Warfare In The Ancient World
www.lisp.wayne.edu/JamesMaclean/Jim.htm
Whether you are studying for a school project, or merely curious to investigate ancient warfare, this is an excellent place to begin. Essentially it is a set of links, mostly on Greek and Roman warfare, but including Egypt, the Near and Far East. It is well organised with brief overviews of each link. By collecting material from all over the web, the result is a rich and diverse study, with many surprises along the way, from detailed discussions by professors, to journals, maps, weapons, tactics and for you a rewarding journey into this most fascinating aspect of the human phenomenon.
Verdict: It's all yours to plunder and pillage. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Armouries.com
armouries.com
These web designers with a passion for Medieval times have created a great museum of life in the days of knights, kings and castles. It seems some good has come out of all those endless hours of role-playing and gaming. A genuine interest in the subject has inspired the creation of this rich and colourful resource. Detailed descriptions of every aspect of attack and defence are presented with excellent supporting graphics. Being created by someone with a genuine affinity for the times makes this site more appealing than most educational sites. The creator has successfully transmitted his sense of connection with the time, and will certainly pique your enthusiasm as you journey back in time.
Verdict: A conquest of historical proportions. - SS
Net Worth: *****
The Battle Of Hastings 1066
battle1066.com/~tamarix/index.html
An epic website by any scale, this one-man effort has captured 10 megabytes of text and graphics to cover every conceivable angle of the famous battle. Hailing from the town itself, the author is such an avid fan of its history, he has accumulated a definitive coverage, and acknowledges the strengths and weaknesses of even attempting to take on such a project - sketchy and heavily biased historical records being one major obstacle. Nevertheless, he battles on, and continues to refine - with your help - this amazing Internet resource. Time lines, genealogy, glossary, background, maps and extraordinary detail provide a wealth of easy to read information on this formative time in our history.
Verdict: All hail Glen the Webmaster! - SS
NetWorth: *****
The English Civil War Society
www.jpbooks.com/ecws
In 1642, England plummeted into Civil war as King and parliament divided the country along religious and political lines. This turbulent time (did England ever not have a turbulent time?) has been burned into the memory of many a modern day pom, and now the regular re-enactment of the battles of the day are a popular pastime for weekend warriors the land over. With meticulous historical detailing, everyone in the society assumes a role according to the military ranking and structure of the day. It all sounds very exciting, the notion of pretending to be in a war seems so much safer than being in a real one. Check the links, this is a very popular activity.
Verdict: This may just be your cup of tea. - SS
NetWorth: ***
Homepage of the November Coalition
www.november.org
America is fighting a massive civil and global war right now. Gangs, guns, cops, terrorism, disease. There are 1.8 million citizens in jail and 80% of them are there because of the prohibition of a select group of drugs. A lot of these people are completely innocent victims, caught in the cross fire of users trying to get lighter sentences by dobbing in their neighbours, and laws that are so tough, a citizen can get 40 years & all their possessions confiscated without any hard evidence. Meanwhile the streets are soaked with blood, and families are torn apart, while the drug trade continues to boom. The November Coalition has been formed by the victims of this craziness to change the laws that created this mess. Read the personal accounts of imprisoned citizens, the alarming facts, and then do something about it.
Verdict: A touching and heartfelt call for justice. - SS
NetWorth: *****
An Iraqi Lieutenant's War Diary
www.msstate.edu/Archives/History/USA/GulfWar/diary.iraqi
This is a first hand account of an Iraqi soldier right in the middle of the hi-tech barrage inflicted on him and his countrymen during the oil war. As expected, (perhaps) there are lots of prayers to God of "why?", "help!" and "please protect my family" as the God that George Bush prayed to supplied the superior fire-power and military education, in order to teach the God this poor dude believes in a lesson. This is a lesson you won't forget as you learn what it was like to be on the receiving end of those CNN pictures.
Verdict: Literary shrapnel from the gulf. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Gulf War Photo Gallery
users.aol.com/andyhosk/gulf-war.html
The contrast between this site and the last is phenomenal. Here we have a highly educated commander, who takes us every step, manoeuvre, slip-up and conquest in his action in the gulf. The level of training is amazing that not only did this guy carry out all that hi-tech warfare, but that he details it so methodically and meticulously on this site. There are lots of holiday snaps of captured tanks and command posts, and at one stage he almost feels sorry for the poor Iraqi's on the receiving end of the immense allied firepower. I nearly didn't finish writing this chapter, as I became engrossed in this incredible tale.
Verdict: Brutally frank, and frankly, quite brutal. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Desert Storm.com
www.desert-storm.com/About
Initially created by one student as a small memorial to the troops that went to the Gulf, this site has grown to require a small staff, dedicated to providing support and information for veterans and the general public alike. It is now virtually a complete run down on the entire Gulf operation, with weapons, detailed maps, time lines, casualties and links, along with a vast network of veterans' resources, including ICQ lists and free home pages for returned soldiers, and tribute pages for those lost in battle. A fitting memorial, and a wellspring of Gulf information.
Verdict: A storm in an FTP cup. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Global Movement to End the War Against Iraq
leb.net/globalmewi
Coloured black, in mourning for all those who have suffered and/or lost their lives as a result of the conflict with Iraq, the growing global grass roots movement is working to highlight the exact nature of the situation, and bring an end to the suffering as soon as possible. While the war effort seemed quite justified in the light of the evidence presented to us about the evil Saddam, the case put forward here suggests Iraq is paying a very high price for having different beliefs and threatening to challenge the oil industry.
Verdict: Bridging the gulf between truth and propaganda. - SS
NetWorth: ****
What Uncle Sam Really Wants
www.worldmedia.com/archive/sam
Noam Chomski provides us with a very cutting look at the alleged immorality and sheer megalomania of the US foreign and domestic policy. In one quick read, you will have an overview of the entire world situation and the way that big business and government work hand in hand to maintain their powerful positions using economic and military might. It may be heavily biased against the capitalist system and it's methods, but it is a call for common sense and true democratic process to bring about change to end the suffering caused by a system that has been raging out of control. It may be time for a different kind of war, a war against ignorance.
Verdict: "Highly Recommended" reading - SS
NetWorth: *****
The Australian War Memorial
www.awm.gov.au
Whether you are for or against war, whether you believe any particular war should have been fought, you can't help but have the deepest respect for the individuals that risk and sacrifice their lives in combat. This award-winning site takes us through a complete run down of the activities and features of the very substantial War memorial in Canberra. It also gives you access to a rich collection of documents, artworks, events and merchandise. Dig deep, there is a lot to uncover here about our proud history on the world stage. Students, friends and family of military personnel and general web tourists will find plenty to see and do here.
Verdict: A fitting tribute to our war heroes. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Australian Defence Force Academy
www.adfa.oz.au
In keeping with the rapidly escalating need for highly educated personnel within our defence forces, the ADFA was established. Essentially providing a learning curve right through the University ranks to PhD., our military personnel are being trained to exacting levels. War has changed a lot, from the technology used to the kind of threats to our safety we may need to be prepared to face. This site covers background, courses, maps, facilities and recruitment. All in all this is an informative introduction to any prospective student. The site itself isn't too colourful, but I guess all the fun begins once you knuckle down to your studies.
Verdict: Here's the drill, no frills. - SS
NetWorth: ***
World War I - Trenches on the Web
www.worldwar1.com
A brilliant one-man effort at bringing a piece of history in full hi-tech glory to your monitor. This explosive episode of the planet's past, which is slowly fading out of living memory, comes alive again here, thanks to some very painstaking work. By collecting trunk loads of information in the form of paintings, photos, VRML images, maps, audio clips, databases, (the list goes on), and setting it out in a tasteful sepia-toned historical masterpiece for you to browse, the creator has managed to capture the war and all it's guts and glory. An exemplary war site by any accounts.
Verdict: You will really dig this site. - SS
NetWorth: *****
WW11 Living History
polarbear-enterprises.co.uk
Here we have a slightly more active approach to the whole war remembrance experience. This is living history, where the spirit of the 1940's continues in the from of re-enactments, themed corporate events, film services, technical advice for authenticity of events, education services and replication and sale of artefacts from the time. There is a magazine, and the chance to hook up with other enthusiasts. If it weren't for the really annoying scrolling text at the top of the pages, this would be an all-round great site, useful and informative, with a touch of gritty realism. After all, it wasn't really all that long ago. My own parents were right there amongst it, as I'm sure most of your parents and grandparents were too. Pity there are no links to psychological counselling services.
Verdict: WW11 still rocks our world. - SS
NetWorth: ****
The Falklands Conflict
met.open.ac.uk/group/cpv/falkland.htm
In a straightforward manner, this site bring you a fairly good round-up of that little skirmish in the South Atlantic that cost 1000 human lives to rescue a few sheep from the clutches of an evil dictator. Still under construction, it features a run-down of the ships involved, a chronology of events, aircraft, weapons, and the key people. A few good UseNet postings are offered, as well as links to some interesting sites, including a reconciliation page - the Falklands/Malvinas Forum, and the shocking accounts of torture and death in "The Vanished Gallery"
Verdict: Nurturing a better understanding. - SS
NetWorth ****
Victory in Vietnam
www.magna.com.au/~c41/viet.html
The folks at Corner41 bring you a documentary style web page, from the perspective of the Americans losing the war. An intro piece of dialogue between a few soldiers takes you through a background on the situation, which seems to have started back in Napoleon's time. Following this, a time line of events from 1941 to 1975, with some key links to resources and a few classic 'nam photos, document a whirlpool of violence where the body count just gets higher and higher. It paints war as function of life on this world, but points the blame for the huge human cost squarely at the politicians.
Verdict: A real lose-lose situation. - SS
NetWorth: ****
War Child Home Page
www.warchild.org
Patronised by such celebs as David Bowie and Pavarotti, War Child aims to raise the alarm over the amount of suffering innocent children are subjected to during war, and to provide a conduit for aid, rehabilitation and sustained support for their growth and repatriation well after the conflicts are resolved. 80% of war casualties are now civilian. In the last decade 1.5 million children have died, 4 million disabled and 10 million traumatised by the ravages of war. Founded by two film-makers who witnessed the tragedy of Bosnia, the network is growing rapidly. Find out what you can do to help this appalling situation.
Verdict: Do something. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Soldiers' Songs - A Collection of 13 Songs from 8 wars
www.soldierssongs.com
Vietnam Veteran and singer Mike McCann has teamed up with a couple of accomplished musos, to bring a heartfelt collection of war songs to your home. The web site delivers samples, background of each tune and its place in military history, and of course the chance to send off a mere $15.95US for the CD.
Verdict: Songs from a man who knows how it feels. - SS
NetWorth: ***
Bosnia Homepage at CalTech
www.cco.caltech.edu/~bosnia
With such a devastating conflict as the one we have all heard bits and pieces about in our mainstream media, you would expect a great deal more information might be available on line - and it is! This site encompasses all angles of the human and political sides of the war in Bosnia. From a brief background, you can click through photos, reports, articles, interviews, letters and artwork. A incredibly well-established network of activists tracking missing persons, war criminals, news and culture, is yours to investigate as you attempt to get a grip on the profundity of such a bloody battle.
Verdict: The human spirit survives. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Join The Fight Against Spam
www.cauce.org
While most people are concerned about real bloodshed and the challenges involved in defending your life against armed hordes, the more cloistered cyber-citizens of our world see the real threat to our safety, freedom and sanity as being unsolicited commercial emails. An ad hoc organisation has sprouted, giving hope to victims everywhere that one day this foul pestilence will be eradicated and people everywhere will be free to check their email each morning with the certainty that each and every one will be a dumb joke and not some evil advert. How these people get to work each day past all the billboards I just don't know!
Verdict: Email is hell. - SS
NetWorth: ***
2000 Without Wars
2000nowars.org/sfdocs/sfhome.html
Sound unrealistic? Well, they don't think they can stop war altogether in a year or so, but what this organisation is trying to achieve is a two week cessation of all military action in May 2000, as a demonstration of what is possible if we all work together. This gathering of Academics and Scientists, rallying the support of major political and social figures, will try to have an international law passed that prohibits war within that two week period. The movement is growing rapidly. My only doubt about its success would be that the cessation of conflict would, by its very action, reveal who is behind it all. Perhaps we can force their hand....
Verdict: The planet goes "cold turkey" on violence. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Arab-Israeli Wars History
www.toptown.com/office/holyland/wars.htm
When you arrive here, you will find a very concise run-down of the Middle East conflict from 1948-1991. Very helpful in gaining more understanding about what is going on there. Follow the link back to the creator's home page and you find a Palestinian National living in the UAE, and offering a very detailed site about Palestine. From the nice zoom-in map to the very easy to follow index, you are taken on a magic carpet ride through the history, people, places and events in this volatile part of our world.
Verdict: Thank God we live in Australia. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Karl and Alex's Military Page
www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/7370
Karl and Alex are to military equipment what Beavis and Butthead are to MTV. They know what rocks and what doesn't and they are here to show the world in this "under construction", camouflaged page of hardware info. Unfortunately, I think they are watching a few too many war movies on cable TV to get round to finishing this promising web presence. The list of weapons is extraordinarily extensive... no wonder there are so many wars going on with that much merchandise out there. I'd suggest you bookmark the site and call back in a couple of years' time, or email them and kick their butts along a bit.
Verdict: Yeah yeah. Weapons. Cool. Huh huh huh. Yeah. - SS
NetWorth: **
Military Site
www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/3780
The previous site's creators must be khaki with envy knowing that on their very same server sits a site where most of the work has been done to give us the technical specs on all the weaponry on earth. Besides the annoying "Geocities" ad window that keeps popping up, surfing the info here is rewarding as the specs of everything from a hand gun to an aircraft carrier are dished out. Handy, if you are about to invade a neighbouring country, but also not bad for a school project, or good old curiosity value, but not too much eye-candy to support the figures.
Verdict: It's all here in black and white, unfortunately. - SS
NetWorth: ***
IDEX '99 - '00
www.idex-uae.com
Here, at the business end of the defence industry, is where mainly military officials from 30 or 40 countries, but also, oil sheiks, crime bosses, drug cartels, terrorists, CIA agents, rebels, merchant bankers, investors, spies and religious fanatics meet with weapons manufacturers for an annual talk-fest and expo. Facilities are second to none, with demonstration zones, a nearby wharf for the submarines and aircraft carriers to berth, and a fully interactive system to facilitate netÂworking with exhibitors and help you choose the right technology for your needs.
Verdict: This is where it all happens. - SS
NetWorth: ****
The Project On Managing The Atom
ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/BCSIA/MTA.nsf/web/Home
Advances in chemical and conventional weapons have moved ahead so much, that the humble atom bomb doesn't seem to rate much of a mention these days. It wasn't that long ago that the whole world was gripped with fear of a Nuclear Winter, or at least the odd liquidated city or two. Nuclear power is still here and the proliferation of weapons a very real threat. The issues and risks are complex, and are discussed in detail as the Cold War legacy continues while the New World order problems arise.
Verdict: Radiation - It hasn't gone away. - SS
NetWorth: ****
The Non-Violence Web - A Guide To Contemporary Peace
www.nonviolence.org
It's time to get involved in the peace process. This is a difficult thing, since there are always aggressors, and there is of course a historical pattern of war, that is hard to break in these enlightened days of information exchange. Here gathers a diverse group of peace movements in the one location to inform, inspire and provide a forum for discussion and dissemination of peace-motivated thought. Defence is like a nightclub bouncer. The old fashioned way was to beat the crap out of anyone who looked or acted out of place, but the more successful approach seems to be to check each potential trouble maker for weapons, and then negotiate them into behaving themselves. This is tough, as it requires new skills and understanding. It's also tough if the bouncer sold the thug the weapon in the first place.
Verdict: Imagine all the people, living life in peace. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Waging War Against The Anti-Christ Spirit
home.earthlink.net/~eleganthomes/WWAAS
I was going to review this site, which is in fact a book scanned into the computer and published on the web. Unfortunately, the subject matter is so controversial, and so many wars have been fought already over the words quoted in this site, that I think it's best that you read it and make up your own mind. There is a lot of very strong Christian ideas presented here, and a total rejection of everything non-Christian as being the work of Satan. The war is aimed at forcing all those possessed souls who are guaranteed to lose, to burn in an eternal fire, while the winners bask in the glory of God forever.
Verdict: War is Heaven, Man. - SS
NetWorth: ***
U.S. Out Of The Gulf - Committee Against U.S. Intervention
www.antiwar.com
There is no time for cool graphics and hi tech wizardry here. What you get is a straight set of text links to News, Views and Resources. Everything on this site is about stemming the addiction to war the US seems to have. Discussions about alternatives to conflict, explanations about the motivations behind U.S. actions, groups, committees and movements rallying to the cause, and a few poignant cartoons and satire thrown in for good measure. Plenty of good reading, and a call to action to anyone on the planet who sees reason to try something different, like getting involved on a grass roots level.
Verdict: Writings to right the wrongs. - SS
NetWorth: ****
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