old regime? It is as if they are trying to remove the memory of the old. Why? Could it be because of the desire to avoid judgment on their actions? Food for thought for the destructive snowflakes of today.
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I know the Americas were not discovered as yet, but my point was that the Aztecs had discovered tomatoes before the Europeans did. The subject was provenance.
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to Glyn Bell
Pretty yucky stuff. Anybody have any insight into the sanitary standards of the time?
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Since I love pasta of all kinds, I looked at tomatoes. They seem to have originated in the New World with the Aztecs. I found out that in our subject time period, most rich people ate off of pewter plates with pewter flatware. Pewter has high lead content. Tomatoes have high acid content. This led to lead leaching into the tomatoes, causing sickness and...
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Good for you, Stephanie. Hope it works out well. Where did you find the wild boar? Bet that would give your butcher a turn.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Oh, goodie. Something we can really "get our teeth into." Sorry about that, I couldn't resist.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I was tremendously impressed with the dignity of Richard's tomb. I have been following his story for a very, very long time, and I am thrilled that after the shameful way he was killed, and the indignities imposed upon his corpse, to find that he has at last been accorded a peaceful and inspiring final resting place. It is much more impressive than the tomb...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Why can't they cut down the darned hedge? It really takes away from the marker. I would think people were more caring of the monument.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
It is very interesting to me to see the pious poses of the tombs of men who were up to their elbows in the blood of their many victims during their lifetime. Hypocrisy knew no bounds in the late Middle Ages.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Very frustrating. I can see why an historian needs to have an abundant supply of patience, and very good eyesight.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I wondered about the odor problem myself. Embalming, I take it, was not a common practice in the 15th century. The length of time between death and interment for Edward IV might seem excessive, but it pales in comparison to Abraham Lincoln. His journey from Washington to Springfield, Illinois, with many, many stops and ceremonies along the way, was well...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Interesting. Isn't it true that Christianity had a bias against cremation, considering it a pagan practice? Today, it is an increasingly common practice. I think it is a common sense approach to the problem of corpse disposal. It is also cleaner and completely eliminates the possibility of being buried alive.
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Hi, Sarah. I think the greater life expectancy of females can be explained by the number of men who were victims of violence. It was after all a violent period marked by political upheaval and civil strife.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
It is comforting to me to think that the much maligned, stigmatized Richard is getting at least a small last laugh via this book project.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
These books are truly priceless. Beautiful and they connect strongly with the reader. Too bad the nobility didn't take up their time with these books instead of the violence.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
When I was in elementary school, I attended a Catholic parochial school. One year we had to write an essay about the Missions. There were prizes given for the most outstanding essays. Anyway, I won Honorable Mention at my school, and was awarded a Missions Rosary. The decades were in five different colors, representing the five continents. It was a...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I am also a lapsed Catholic, and I have always been very cynical of the whole idea of Purgatory and indulgences. I think it degrades God to think that salvation is a cash-and-carry proposition. What it was was a form of control. My God, they got people to go on Crusades in order to win indulgences. It was such a winner that the Muslim world still hates the...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I am far too lazy and my tastes are too eclectic to put books aside in a special place. I cannot bear to throw a book away, and so I have developed a habit of putting books into a cardboard box when I finish them, and every couple of months I take the book to the public library and donate them. At any point in time I have about 200 books on hand, much to my...
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I agree with you, Sheila. I love the availability of books in digital format, but I find myself spending WAY too much money on ink and paper, as I seem to develop a headache when I read online. Maybe they should develop a more user-friendly way to view the digital book.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
In today's world of the internet, recorded books, etc. it is worth reflecting on the status that books had in the past. They are too bulky and too difficult to care for, and this has led to the demise of books as the preferred method of spreading information, but I don't think they will ever disappear completely.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Evidently "fake" news was a problem in the 15th century, just as it is today. Already the "media" was slanting and perverting the news to advance an agenda. No matter how things change, they stay the same.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
This section is truly fascinating stuff. The whole period is like a soap opera. Why the people of England put up with these murderous aristocrats is beyond me. After all, it was they who had to do the dying in their petulant quarrels.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
The process of typesetting requires great patience. It was indeed an art. The work of early printers opened the way to the explosion of knowledge and communications that led to the explosion of progress in virtually all fields of learning.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Dialects are a fascinating subtopic of language. In the U.S. there is a pronounced difference between southern speech and that in say Maine. I think the same is true in England although it might be to a somewhat lesser degree. It is hardly surprising then that the same holds true to some extent for written text as well.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Another very interesting section. The development of writing is something you don't often think about, but turns out to be fascinating when you do give it some attention and study.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
This was terribly interesting. Probably because it was all news to me. Another benefit of future learn courses!!!
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
The use of wall paintings, and art in general, to convey religious themes strikes me as a common-sense approach to teaching religious matter to illiterate people. It is amazing how much knowledge, and beauty, is conveyed by these paintings.
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You shouldn't let your own political biases and blind spots influence your reading of history. Our "current political scene" includes a narrow escape from rule by an hysterical, elitist, mean-spirited woman. If that angers you, so be it.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
It is hard to imagine a time when printed material was non-existent, and ideas could only be shared by hand-written documents. No wonder the literacy rate was so low. The beauty of these manuscripts is truly wonderful - and they convey a picture of what life among the elite was like. It is not surprising that the books were treasured as a medium of value as...
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ROBERT EVERETT replied to ROBERT EVERETT
Ah...but what about the people who have had their medical coverage reduced in order to provide coverage for people who pay nothing. Is that fair? The lunacy of a single unmarried man being covered for abortion services is ludicrous. It is the whole problem of socialized medicine.
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Try telling that to the ones who were executed.
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Every time I see anything about the end of Richard III, I feel a wave of sadness, regret, and loss. I think the Plantagenet kings were the high point of medieval British history and that the Tudors usurped a throne that was far above their merits. The treachery of several English nobles was disgraceful.
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LOL. I had the same question exactly!!
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
Town life would make possible more interaction with neighbors, tradesmen, etc. This would have led to the formation of friendships and more social interaction that would be possible in the countryside. I wonder if the church was the center of education as much as it was earlier in the medieval period. The larger number of candidates for marriage would have...
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
I find it interesting that nothing is said about sanitary arrangements. I realize they would have been quite primitive due to the lack of understanding of disease and hygiene. But what about water drainage and the like? Anybody have any thoughtw?
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ROBERT EVERETT made a comment
It sounds much like a communal system, where everyone works the land and shares in the crop. Collective farms have been used in virtually all civilizations. The collectives in the Soviet Union were the preferred method of organization. Stalin forced the peasants in Russia onto collectives and starved about 10 million to death. But he fed the workers in the...
