Tutor: David Williams
With the increasing popularity of such services as Ancestry, there is a mounting desire to understand how their relatives connected with historical events. Often this includes war time service or just a newfound interest in how their families coped with WAR. This series of talks focuses on my family's unique experiences. Talks will cover a very diverse range of topics (see Supplement). Additionally, a presentation will focus on how the Arts have Captured the Horror of War! Class discussion of their own families' experiences will be strongly encouraged; I need more topics for future presentations!
Venue: 232 Adelaide St
Thursday 11.30am - 1.00pm. Classes start 29 January, finish 2 April.
Cost: $50 (prepaid), 10 weeks
Current Enrolments: 2 (capacity 16)
1. Military Intelligence - Ultimate Oxymoron:
Absurdity of many military operations including amusing anecdotes of my own military experiences or Picking on the British Generals of WW1;
2. Military Intelligence - Ultimate Oxymoron 2:
Incompetency of the French Generalship.
3. My Sliding Doors Moment - The Sinking of the Bismarck:
How the sinking of HMS Hood and the German battleship had a profound effect on my Life!;
4. My Sliding Doors Moment (Contd.) - A Tale of Two Submarines:
Follow the adventures of the German submarine U-556 and the British submarine HMS Trident;
5. Scum of the Earth - The British Army in Napoleonic Wars:
Describes the British Army's involvement in the Peninsular War and Waterloo and how they gained such an endearing Title!
6. Death of Napoleon - Can we blame the British?
Some historical sources suggest the British poisoned Napoleon when exiled on St Helena. We analyze the evidence.
7. The Sound of Music - Is the Movie Historically Accurate?
We look at how the movie captures the Nazi takeover of Austria in 1938 and its role in WW2;
8. Eccentric or Just Plain Bonkers:
Another detailed look at notable Generals while posing the question whether they were "Eccentric or Just Plain Bonkers".
9. Rasputin and My Life:
My Wife and her Relatives are what used be called White Russians! So it is no surprise that I became fascinated with Russian History most notably Rasputin. How his Death led to the Bolshevik Revolution and the subsequent Russian Diaspora is the focus of this talk!
10. Capturing the Horror:
How the arts have captured the Horrors of War most particularly events in the 20th Century e.g. war poetry.
About the Tutor:
Even though I spent all my working life in Science, I have always maintained an enduring passion for History. This was constantly reinforced by discussions of my family’s service during WW2, most notably from a British viewpoint. Also I’ve been lucky in meeting many people who have been affected by War be it Vietnam, WW1, WW2 even the Russian Civil War. These talks constantly provided valuable insights as they generously opened up to me. Moreover my 11 years’ service in Australia’s Army Reserve has only heightened my curiosity in understanding how people coped with this most stressful of experiences.If you are a U3A Brisbane member you may enrol in this class online using the Enrol button below. You will be asked to provide your membership number and name for identification.
If you wish to obtain further information about this class before enrolling, you may send a message to the tutor using the Send Enquiry Message button below.