Enjoy the (long!) read. It's poignant but also comical in places. The strange story of my life: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a....

May I interest you in £10k for humanities or social science research? Our small grants scheme is open. Apply by 3rd June. We allocate through partial randomisation - awarding randomly between all applications that meet our quality threshold www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...

Why is Aylesbury the county town?

Finally we are getting proper recognition that the UK will have to move towards single market/customs union alignment.

A Downing Street source suggested that if successful, this scheme could be expanded to include inflatable army tanks and fighter jets, allowing for a fully air-powered military by 2035. https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/?p=68155

More fantastic work by UK Security Vetting

Come along to the book launch for our edited volume on ‘Military Humanitarianism’ at 5.30pm on 17th June in the Old Fire Station (Silver St.) in Bristol! Please spread the word! For more details and to sign up for tickets, see the eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/military-h...

It is time for European countries to start threatening to evict the US military from bases on their territory.

Looking forward to talking about my current project on seapower & the FWW at @kcllnucsc.bsky.social on 28 May. Link here: www.kcl.ac.uk/events/the-w...

Excited to have this piece published in The Political Quarterly with @blagdendavid.bsky.social & Ronald Krebs. We have explored in previous work the concerning deference to the military in the U.S. context. After fielding a survey in the UK, we see similar concerning patterns of military deference.

WHIGS IN SPACE! Or why democratisation, commercialisation, and militarisation rhetoric about space is wrong. Very happy to see my new research article published with @ejisbisa.bsky.social! The Perils of periodising astropolitics: space security and the system builders @sgiadurham.bsky.social 🧵👇

These two things may both be true. In fact, one could argue both parties have been complacent about the state of UK defence since Russia invaded Georgia in 2008. If not then, at least since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 - we've had 12 wasted years when we could have prepared for & deterred Putin.

This week over 100,000 ALCS members will receive their share of £34m. Let's celebrate the value of human creativity, something that isn't going anywhere 💡📖🌳

Enjoyed visiting Edinburgh yesterday and received a warm welcome at the archives of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. A very well managed regimental collection which continues to grow.

'The tech industry said the UK had “the worst copyright regime for AI training of any major economy”.' Good.

europeans when asked to help unblock the strait of hormuz

This is cool. The Government is set to allow plug-in solar, low cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on their balconies or outdoor space. "In Germany over a million have been sold, helping households with energy costs and reducing dependence on fossil fuels."

Committing war crimes is now official US government policy. The UK should continue to distance itself from the USA, and end the dangerous dependence on its defence and intelligence capabilities.

Needless cruelty by the U.K. government. Debases our international reputation, harms young lives, and deprives British students of the chance to learn from other cultures. Shameful.

📣 Save the date! The next conference of the Society for the History of War will take place at the University of Limerick, Ireland 🇮🇪 🗓 26–27 November 2026 Historians of war, conflict, and violence - mark your calendars!! 📄 Call for Papers coming soon!

Persuading young Britons to pay more for defence is not going to work unless: (1) further education is improved (2) tuition fee debt is addressed (3) pension triple lock is abolished. No amount of influencers or school propaganda can overcome the structural unfairness blighting young people’s lives.

Having a Middle East war global recession while also having a capricious tariff global recession while also having an AI bubble global recession is not going to be a good time.

We are moving towards the point where America is causing such damage to its allies that public opinion will demand counter-measures. The only question is how severe will they be? Diplomatic expulsions? Close Lakenheath or Ramstein? EU economic sanctions?

There’s no point trying to placate Trump, so don’t bother trying. Keep the U.K. carriers away from the Middle East and let the Americans sort out their own mess.

The House of Lords Digital & Communications Committee just published their report on AI, copyright & the creative industries, and their conclusions could not be clearer. 🧵 1/5

The first public signs of TACO via geopolitical pressure. First the Gulf states will suspend massive investments in the US, then China and others will follow. The disruption to LNG supplies alone will compel many states to bring pressure to bear on Trump.

A blast from the past, written from frustration at a failed Freedom of Information request. Thanks to @historytoday.com for sharing ⏬️

New article out with Iker Erdocia ‘The politics of abstentionism: Comparing Sinn Féin’s Westminster abstentionism to Basque Nationalist Left’s engagement with the Spanish Parliament’ with @bjpir.bsky.social journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... thanks reviewers, colleagues, interviewees.

After years of calls, events, and track changes, Brian Drohan and I are excited to announce the publication of our edited volume, Military Humanitarianism: Aid Operations and Armed Forces, with @cornellupress.bsky.social in July 2026! www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...

Another crisis in UK-US relations. How does the alliance survive repeated ruptures? Greg Kennedy & I brought together 14 brilliant scholars to answer that in Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations: How the Alliance Weathers Crises. Out today with Georgetown University Press. 1/2

The UK's legal position on the use of its bases in the Middle East is solid with one glaring hole: The US cannot act in collective self-defence with the Gulf States. It is the aggressor. Ergo the UK cannot assist the US in collective self-defence.

The launch event chaired by @dmorganowen.bsky.social hosted at St. Andrews University, will feature presentations from contributors and @draefox.bsky.social for the book Framing the First World War: How Divergent Views Shaped a Global Conflict. #firstworldwar #WWI #militaryhistory #upkansas

If gas prices continue to rise and the Straits of Hormuz close, we might expect China to exert serious pressure on the US to change course on Iran.

Meeting talented younger people in your profession gives so much hope for the future. The great thing about academia is this happens so often.

Dear Alan, You owe me £3.

A significant development in European security which the UK government would be foolish to ignore.

The view from today’s office

the guy who wrote the literal book on this stuff is dunking on the admin:

I think the last time the USA created regime change solely through bombing was in Cambodia, when a massive carpet bombing campaign so destabilized the country that the Khmer Rouge came to power and wiped out the Royal government—the American ally. Genocide followed.

Asserting international law only when it is in your own/allies interest means not being committed to international law at all. Being dragged into a war by more powerful allies against direct interest and better judgement means having no strategic autonomy. The UK Govt is in a mess.

The U.K. government has failed to condemn illegal aggression by the USA and Israel, and is facilitating US attacks on Iranian territory. This is not an impartial adherence to international law. It is taking sides with a US administration that is directly hostile to British democracy.

So much for strategic autonomy. The U.K. government is incapable of adapting to changing world politics. Utterly negligent.

Privileged to speak with talented colleagues today about colonial violence at the Imperial War Museum. I’ve been researching this in the IWM’s archives since 2002 and finally, in 2026, we are discussing the conflicts of the 1940s and 1950s. www.iwm.org.uk/events/emerg...

According to the IISS Military Balance we have around 10% less fighters, 5% less tanks, and 47% less artillery than in 2022) 🙃 Just to brighten everyone's day....

There is only one way to pay for the defence budget increases essential for UK national security and retaining influence in Europe: rejoining the single market. Time for Labour to lead public opinion for once.

Great to meet and learn from archivists, journalists, activists and academics today at the Holywell Trust, where I spoke about trauma and archives.

Breaking news: Peter Mandelson has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office following claims he leaked confidential UK government memos to Jeffrey Epstein ft.trib.al/cRr1m4T

"It has been all about demonstrating....that his voice is still needed on the international stage - that he can make a difference. Except that it’s an illusion. What’s left for the historians is a blackened shell. Latest Inside-Out column. philipstephens.substack.com/p/the-fall-a...

Can such an astoundingly bad decision by the U.K. Ministry of Defence best be explained as stupidity or corruption? Time will tell.

Back at the National Army Museum today, smiling due to the brilliant help provided by the archivists in the Templer Study Centre.