The Spartan Agoge: A Public Institution, a Collective Responsibility
Helena P. Schrader is a scholar of ancient Sparta who has participated in international academic conferences and was a guest speaker in the modern City of Sparti’s “Sparta Live!” program. Her novels on ancient Sparta extrapolate from ancient sources to create a credible interpretation of Spartan society.They have won praise from leading academic experts on […]
Airlift Humour
The Berlin Airlift was notorious for the banter among crews and between crews and controllers. Almost all veterans remember with amusement the wit that filled the airwaves. Unfortunately, very little of that chatter was recorded — and much of it would probably have been unprintable anyway! This essay can only provide a faint echo of […]
End of the Blockade, Start of a New War of Nerves
Stalin concluded his Berlin strategy was not paying off at the end of January 1949. By that date, liquid fuel was being delivered at rates unknown before, coal reserves were no longer being drawn down, and the standard food ration in West Berlin had been increased by more than 15%. Under the circumstances, Stalin faced […]
The Berlin Airlift by the Numbers
The Berlin Airlift remains to this day the largest and most successful airlift in history. There have been many airlifts in the 80 years since the Berlin Airlift ended, but none has come near to the scale of joint USAF/RAF effort in 1948-1949. On the contrary, not all of them together carried as much as the Berlin […]
The Berlin Airlift: What it all Meant
Impressive as the logistical achievements of the Berlin Airlift were, they were only the bi-product and not the objectives of the entire operation. The Berlin Airlift was from its inception a political rather than a military response. Logically, the perceptions of the Airlift and its significance have changed over time in accordance with the political situation […]
Operation Santa Claus – A Forgotten Moment in History
Nowadays, “Operation Santa Claus” is associated with a USPS program to match letters to Santa with donors of gifts for kids. During the Russian blockade of Berlin 1948-1949, the children of Berlin didn’t dream of writing to Santa Claus. The situation was too grim. Santa came anyways. December 1948 was a bleak time for the […]
Historical Characters in “Cold War” – Air Commodore Waite
Understanding ourselves by understanding the past This blog is dedicated to discussing the Crusader Kingdoms of Jerusalem and Cyprus. Dr. Schrader holds a PhD in History from the University of Hamburg. For more information visit: For readers tired of clichés and cartoons, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader offers nuanced insight into historical events and figures […]
Historical Characters in “Cold War” – Lucius D. Clay
Understanding ourselves by understanding the past This blog is dedicated to discussing the Crusader Kingdoms of Jerusalem and Cyprus. Dr. Schrader holds a PhD in History from the University of Hamburg. For more information visit: For readers tired of clichés and cartoons, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader offers nuanced insight into historical events and figures […]
Historical Characters in “Cold War” – Frank Howley
Understanding ourselves by understanding the past This blog is dedicated to discussing the Crusader Kingdoms of Jerusalem and Cyprus. Dr. Schrader holds a PhD in History from the University of Hamburg. For more information visit: For readers tired of clichés and cartoons, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader offers nuanced insight into historical events and figures […]
“The Berlin Candy Bomber” Lt. Gail Halvorsen
Understanding ourselves by understanding the past This blog is dedicated to discussing the Crusader Kingdoms of Jerusalem and Cyprus. Dr. Schrader holds a PhD in History from the University of Hamburg. For more information visit: For readers tired of clichés and cartoons, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader offers nuanced insight into historical events and figures […]