I AM 100% HERE FOR THIS!!!

Being back in amongst Marshal mayhem had me thinking about the lament I wrote for Macdonald a few years back. I haven’t written music for Davout, which obvs must be remedied. I feel like he’s more a march than an air though.

Round of applause for this social media person

Just a tiny feathered guardian of the woods… with a stare that sees everything. ©️ jennilsphotography #Bird #Owl #Nature

Office has a very distinguished group of observers!

Small person woke me at 5: “mummy how do you spell pretzel?” I’m out of coffee. POV: Calling husband to ask him to bring red bull home from his night shift.

Cracking two hour debate on my favourite topics with a terrific bunch tonight!

Duke of Gordon against a glorious blue sky today.

I miss the history community we had on Twitter 😭

Can a headline alone be eligible for a Pulitzer?

Interesting point in Bettany Hughes’ “Venus & Aphrodite” re Napoleon’s impact on exposure to Botticelli.

Just went to see my Granny in the dementia ward and she knew who I was today 😭😭😭

Bet your night isn’t as wild as mine! So rock and roll!

Look forward to January! Here is a list of new #non_fiction #books about the #18thcentury scheduled for next month: regency-explorer.net/new-releases/ #Regency #Napoleon #history #JaneAusten #Waterloo

Chuffed with my Secret Santa present!

I mean it’s obviously Davout but of the three candidates it has to be Masséna. At his peak, Napoleon’s equal in natural brilliance.

Mummy Santa has fulfilled all duties. Mr Bookish_Rachael is working. So I’m going to shovel tiramisu in my face and listen to a debate about the marshals.

Went to visit my granny on the dementia ward today. She had no idea who I was and spent most of the time talking to a doll. Feeling pretty low but Mr BookishRachael has me covered.

Me, having watched a heap of Greek Mythology TikToks: I’d quite like to read a bit more on that theme this year. Celtic myth too. Waterstones this morning:

I’m starting to think strange women lying in ponds distributing swords IS a good basis for a system of government

Last online Italian class tonight. Have enjoyed it so much!

🎶 All I want for Christmas is a fucking hysterectomy… 🎶

There’s just no one compares to Philip Quast. The definitive Javert ❤️ I’m gonna need to reread Les Miserables again over the festive period, aren’t I?

A photo I posted of graffiti in Syria in 2014. "One day the war will be over and I will return to my poem" I hope they will return to their poem

Mr Bookish_Rachael and I were supposed to be going away for the weekend for our 10th wedding anniversary tomorrow. So right on schedule the poor small one has got a raging fever and we’ve had to cancel. 😭

#OTD in 1805, Napoléon fought and won the battle of #Austerlitz, in modern-day Czech Republic. Although being outnumbered, Napoléon used terrain and weather brilliantly to defeat the armies of the Austrian and Russian Emperors. It’s considered his most brillant victory.

"It is most certainly to you that I owe Sherlock Holmes". Letter dated 1892 from Arthur Conan Doyle to Joseph Bell, crediting him as the inspiration for his literary detective. Bell was born OTD 1837. Doyle was clerk on Bell's ward at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 1877 while a medical student

Today in 1805: Napoleon's greatest triumph. He humbled two emperors, Hapsburg and Romanov, at Austerlitz. He then wrote what was his greatest letter to his wife Josephine: "I have beaten the Russian and Austrian army commanded by two emperors. I am a little tired."

Today in 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of the French in Notre Dame. When it came to the actual coronation, he took the crown from Pope Pious VII and crowned himself, which basically sums him up to a T. #napoleonbonaparte #frenchhistory #jacqueslouisdavid #napoleon

I truly appreciate this latest wave of followers and listeners, it's really great. I hope you are all enjoying the podcast, I've witnessed a surge in downloads and subscribers, this is fantastic. If you want to help me out, you can do so by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or elsewhere.

'Doing a history PhD is useless and a waste of taxpayers' money' blah blah... Researching the past can yield so many treasures we have no idea we need until we actually need them.

And Napoleonic marshals, right? Right?

Pizza & dessert wine cause I’m a classy bitch 😂

Well this is fun!

Another month of enticing new publications with military history well represented including titles by @kabinettskriege.bsky.social @zwhitehistory.bsky.social and @mcribbhistory.bsky.social among others, and also literary, cultural and fashion history. What riches!

They only drink to forget.

Today in “I wish I was rich…”

Day off, was supposed to be going to a wreath making workshop, now cancelled due to snow. Supposed to be going to see my granny in hospital tomorrow now an amber storm warning. So going to go wallow in a bath a couple of degrees shy of scalding.

Prepping for an online conversation class tomorrow night. I am really really digging learning Italian, but the more I’m learning it seems the more French I forget! My brain has clearly decided two languages only.

I remember when I used to be a tea dresses & lipstick lecturer, and now I just look like a hobgoblin who lives under a bridge.

I ripped this video from Eleonora Svanberg on X (she’s not on 🦋) She wrote: “I'm a PhD student at @UniofOxford and I think I'm living in a fairytale :-) Foxes playing around in the snow at Magdalen College this morning — absolutely magical!”

Im looking at an estimated wait of 78 weeks… Until then it’s just be in chronic abdominal pain every day! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1/ A lot of new followers, so let's do a megathread showcasing the show so far! 🧵

#OnThisDay 18 November 1852 the funeral of the Duke of Wellington. Organised by Prince Albert it was one of the largest funerals ever seen, with a 10,000 strong procession from Horse Guards to St Paul's Cathedral via Apsley House through London. A national outpouring of grief.

Joining in because why not!

The backstory to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein puts unrealistic expectations on how much work you can accomplish in a vacation house.

I’m not even sorry.

You know what, the world is so bloody rubbish, I’m just going to put my Christmas tree up early. Might as well get a bit of joy somewhere!!