Sonia Purnell explains how Virginia Hall stood fast against the Nazis—with a wooden leg. March 24 brings the paperback release of A Woman of No Importance, Sonia Purnell’s riveting history of the LBKA spy who did spectacular work organizing the Resistance in Vichy France during World War II. Perhaps the most harrowing passage arrives in Chapter...
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The Wounded Warriors Who Saved Washington DC
“History isn’t only written by the victors,” quips documentary filmmaker Day al-Mohamed. “It’s also written by the victors who happen to have a historian in their unit.”In this instance, al-Mohamed is referring to the Battle of Fort Stevens, in which a Confederate army led by Lt. Gen Jubal Early narrowly missed capturing Washington DC during...
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The Hanger Prosthetic Leg Turns 149 Years Old
The end of this week marks the 149th anniversary of U.S. Patent No. 111,741, filed on February 14, 1871, by James E. Hanger of Staunton, Virginia, for “Improvement in Artificial Legs.” The main innovations Hanger claimed were dual capacities in the knee and ankle joints: They could flex for mobility and lock for stability. As...