Y’all, I’m not sure the Saints are gonna make it to the playoffs this year….

The leather bound book collection seems like a good idea until you have to pack them up to move 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

I am thrilled to announce I will be taking a nine month Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Researcher position at @wesleyanuniversity.bsky.social’s Center for the Study of Guns and Society. I’m very excited for this next chapter and the folks with Wesleyan have been amazingly welcoming already.

I am thrilled to announce I will be taking a nine month Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Researcher position at @wesleyanuniversity.bsky.social’s Center for the Study of Guns and Society. I’m very excited for this next chapter and the folks with Wesleyan have been amazingly welcoming already.

So so close to being able to being able to know for sure, and share, what the next step is…

I miiiiiiiiiight have gone down a military history of France rabbit hole….

Korean night success. Spicy pork bulgogi on the left, beef bulgogi on the right.

I’m going to be offline for a few days camping and thinking through a big decision. Enjoy my latest Substack, while I prepare a big announcement!

Happy NFL season to all who celebrate !

My latest piece on Substack explores Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War and what a 2,400-year-old Athenian can teach us about leadership and strategy today.

How do you use an enemy's strength against them? Check out my latest blog post on the "Lives" of Themistocles and Camillus to find out!

In my examination of the "Lives" of Solon and Poplicola, I explore how vast disparities in wealth distribution disrupt social cohesion and cause democracies and republics to seek easy answers in the form of tyrants.

(Re)reading through Plutarch. So much early Spartan, Athenian, and Roman government was focused on wealth redistribution and ameliorating class discord. Fascinating that that isn’t discussed more 🙃🙃🙃 “The Spartans? Oh they’re push-up pounding WaRrIoRs! Pay no attention to their economic policy!”

Lycurgus and Numa were essential to establishing the equitable economies of early Sparta and Rome. Part two of my series exploring Plutarch's lives examines the early Roman and Spartan leaders and how they built unity amongst their people.

Do you need help founding a city or a limited democracy/republic? Then check out my first blog post on Plutarch's Lives as I explore Theseus and Romulus, the "founders" of Athens and Rome!

I regret to inform you that, for the remainder of the evening, this will be an #LSU and #CFMontreal account. Et peut-être francophone aussi.

Brown sugar roasted salmon with a maple-mustard-dill sauce and maple glazed brussels sprouts. The sprouts are not burnt, just caremlized.

Lazy Saturday with Franks versus Andalusi.

Join me for the second half of my investigation of Xenophon's Anabasis and what a 2,400 year old Greek epic can teach us about leadership today!

My latest post covers the first half of Xenophon's Anabasis and how The Ten Thousand got themselves into such a pickle. Come study leadership with the Greeks and find out how they inspired military reforms more than two thousands years later.

In my final post on Thucydides, I explore the fallout of the Sicilian disaster and the overthrow of Athenian democracy.

Check out my second to last piece on The Peleponessian War! Join the Athenians on the beautiful beaches of Sicily…

In Part VI of my exploration of Thucydides, we're off to Sicily. I hear the weather is beautiful in Syracuse!

In Part VI of my exploration of Thucydides, we're off to Sicily. I hear the weather is beautiful in Syracuse!

Join me on my latest journey!

Who was gonna get the Athenians out of Persia? Nicias? Demosthenes? They’d already botched a retreat in Sicily. Also, no way a Spartan pulls of leading The 10,000 out, they would never have improvised cavalry and light infantry fast enough. They were too conservative, militarily and otherwise.

Wife: Why is it called “linear warfare”? Me [30 minutes later]: “…and that’s why the British recruited their most destitute populations into the light infantry” She’s very tolerant.

So it’s official, Cayenne is a “foster fail” and will be moving in permanently with her new sister, Beignet.

Finished Thucydides (for the third time) today and got a Greek wine as a little treat. It’s from the mainland near Corcyra, where the Peloponnesian War “started.”

Part V of my exploration of The History of the Peloponnesian War tackles the Peace of Nicias and the Melian Dialogue.

Part V of my exploration of The History of the Peloponnesian War tackles the Peace of Nicias and the Melian Dialogue.

In this CSPAN short, I discuss the role of logistics in the American Revolution.

In today's post, I explore the Athenian capture of Pylos and the failure of Sparta to adapt to the war it has, instead often sticking to fighting the war it wants. Poor @brasidas.bsky.social !

In part III of my examination of Thucydides' book, I explore the growing frustrations of Athens and Sparta as well as his initial debates concerning morality in armed conflict.

This was my observation as well while spending a decade working at a former plantation museum. It’s also a huge challenge from staffing perspective to find staff that WILL engage thoughtfully with the topic but also finding staff that CAN do so in a productive way with visitors.

Don’t ask how this discussion started in my house, but the Silver Snakes were the winningest team in Legends of the Hidden Temple.

In Part II of my exploration of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, I examine the conflict's early years and the weakness of Sparta's strategy.

Dog #2 (~two years old recent rescue) has FEELINGS today and Dog #1 (4 years old) is hiding under a blanket. Not much reading is getting done. By me, not the dogs…

Athens vs Sparta is a great example of why “warriorizing” an army is not a path to victory. The Spartans were regularly defeated by logistics and economic power. It didn’t matter how much they benched if the other side could bring overwhelming localized support or cut off the Spartans’ food.

My latest blog post explores Book I of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War.

Check out my latest project and subscribe to follow along and join in the fun!

Battle of Brienne, 1814 - French (Napoleon) vs Russians (Blucher, don’t ask)

We really need a big budget movie or historical series to feature the Athenians, or even the Thebans, just so that the Special Boi Spartans get knocked down a few pegs in modern popular culture. Won one battle (w/ a lot of help from others) against the Persians and then never shut up about it…

I am returning to my roots as a military historian, so I am going to be (re)reading my way through @gravitysra1nbow.bsky.social‘s military theory list. Notes will be on my website ( josephstoltz.com ) polished reviews on my substack ( thehistorydr.substack.com ) Join me!