Never mind jobs you had, tell me five classes you took at university 1. From Kleopatra to Alexander: The Rise and Fall of the Hellenistic World 2. Witches and Depravity in the Medieval and Early Modern World 3. The American Civil War 4. Archaeology of the Roman Mediterranean 5. Egypt's Golden Age

Hello #skystorians. Possibly a silly question, but is there an easy way to find out if our books are being used to teach? And if so, what is it?! OR if any of you are using my book in your teaching, could you please let me know? Thank you so much! #18thC #ECR #publishing #teaching #research 🗃️

For the folks in the back: OCR predates LLMs. HTR software predates LLMs. Digital Humanities predates LLMs. Grammar and spell checkers predate LLMs. YOU DO NOT NEED THE PLAGIARISM MACHINES.

How time flies! Tomorrow night, I will be joining Paul Woodadge on WW2TV to discuss the First Battle of Alamein, particularly the battle for Ruin Ridge. We'll go live at: 🇦🇺 8 pm AEDT 🇬🇧 9 am (London) 🇳🇿 10 pm (Wellington) Watch it live/later here: : www.youtube.com/live/qf_OUIe...

years and years of avoiding plain language and the active voice do make the choice to use it more impactful, I suppose

If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.

I know it's already going into the syllabus for my upcoming course on Contemporary Warfare. Who knows how much more material will be added between now and the end of the semester, when we'll deal with current events.

Today feels like a good day to spotlight the recent appeal made by Kurihara Toshio, one of the preeminent Japanese reporters on the war memory beat, to journalists covering war today. Its drawn from his research on the failures of Japan's media establishment in the 1930s: apjjf.org/2025/9/fedman

Then, there's Andor, which perfectly captures the essence of the moment.

Amid all the doom and gloom, I must admit, the LOTR content it's producing provides a small spark of light.

Let's not gloss over the detail that this implies he was holding off on doing wars of aggression purely for the clout.

If only there was a way the U.S. could help cripple Russian power-projection capability 🧐

And, in today's example of how not to respond/react to govt threats to invade and occupy an ally's territory, we have Exhibit A.

Global health threats are inextricably linked to geopolitics. The direction the world is taking is now highly unpredictable, but one thing is absolutely certain to me: the only real winners will be pathogens. The US administration is now a force multiplier for infectious disease.

Ooh, and right in front of the Declaration of Independence too. Unimprovable

As I draft an article on anti-Iraq War protests, the diversity of tactics used by social movements are always an interesting aspect to see. The internet age and social media now mean we gain an even clearer insight as well, compared to previous generations.

Lots of people quoting that Margaret Atwood line after Renee Good’s murder—“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them, women are afraid that men will kill them”—and it’s making me feel a kind of gendered chauvinism. Imagine being so scared just of being laughed at.

This. Greenland defense is a tripwire—putting various European countries’ personnel in harms way in an attempt to deter attack—not an effort to win a war with the US. A real Europe-US war would destroy the world. The goal is to not have one. Which was more than accomplished by a robust NATO. Alas.

like, none of the reporting on this has been in any way serious. what would invasion cost? what would be the costs of incorporating if greenland were willing? what’s the cost of occupation? how would any of this work legally? this is all just special birthday reporting for the make a wish president

Word selection is a crucial part of publicly framing events. One striking (though unsurprising) thing about *everything* going on right now is just how far news outlets will go to avoid calling a spade a spade. The Denmark/Greenland press conference is telling in its careful word selection, too.

Read more about the book Framing the First World War: How Divergent Views Shaped a Global Conflict edited by @mpmfinch.bsky.social, @draefox.bsky.social, and @dmorganowen.bsky.social here - kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700640560/. #modernwarstudies #militaryhistory #WorldWarI #upkansas

There are lots of reasons to compare what is happening now to Nazi Germany and there are also lots of reasons to compare what is happening now to the post-1850 Fugitive Slave Act U.S. and it's *weird* how people respond with interest to the former but total confusion to the latter

I'm excited to announce that as of this week, I will be starting my new role as Lecturer in War Studies at UNSW Canberra. Looking forward to another five years with the HASS team, teaching and researching across the spectrum of war, peace, and society.

“Unlike Mars” — LOL

Police are diverting traffic on the Hume Freeway between Seymour and Violet Town due to a bush fire. Use the Goulburn Valley Freeway and Violet Town-Murchison Road around the closure. Allow plenty of extra time and drive with caution through the area traffic.transport.vic.gov.au #VicFires

Your first warning. The roads will be busy. Power uncertain. Cell phones crowded. The authorities really should close the Great Ocean rd west of Lorne but probably won’t. It’s a dangerous escape route if filled with panicky tourists. Plan something else. Repost this

New Called to the Bar episode: the full crew unpacks the US bombing of Venezuela and the abduction of Nicolás Maduro. UN Charter violations, head of state immunity, and why Washington no longer seems troubled by illegality. Bleak, sharp, and very 2026. #CalledToTheBar soundcloud.com/calledtotheb...

Political concepts now irrelevant to *checks notes* politics.

At this moment there is absolutely zero, as in none at all, evidence that the Trump administration or anyone friendly to it is in control of Venezuela, and so all this speculating about how his supposed occupation will function appears a bit beside the point.

Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts. Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.

If this doesn't come with a UNGA Uniting for Peace resolution and global condemnation then the prohibition on the use of force is finished and the UN will go the way of the League of Nations. Ask the international lawyers in your life how they are because right now I wish I weren't 10 years sober

I think this feels particularly shocking because no matter how much you stretch the law this has absolutely no basis of legality whatsoever. No terrorists, no "threat" requiring anticipatory self defence. Nothing.

Article I, Section 8 "The Congress shall have power... To declare war" and United Nations Charter, Article 2(4) "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State"

Btw, the big story overhanging all of this is that US government is deadly serious in its stated plans to dominate and control the western hemisphere. Take the threats against Greenland very seriously indeed.

A thought that came to my mind, too.

Many things are going through my mind right now re: Venezuela, but I can't help but wonder how I will teach a MA course on Contemporary Warfare in February, one month after the US' actions today/tonight.

Maduro is a brutal and oppressive dictator of Venezuela. Trump has no legitimate legal basis for military action against Venezuela under United States or international law. Both of those facts are simultaneously true.

Among the many reasons you don’t kidnap a foreign head of state at gunpoint even if you have the capability, is that it sparks consequences you can neither control nor anticipate.

A defining moment for Europe. If it endorses/fails to condemn this flagrant breach of international law, it will have surrendered its core justification for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

On behalf of the Society's President and Council, we wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our members and online followers. And if your Christmas gifts disappoint, our full booklist is now available online to give you some ideas to treat yourself. www.sahr.org.uk/view-book-li...

I think we need a mega thread of everyone's craziest archive stories.

A sweeping narrative of war, great power politics, & ordinary people caught up in the devastation, Mustafa Aksakal's The War That Made the Middle East offers new insights about the Great War & its profound & lasting consequences. Available Jan 13 (10 Mar UK pub): press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

The #1 movie when you were 10 years old is how your 2026 is going to go. Well, that's not reassuring at all...

I have no expectation that these words will ultimately change anything, but I feel compelled to express my deep disquiet and worry about the way in which the political-media narratives are developing following the Bondi antisemitic terror attack. davidmandrews.com/2025/12/19/b...

Ok this is perhaps not going to end up being the most salient issue tonight but how do you “completely surround” by sea a country which is not an island?

Netanyahu, Sussan Ley, & others choosing to attempt to score political advantage from the horrific events at Bondi, do a great disservice to all striving for greater peace & understanding in society. The media would do us all a great favour by platforming the helpful & heroic, incl. Ahmed el-Ahmed.

This is Fred. It seems he moved in and made our swivel chair his home while we were away. It's been three days, and he still hasn't left, but he's also too speedy to catch and release back into the garden. So, until he decides to vacate, he gets some water.

“Ambitious in scope, rigorously researched & forensics in its assessments”, Misfire is “a must read” for anyone interested in the Malaya Campaign in #WWII & the #history of SOF: says me! Congratulations to @hisbpf.bsky.social on his latest 📖 📚 #WeHaveWays #Historybookposts

I wish a notice like this wasn't necessary. www.icrc.org/en/article/i...