Awesome History

Lovers of Rube Goldberg, music and history, have we got the thing for you – a clever 90 second chronicle of recorded music, told through spoken word and a chain reaction show made from assorted musical equipment. (Thanks Steve!)

The UK history channel Yesterday commissioned this project which asked graphic designers and history experts to imagine how historical figures like Shakespeare and Henry VIII might have looked today. Marie Antoinette is still unlikeable.

Inspired by Assassin’s Creed III, Richard Ryan shows us what would happen if the enemy shot a cannonball at our car in the Revolutionary War, in glorious slow motion. Wait, what? (Thanks Chris!)

This compilation reminds just us how much has happened in the last 100 years – and how much mankind still has to learn about war, humanity, and behaving like we’re all living on the same planet.

After watching this brief vid from YouTube user PandaSmashTV, we now know that state mottos are so yesterday, and that these slightly offensive state stereotypes are clearly currying favor.

History buffs will enjoy Zeb Love’s limited edition series of six woodcut prints which showcase some highly influential folks. The signed and numbered 16″ x 20″ pieces are hand painted and screened.

When kids do the storytelling, some tales get better with time. This retelling of a family story by the younger members of the family (and acted out by the older ones) is a great example. (Thanks Kara!)

Mary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination trial; she must rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the real truth in The Conspirator.

History buffs might appreciate playing craps with St. Liberty’s handmade oak dice set, designed to look like something the Continental Army might have used during the American Revolution.

Major Dick Winters, a compelling American hero and featured on HBO’s Band of Brothers, passed away this month following a battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Rest in peace. (Thanks George!)

History buffs get intoxicated and describe famous moments in history while familiar actors (like Michael Cera here) act them out in this amusing Drunk History series of videos. (Thanks Chuck!)

CNN International’s project marking the 20th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall utilized street art installations by urban tape artist El Bocho to tell heroic stories of escape along the original divide.

Robert Leckie’s Helmet for My Pillow gets a re-issue for its TV adaptation in HBO’s The Pacific; it’s the real account of a WW2 Marine who fought in Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu.

Now available: Napoleon: Total War shows off its epic tricolors in this purely cinematic Launch Trailer; the hybrid turn-based and real-time strategy game currently has an 84 on Metacritic.

If you liked yesterday’s 1945A, Project Arbiter takes two steps back to 1943 but at least four steps forward in terms of awesomeness; mobile armored suits in WW2 = nuts!

The “A” stands for alternate reality in Ryan Nagata’s 1945A, shot on a $2,000 budget; in it, the Nazis spring a lumbering diesel-punk surprise on the Allies just before the end of WW2.

Make time traveling a total blast from the past: The Time Traveler’s Handbook teaches you how to survive the Black Death, play Mayan football, tackle a T. Rex, and more.

The previous trailers were excellent overviews, but this 2v2 trailer for Napoleon: Total War is purely epic; with a few historical alterations, it simulates a massive battle at Waterloo.

Napoleon: Total War dishes on its new features in the trailer above; they include all seasons on the map, greater terrain detail, multiplayer campaigns, and environmental effects.

Available 4/13/10: Apollo 13 finally lands on Blu-ray for its 15th anniversary; it’ll feature 2.35:1 1080p video and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio plus a feature commentary with Ron Howard.

Jamie Bell’s Brief History of Everything is by no means comprehensive, but it is epic: the flipbook video was drawn with biro pens and took 2,100 pages, 50 jotter books, and 3 weeks to make.

A hybrid history and gameplay lesson, this Factions trailer for Napoleon: Total War discusses the French theaters of war as well as the Coalition forces that will eventually ally against him.

Reclaim Waterloo from history (and Swedish pop groups) with Napoleon: Total War; due out 2/23/10, it’ll feature a new battle physics system and a more zoomed-in campaign map.