Wednesday, August 17, 2022 at 5 PM (EDT)
Churchill at War on the Nile With Dr. James Muller
The River War, Winston Churchill’s second book, describes the reconquest of the Sudan from the Islamist regime of the Dervishes by an Anglo-Egyptian army commanded by General Herbert Kitchener, 1896-99. Churchill participated in the campaign as an officer and a war correspondent, charging with the cavalry at the climactic battle of Omdurman. His book, published in two volumes in 1899, is the most impressive of five books he wrote before he entered Parliament in 1901 at the age of 26. Abridged into a single volume three years later, it has been out of print in its unabridged version for more than 120 years. After 32 years of work, Professor James W. Muller has edited the definitive edition of the book, published by St. Augustine’s Press, which won the 2021 Literary Award from the International Churchill Society. Professor Muller will tell the story of preparing the new edition and speak about the significance of the book for understanding Churchill’s thoughts on empire, war, race and religion.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at 5:30 PM (EDT)
Victory at Sea: An in-depth exploration of the unique role of U.S-led naval power during World War II with Paul Kennedy
Join us to hear Yale Professor and eminent historian Paul Kennedy discuss his latest book, Victory At Sea. Through his engrossing narrative, illustrated by maritime artist Paul Marshall’s panoramic, full-color paintings, Professor Kennedy chronicles the rise and fall of the great powers during World War II. Tracking the movements of the six major navies of the war—the allied navies of Britain, France, and the United States and the Axis navies of Germany, Italy, and Japan— Professor Kennedy tells a story of navel battles, maritime campaigns, and amphibious landings from the sea. By doing so, he shows how changes in naval supremacy during the decade between 1936 and 1946 decisively altered the course of both World War II and the geopolitical balance of powers
Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 5:00 PM (EDT)
England before the Norman Conquest: History and Historical Vision with Robert W. Hanning
This is NOT a history lecture, but rather a brief introduction–through texts, images, and artifacts–to pre-Conquest English culture and to the self-understanding of those who created it.
Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 5:00 PM (EDT)
The English Pantomime With Jim Stebbings
Performed still throughout the world, the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas have been part of the fabric of British life for over a century. Beyond the success of the operas themselves however the lives of these two extraordinary men reveal some intriguing stories from this Victorian era involving sex, drugs, jealousy, ambition, greed and tragedy. In a presentation illustrated with rare images and musical extracts we learn about this unique partnership and the enduring legacy of their work that remains today.