Category Archives: France

Review: L’Atlante (1934)

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Sometimes, Freud said, a pipe is just a pipe. And sometimes, a great film comes out of a great script. Well, L’Atlante, and why it is so loved, is not a simple story of a great script well made.  In … Continue reading →

Posted in France, history, review | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Explosive price pries Napoleon’s Kremlin Letter out of Russian hands

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

What’s the secret to selling an old letter for €187,500 euros (well over 200 thousand dollars)? Well, if it reveals the secret plans of Napoleon Bonaparte in code, it could bring in that much or more. Last year, Napoleon’s first … Continue reading →

Posted in 1812, France, history, Russia | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Why is western Europe at peace?

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

As the EU wins the Nobel Peace Prize, we are reminded of a time when Europe was the site of many deadly wars. Many institutions, from NATO to the UN, have claimed responsibility for the relative peace in Europe since … Continue reading →

Posted in angola, France, history, Portugal, World War 2 | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

what are the limits of free speech? Part 1: fiction and violence.

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Chinny McGringo

Last Monday, the locals were talking about the news.   (Okay, so I provoked the conversation.) You’ve heard them probably, the limits of free speech have been debated this month. Instead of going straight to those cases, however, I’d like … Continue reading →

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What rides should they have at Napoleonland?

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

French history buffs are planning their own theme park to compete with Disneyland, and honor France’s best known soldier.  Napoleonland will bring history to life, in ways that could even make fans of “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Killer” blush with embarrassment. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1812, France, history | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Heads will roll

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

On November 3, 1798 six men were beheaded in Cairo, on the orders of General Napoleon Bonaparte.  They lost their heads only months after General Bonaparte landed “The Army of Egypt” to liberate the Egyptian people from the terror of the Mameluke … Continue reading →

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Napoleon’s 93,125 Euro (£80,636.90) English lesson

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Napoleon’s letters fetch a lot of booty. Continue reading →

Posted in France, history | 1 Comment