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I took a double major in Economics and History in college in the 1970s. My "sweet spot" probably lies at the intersection of those two subjects. For instance, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" was really an "economic" admonition--to conserve ammunition.

I am the published author of "A Modern Approach to Graham and Dodd Investing" (Wiley, 2004), an (economic) "history of the future," and the unpublished author of "Axis Overstretch," an economic analysis of World War II.


May
29
revised What was the social context which inspired M.M.Murphey to write a country western song about Geronimo's Cadillac?
added paragraph about social context
May
29
revised In U.S. military forces, did black soldiers suffer a heavy racial segregation during World War II?
edited title
May
29
reviewed Leave Open What is the difference between a professional historian and an amateur?
May
29
comment What is the difference between a professional historian and an amateur?
I would say that Churchill was a "historian" because he PRACTICED history (and wrote about it later). In his case, a lot of "history" was actually autobiographical.
May
28
comment Did the pope try to suppress the number zero?
I would note the zero was an ARAB (Muslim) "invention," so the Popes had at least some incentive to suppress it.
May
28
reviewed Approve suggested edit on How widespread was the practice of chaining slave rowers to the ships?
May
28
comment In ancient Rome, did a lot of people feel guilty about owning slaves?
Great answer. +1. And not just because it's your first effort on the site.
May
28
comment What was the social context which inspired M.M.Murphey to write a country western song about Geronimo's Cadillac?
@FelixGoldberg: Geronomimo was a historical figure, and M.M. Murphey was an acclaimed musician whose signature song was about Geronimo so it almost certainly has historical relevance. Especially given the times, and Murphey's other (countercultural) activities during those times. More detail will be forthcoming in an answer, if I get to answer.
May
28
comment Did the Eastern Roman Empire materially contribute to the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
@Sally: Based on the above dialog, I have taken the liberty of "editing in" the last piece.
May
28
revised Did the Eastern Roman Empire materially contribute to the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
Add followup.
May
28
comment Did the Greeks win the battle of Salamis because their rowers were “free”?
@MarkC.Wallace: To the best of my recollection, the faculty advisor in question was this man. law.yale.edu/faculty/11819.htm. Apparently, he had seen, or perhaps graded, a paper alleging the above in 1978. The paper itself is probably not available, but it must have been based on some sources. Then the issue is, can we track down the sources.
May
28
comment What was the social context which inspired M.M.Murphey to write a country western song about Geronimo's Cadillac?
Another good question that was badly worded. I have fixed it to the best of my ability and joined the votes to reopen. Note to non-Americans: The early 1970s was a time of social protest, but this song is striking even in this context.
May
28
revised What was the social context which inspired M.M.Murphey to write a country western song about Geronimo's Cadillac?
added 147 characters in body; edited tags
May
28
revised What was the social context which inspired M.M.Murphey to write a country western song about Geronimo's Cadillac?
edited title
May
28
comment Did the Greeks win the battle of Salamis because their rowers were “free”?
@MarkC.Wallace: Thanks for the edit. The Greeks were outnumbered something like 2 to 1. That didn't matter as much as it might have in the open ocean, because the in the Straits around Salamis, you could only have combat of X on X ships at a time. The Greek ships outmaneuevered the Persians at every step of the way and won. But I could attirbute "outmaneuever" to "outrow." Probably only someoen with a naval or maritime background could answer this definitively, perhaps a rowing hobbyist; my faculty adviser couldn't, some 35 years ago.
May
28
asked Did the Greeks win the battle of Salamis because their rowers were “free”?
May
27
comment Did the Eastern Roman Empire materially contribute to the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
I would ask @Steven Drennon. He is a moderator and the most senior of the three people who closed the original question. Sorry to be so "political" here, but the question has been "barely" re-opened.
May
27
awarded  Convention
May
27
comment Did the Eastern Roman Empire materially contribute to the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
It was a pretty good question as it was, and the removal of the counterfactual probably removes the last obstacle to a reopening.
May
25
answered Where, when and why did the practice of proxy marriage originate?