Delighted to be presenting at Northamptonshire’s Western Front Association this coming Thursday (9th October) about the Battle of Jaroslawice, 21 August 1914. The talk is at 1930 at: The Lecture Theatre Church Rooms Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Church Lane off Sheep Street Northampton NN1 3NL

I hold it as a source of pride that the first time I am setting foot in the sports hall after five years of studying at Brunel is on graduation day

Back at the TNA! Different angle this week to keep things interesting

My two archive highlights for the day….

TNA time!

Returning to AIR 1 files after six years and realising just how much I’ve been spoiled by the WO series Take me back War Office, I didn’t mean it when I said you had inconsistent theatre categorisations

It’s 04:22 am and this deserves a repost.

Decided to write a few words about First World War cavalry and the latest development in Ukraine www.drjameshalstead.co.uk/index.php/20...

This week I have been writing both my SWWRG paper, and a best man speech and I’m absolutely thrilled at the possibility of mixing them up

If someone could make an AI that categorises, lists, and organises all my archival photos instead of me spending three working days on it, instead of making bad, plagiarised pictures then I’d be most grateful

A fantastic week exploring the Monte Cassino battlefields.

In this week’s episode of NSQ, we return to a well-known battlefield, but look at it with a perspective that remains unknown in the Anglophone world. Join us as we explore the story of the French Army in the Battle of the #Somme. not-so-quiet.com/supporters/a...

As I’ve now got the website set up…. I thought I’d share my first two blogs www.drjameshalstead.co.uk/index.php/20...

I was wondering what the ARC Wimbledon tickets were reminding me of then I realised… they seem to be ressurecting a bit of Austria-Hungary

World book day - these might be of interest to followers of FWW military history

Excited to get stuck into this volume… although first I’ve got some more market garden research to finish off in preparation for acting as a control for stone paper scissors megagame next month

A fantastic weekend spent at SAHR’s Land Forces of the Crown conference in Leeds. Too many great papers to name here but a very interesting weekend. It was great to represent the Second World War in a panel on training in North Africa with @meganahamilton.bsky.social and Samuel Wallace too

Just found a reference I searched for weeks to use on the PhD final draft while preparing my paper for this weekend… better late than never One of those ones I had to take out as I knew I remembered what it said but couldn’t find where I’d read it

Just had one of thsoe books I enjoyed reading so much that I’m struggling to decide what to read next… mostly because I just want more of it!

Enjoyed a fantastic paper from @jtthalstead.bsky.social last night on doctrine within the 'Imperial Army'.

There's definitely a German word for the feeling of finding a killer quote for something days after submitting the corrections, right?

I was nodding sagely, so sagely, as I typed this out...

Now we arrive at the ‘finding out’ part of the proceedings. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Looking forward to presenting as part of this panel

Next on the reading pile! After a few years of not reading Second World War in my free time… glad I can finally start again

Throwing this over onto the #histbookchat feed as well.

First book of 2025 finished: Nick Lloyd’s latest addition to his superb First World War series (having read the Western Front volume over Christmas)

Not sure if it’s a common post-viva experience but I’ve been struck by about three different plagues / injuries / afflictions at once and wondering if maybe it’s just been stored up from writing up PhD intensely for the last year

And we're going to be operating fully hybrid, so you can attend even if you're unable to get there in person!

uhoh

I’m so glad I’m not the only person that does this

I read Wawro’s book on AH in 1914 this time last year and left me torn. On the one hand it was well-researched, but it stripped a lot of the nuance and replaced it with furious diatribes I think this smacks the nail directly on the head when it describes that for Wawro, ‘scorn is the burning guide’

Running this out again to see if anyone has any experience with agents and if so whether they might recommend one. Or, alternatively, if they have experience and they are a waste of time unless you’re already established in the “public history” domain.

I’ve been reading up on the BEF in 1914 and discovering a weird quirk of the First World War literature that we could probably track each British division on the Somme in minute detail… but as soon as we go back to 1914 there’s an allergy to in-depth primary research (or even reading war diaries)

Well that's some fun news! My first journal article on #18thC history is now here: doi.org/10.1177/0968... I argue that the fencible relationship with authority was fundamentally shaped by their limited service, in how justice was administered *and* how the men engaged with their superiors. /1

Getting all the self-publication out the way early…. I’ll be speaking at the IHR next month on the topic of my PhD. You can sign up to attend both in person and online here: www.history.ac.uk/events/imper...

Last night I found a great definition in a book I’m reading, thought, ‘great this will work really well for the thesis introduction….’ and then promptly remembered i don’t need to worry about it anymore! Clearly five years of worrying about defining doctrine will take a while to untie….

Great to get an article about the history of wargaming in the British army into the latest British Army Review: chacr.org.uk/2024/12/04/t...

Time for a 🧵that is going to make me sound like a horrendously arrogant and elitist monster. History as a discipline cannot be bound by what seems interesting or plausible to the general public. #history #academia (1/13)

Looking forward to this conference as well! It will be nice to return to the University of Leeds

Getting all the self-publication out the way early…. I’ll be speaking at the IHR next month on the topic of my PhD. You can sign up to attend both in person and online here: www.history.ac.uk/events/imper...

As a first post on a new platform… can’t think of any better than to repost this!