“Casablanca”: Winning Hearts and Minds in WWII
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in a romantic scene. Casablanca, released in 1942, is often hailed as one of the greatest films in American cinema. Beyond its romantic plot and…
Spies in the Crossroads: The OSS’s Strategic Role in Istanbul
Aerial view of the historical peninsula and modern skyline of Istanbul During World War II, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) played a crucial role in gathering intelligence and conducting…
Bartitsu: The Victorian Gentlemanly Art of Self Defense
Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. Illustration by Sidney Paget for the Sherlock Holmes story “The Final Problem” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which appeared in “The…
Hitchcock’s Masterpiece: How “North by Northwest” Shaped the Spy Genre
Photo of Cary Grant & Eva Marie Saint from the film “North by Northwest” (1959). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. North by Northwest, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1959, is widely regarded…
The Security Risks of Smartwatches
Pexels photo by Karolina Grabowska Smartwatches have become ubiquitous in our daily lives, offering a range of functionalities from fitness tracking to communication. However, these devices also pose significant counterintelligence…
American Single Malt Whiskey: Distilling the Spirit of Innovation
Pexels photo by Cottonbro Studio American single malt whiskey is a burgeoning category that has been gaining significant attention and acclaim in recent years. While single malt whiskey (or whisky…
Secrets of the Khan: Intelligence and Espionage in the Mongol Conquests
Mongol warrior. Genghis Khan: The Exhibition. Photo by William Cho / CC BY-SA 2.0. The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, was the largest contiguous land empire in…
Jeet Kune Do: The Way of the Intercepting Fist
The Jeet Kune Do emblem. The taijitu represents the concepts of yin and yang. The Chinese characters mean: “Using no way as way” and “Having no limitation as limitation”. The…
The Warrior-Philosopher Mindset: Duality of Strength and Wisdom
The warrior-philosopher mindset is a multifaceted concept that has been embraced by military leaders and strategists throughout history. This mindset combines the physical prowess and tactical acumen of a warrior…
The Warrior Poet: A Timeless Ideal
14th-century miniature of the Battle of Dorylaeum (1147), a Second Crusade battle, from the “Estoire d’Eracles”. The term “warrior poet” embodies a unique fusion of strength and sensitivity, symbolizing a…