augustus

And yet further confirmation.

Don't tell me, you were on the debating team at an Ivy League university, right? Well, which one? Princeton? Oxford? Yale? Come on, don't keep us in suspense...

augustus

"Simulated" is obviously an incorrect usage of the word, Otto, as that's exactly what's done on the show: simulation. As far as the "real" part of it goes, please elaborate on what you deem real. IMO it's as real as 21st century technology can make it.

Fake body parts you say? They use pig carcasses for the simple reason that pig flesh is the closest of all animals resembling that of humans. They use ballistic gel dummies as that is the closest resemblance to the human body that modern technology has come up with.

Not trained "correctly" in any way? Most of the proponents of the various warriors' fighting techniques are lifetime students of their discipline and have spent the better part of their lives studying and emulating their ancestors/ heroes.

Pay closer attention to all aspects of the show -- it's as real as it gets.

Ri Fhionngaill

The only research they did on the William Wallace episode was watch a bit of Braveheart - the credits or the disclaimer, I don't know which, but, either way, it is not a historical source. How do I know they did this? Because any historical source would have made it apparent that Wallace never would have used either a claymore or a kilt. Neither of them actually existed at the time. The latter wouldn't exist for about six centuries, and the former was never used in the Lowlands.

He was also wearing paint, which the Gaels never did. He's wearing chainmail, which was not used in the Lowlands. He's wearing tartan, which didn't exist at the time - and which he wouldn't have been entitled to wear, as he was not a clan chief, or even a clan member. He has a one-handed axe with a short handle, not a long one, and at the time this wouldn't have been used with a targe. A spear or sword would have been. In the Highlands, and not the Lowlands. And, although he shouldn't even have a claymore sword, he's not that good at using it correctly.

The distinction between Highland and Lowland might sound trivial, but it's not. They were cultural opposites. And, politically, two seperate states. Even the most basic notions of medieval Scotland would have told them that.

They made an epic piece of television with that battle, but it was definitely not history.

augustus

If you think that's bad, get a load of this historical boo-boo I caught dealing with 20th/21st century warriors (and here I am defending the show ).

In the Green Beret vs. Spetsnaz showdown, a sharpened intrenching tool was claimed to be the US commandos' chief non-firearms weapon. (The Russian's was a James Bond-type knife that shot at a victim with the push of a button.) One of the ex-Spetsnaz guys on the show by the name of Sonny claimed that the intrenching tool as weapon was b.s. However, late last year I borrowed a book on the Spetsnaz from a friend of mine and in it the author -- who claims be an ex-Spetsnaz operator -- asserted that a sharpened intrenching tool was in fact the primary non-firearms weapon employed by the Spetsnaz. Matter of fact, in one of the few b&w pics in the book, an airborne Spetsnaz operator is shown tossing an intrenching tool at a bullseye wooden target in mid-air. Now go figure that...

btw -- I tried googling the book but haven't had any luck yet. Will notify you if I do.

leakbrewergator

Thank you augustus! I'm pretty sure a specialist in the areas they do each episode on can find something (or a lot of things) wrong with it. I for one, have no desire to watch this show b/c of it's inaccuracies. Some people can look past this and watch it for the pure entertainment value.

But please don't say it's an accurate historical source anymore. It makes my brain hurt.....

augustus

I, nor any one else as far as I can see, makes the assertion that the show is 100% accurate historically-speaking; I'd personally give it 80%. Then again, the popularity of the show does draw in MMA-types who would never even think of watching anything even remotely connected with the "nerdy" world of history. Who knows, maybe a handful of these sports jocks (athletic supporters as I call them) just might become intrigued and actually pick up a book instead of a magazine...

As I said, DW is as about as close to historical reality as you're going to get on the idiot box; which I know isn't saying a whole helluva lot but, wtf.



Good post though, leak; good response. btw -- I live in Inverness, about 70 miles NE of you.

augustus

Update! Aha! found it...

http://www.spetsnaz-gru.com/spetsnaz...g-shovel-1.htm

Now remember: On that particular DW episode, the entrenching tool was the primary bladed weapon used by the US Green Berets; the Russians derided it.

leakbrewergator

Thanks! I drive through Inverness every once in a while. Seems nice and quiet.

augustus

Yeah, too f'en quiet if you ask me...

I go to Tampa/St.Pete every now and again to catch a concert. (Saw Joe Satriani about a year ago. )

Ri Fhionngaill

You confused me for a second there. Until I guessed that there was an Inverness in Florida.