William Mclaughlin

William Mclaughlin is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by William Mclaughlin:

A Few of the Largest Pre-20th Century Wartime Explosions

Initially, this was to be a list of the largest non-nuclear explosions, but that list is massive. Humans had blown up incredible amounts of explosives…

Medal of Honor – John R. Fox Sacrificed Himself by Deliberately Calling an Artillery Strike on his Own Position

John Robert Fox was an American soldier who was killed in action when he deliberately called artillery fire on his own position after his position…

Legion Vs Phalanx: Two Powerhouse Formations of the Ancient World

The organization from Homeric style hero warfare to tightly packed hoplite warfare was world changing. This powerful Hellenic formation allowed the ancient Greeks to hold…

Commanding Thousands – Approaches to Generalship on Ancient Battlefields

Modern generals are granted access to a multitude of communication and information gathering technologies from satellite imaging to UAVs and infantry equipped with cameras. Ancient…

When a WW2 German Ace Stumbled Across a Crippled B-17 and Escorted It Home

Truly touching moments of humanity, ethics and morals are rather rare in warfare. The Christmas Truce of WWI was an excellent example of such humanity,…

The Persian Thermopylae: When Alexander The Great Nearly Lost His Empire In Battle

The Battle of the Persian Gate is not well-known, despite it being almost identical to the Greek stand at Thermopylae, only with reversed sides. A…

Some of the Best Catchphrases Of The Ancient Spartans

“Spartans, Eat Well, for Tonight We Dine in Hades” is a memorable line from the movie, 300. The movie should get credit for fitting in…

Former Slave William Carney – Medal Of Honor Recipient Who Never Let The Flag Touch The Ground

Historically, black soldiers in the US military had to fight tooth and nail to gain any respect. The desire to prove themselves saw black units…

“They Shall Not Pass” – New Downloadable Content for Battlefield 1 Brings The French Into The Action

Most players agree that EA DICE hit a homerun with Battlefield 1. Its setting is a breath of fresh air (with some gas), and it…

Unique Guns of Battlefield 1 – The History behind the Game

While WWI did not consist of soldiers running about with 900 round-per-minute submachine guns, the guns of the video game Battlefield 1 did exist in…

The Hannibalic War would make an Excellent Movie

There are an infinite number of great stories to be found in history. Fantasy tales such as the hit series, Game of Thrones, can be…

The Next “Total War” Game Is To Be Set in an Era the Studio Has Never Covered Before

Total War Games have a wide-ranging history. The games have been around since 2000 and have covered everything from ancient Rome to Napoleon, the New…