Film Friday: "Churchill at War" (2024) 4-part documentary chronicling WSC's leadership during WWII, wartime strategy, and the life events that shaped him as a paramount figure of the era. Christian McKay interprets WSC while scholars and historical sources provide context.

Museum Monday: @ltmuseumfriends.bsky.social in Covent Garden explores how London moves! Collection of buses & Underground trains. Don't miss the Blitz gallery - photographs, posters, personal accounts, & wartime artifacts bring this story to life. Great cafe and shop! Timed entry tickets required.

Film Friday: Into the Storm (2009), sequel to “The Gathering Storm.” Biopic explores Churchill’s leadership during WW2, relationships with family & political allies, and the toll of wartime decision-making. WSC is portrayed by Brendan Gleeson.

Thanks to The Historian, from the UK Historical Association, for the opportunity to share my experience of researching in the Royal Archives at Windsor: drive.google.com/file/u/1/d/1...

Film Friday: Darkest Hour (2017). Newly appointed PM WSC navigates political pressure, military disaster, and divided opinion within the gov't while deciding whether Britain should negotiate or continue the fight. Gary Oldman’s portrayal garnered several Best Actor nods & wins.

Museum Monday: Imperial War Museum, London (Lambeth Rd). WWI trenches; WWII galleries, including a powerful Blitz/Home Front section. Café, shops, + talks/films/events. Essential visit. Free general admission.

OTDIH: Prime Minister Winston Churchill travelled to Plymouth to survey the Blitz damage and be with the people. The visit is recounted here in an article I wrote for the International Churchill Society - mydigitalpublication.com/publication/....

Film Friday: "The Gathering Storm" (2002) follows Winston Churchill during his political 'wilderness years' in the 1930s. Churchill gathers evidence and allies that help shift opinion - and his own role within the government - as the clouds of war approach.

Tomorrow, Michael Writes History is "going to Hollywood." We are excited to begin our "Friday Film" movie/documentary recommendation of the week.

I'm excited to introduce a weekly feature to Michael Writes History: Museum Monday! Check back here each Monday for a recommended museum to explore!

The Plymouth Blitz reminds us that history can be explored at the human scale. In my research into the Blitz and Portland Square, I learned that survival on the night of 22–23 April 1941 often came down to small decisions made in the moment.

St. George’s Day, Plymouth: Portland Square shelter hit—at least 71 killed, including Major William JL Cornelius & his expectant wife, Maggie. This infographic traces their experience that night in 1941. The Blitz wasn’t abstract, but lived, in real time, by ordinary people.

OTDIH: The Plymouth Blitz continued. The Luftwaffe expanded the strike zone to residential areas. The single-largest mass casualty incident of the night (and of the Blitz in Plymouth) occurred when the eastern wing of the Portland Square Air Raid Shelter took a direct hit.

OTDIH: 85 years ago, Plymouth endured another Luftwaffe attack. Just beginning to navigate the "new normal" in the wake of the March Blitz, Plymouth experienced another 5 nights of intense bombardment in late April 1941. This infographic examines what happened on the 1st night.

The @balhnews.bsky.social invited members to develop and deliver 10-minute talks. I'm pleased to share "From Numbers to Names: The Portland Square Air Raid Shelter and One Family in the Blitz." vimeo.com/1182986281/1...

My commemorative book on the 23 April 1941 tragedy at Portland Square, during the Plymouth Blitz, is now available. Created in partnership with the Old Plymouth Society, it recovers the voices of those caught in the tragedy. You can order a copy at: oldplymouthsociety.net/order-public...

In marking 85 years since the start of the Plymouth Blitz, I chose to zero in on St. Andrew’s Church as a symbolic anchor to convey part of the story of 20 March 1941. Thanks to the Plymouth Herald for running the story today. www.pressreader.com/uk/the-plymo...

Today, 20 March, marks 85 years since the beginning of the Plymouth Blitz. This infographic conveys some of the statistics from those two nights in 1941.

85 years ago, Plymouth welcomed King George VI & Queen Elizabeth, for a 7-hour tour of the Dockyard & city. Only hours after the Royals departed, Luftwaffe bombers appeared & initiated the Plymouth Blitz. This article explores planning the Royal Visit and examines the itinerary.

COVER REVEAL: Plymouth Blitz: The Bombing of Portland Square and The Devastation of a City by Michael McLaughlin — the first comprehensive treatment of the Portland Square incident. Coming September 2026 from Pharos Publishing.

Thrilled to have the cover story in the Feb. issue of Devon Family Historian! “Tracing Major Cornelius” explores the life of William John Lang Cornelius of Plymouth and the value of archival sources. He is also a central figure in my forthcoming Plymouth Blitz (Pharos, 2026).

OTDIH – 13 Feb 1941: Plymouth’s 272nd air raid alert became one of its worst, and was marked by a tragic miscalculation. Sirens were not sounded as bombers were wrongly assumed to be empty on their return to occupied France. Bombs struck Alfred Road, Ford (11 killed) & elsewhere.

Why Plymouth? It begins with family history. John Anthony Cornelius was orphaned when his parents were killed in the Portland Square tragedy on 23 April 1941. Discovering his story sparked my research into the Plymouth Blitz.

I’ve launched my website: michaelwriteshistory.com It’s a home for my work as a historian, especially research on the Plymouth Blitz. I’ll be sharing historical context, research, and published writing. If that’s of interest, follow along or subscribe. Please find me on FB, X, & IG!