On the day that the Soviet Union celebrated the anniversary of the 'Great October Socialist Revolution', when Lenin led the Bolsheviks to seize power, pictures of some of the monuments at VDNKh in Moscow: the entrance; 'the worker and the collective farm woman'; Lenin himself. All photos from 2019

On the day that the Soviet Union celebrated the anniversary of the 'Great October Socialist Revolution', when Lenin led the Bolsheviks to seize power, pictures of some of the monuments at VDNKh in Moscow: the entrance; 'the worker and the collective farm woman'; Lenin himself. All photos from 2019

Latest Daily on Monocle Radio. @daniellapeled.bsky.social and @jmacrodgers.bsky.social on the day's stories, plus Dr Nicholas Wright on his fascinating new book "Warhead", about what conflict does to our brains. monocle.com/radio/shows/...

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My copy of this has arrived, and it's really impressive: thought-provoking images superbly shot, and helping to tell a really important part of C20 European history

In Cambridge to give a talk, and happy to see my last book in very good company

The slave trade was an international criminal enterprise. In 1811 an uprising on the slaving ship Amelia off the coast of West Africa revealed a complex network spanning four continents. 🔒 This feature from the October issue is available in the archive www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...

Leaving the stadium, October afternoon

I saw this last night at a screening in London. In the UK, it's on the BBC iPlayer. See it if you can. Every small town in Russia has its fervent Putin supporters; its sons dead in the 'special military operation. Not all of them have Pavel Talankin to tell the story. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Discount on pre-orders at Waterstones available until midnight

Order James’s book now so that in the New Year you’ll be able to understand how we got here!

An insightful and deeply researched study of what went wrong with Russia and the west’s reaction to the country after the optimism of the 1990s.' - @terrystiastny.bsky.social My next book, 'The Return of Russia', out in January. Now available for pre-order, with 25% off at Waterstones today only.

Until tomorrow you can get 25% off @jmacrodgers.bsky.social new book, The Return of Russia - which I was privileged to review and highly recommend!

“An extremely valuable and comprehensive treatment of trends in post-Soviet Russian politics and society, and how these have impacted Russia’s place in the world.”[email protected]. Coming soon from @yalebooks.bsky.social--with 25% off pre-orders from Waterstones until Friday 23:59

'A welcome contribution to the debate about what went wrong, coming from someone who has long observed—and often been present at—key moments in Russian history'--Andrei Soldatov There's 25% off pre-orders of 'The Return of Russia', my new book with @yalebooks.bsky.social, at Waterstones this week

'A welcome contribution to the debate about what went wrong, coming from someone who has long observed—and often been present at—key moments in Russian history'--Andrei Soldatov There's 25% off pre-orders of 'The Return of Russia', my new book with @yalebooks.bsky.social, at Waterstones this week

My next book 'The Return of Russia' @yalebooks.bsky.social is currently available for pre-order from Waterstones--with a 25% discount until Friday 17 October 'an exciting account of Russia's descent into authoritarianism' --Professor Robert Service www.waterstones.com/book/the-ret...

'Mussorgsky’s music provides scope for different interpretations of the flawed tsar,' great piece from @howardamos.bsky.social on the art and politics of the opera 'Boris Godunov' in the time of Russia's war on Ukraine

Use the code OCTOBER25 at checkout to get the discount 👆

My next book 'The Return of Russia' @yalebooks.bsky.social is currently available for pre-order from Waterstones--with a 25% discount until Friday 17 October 'an exciting account of Russia's descent into authoritarianism' --Professor Robert Service www.waterstones.com/book/the-ret...

Good. Prominent media reject new Pentagon rules before signing deadline www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

On the front of today's (London) Times, a superlative piece of photojournalism--and yet another example of the invaluable work Palestinian journalists, in this case Bashar Taleb of AFP, continue to do in unimaginably difficult circumstances. www.thetimes.com/world/middle...

'Shocking and moving accounts.' New on my website, my review of 'Don't Shoot the Journalists: Migrating to Stay Alive' Edited by Peter Laufer. jamesrodgersauthor.com/review-of-ne...

'Shocking and moving accounts.' New on my website, my review of 'Don't Shoot the Journalists: Migrating to Stay Alive' Edited by Peter Laufer. jamesrodgersauthor.com/review-of-ne...

A visit late yesterday afternoon to @foylesforbooks.bsky.social in London reminded me of the pleasure of browsing in a good bookshop--especially one that sells work from all over the world (and was kind enough to have my own last book on display). Online shopping just not the same.

We have to remember that aerial reconnaissance has been around for centuries – think of kites, hot air balloons and spy planes.

Thanks to everyone who joined our sold-out book launch at The Frontline Club! Ex-BBC @jmacrodgers.bsky.social Ex-CNN @arwadamon.bsky.social & so many others who joined us to discuss the new censorship, rising authoritarianism & the horrors in Gaza. It was an intensive, inspiring urgent conversation

If you wondered how many of the major newsrooms covering the Pentagon would give in to Pete Hegseth and sign a new agreement if they wanted to maintain access, it looks like the answer is... none. So far. Via @status.news

Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows among green aits and meadows

Incredibly important investigation in ⁦‪Sunday Times on the people behind one of the worst atrocities Russia has committed Unmasked: 13 Russian officers who led ‘war crime’ troops in Bucha www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russ...

The Thames from Chiswick Bridge, under a late September sky

It's really important keep up the pressure to allow international reporters into #Gaza. Watch this to be reminded why. www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...

It's really important keep up the pressure to allow international reporters into #Gaza. Watch this to be reminded why. www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...

BREAKING: Egypt's Sisi pardons activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah: state-linked media @AFP

Icymi, over the weekend I posted my review of Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan's engaging and thought-provoking book, 'Our Dear Friends in Moscow'. It's a story of #journalism in #Russia that should also be read as a warning to the West.

If you are looking for a book on what it means to be a reporter in a difficult environment, this sounds like it should be the top of your list.

New on my website, 'the story of a dying dream by those who witnessed its death.' My review of 'Our Dear Friends in Moscow: The Inside Story of a Broken Generation' by @andreisoldatov.bsky.social and Irina Borogan. Highly recommended. jamesrodgersauthor.com/our-dear-fri...

See also 'special military operation' www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/b...

New on my website, 'the story of a dying dream by those who witnessed its death.' My review of 'Our Dear Friends in Moscow: The Inside Story of a Broken Generation' by @andreisoldatov.bsky.social and Irina Borogan. Highly recommended. jamesrodgersauthor.com/our-dear-fri...

If you're starting a postgraduate course in History this autumn, please do consider joining the Royal Historical Society bit.ly/41mTuck Postgraduate Membership brings access to research funding, events, publications and networks. You'll join an international community of more than 6500 historians.

Before the match, and on the way back after

This is absolutely superb--a hugely engaging read that also tells us much about our own times, and some of the last century's darkest days

There are still a few tickets left for this important discussion tomorrow evening. If you are in London, please come to join us if you can #Gaza #journalism

The Kramatorsk Diaries part 32 - return to Kramatorsk paulconroy.substack.com/p/the-kramat...

We analyzed leaked data for rare look at the winding journeys of more than 44,000 immigrants detained or deported by the Trump administration... and found that people are being moved around in unprecedented and irregular ways. w/ @wcraft.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

If you're in London next week, please join us at The Frontline Club to discuss The New Censorship! We have stellar speakers on board - @jmacrodgers.bsky.social & @arwadamon.bsky.social - and more than enough explosive issues to cover! Tickets are selling fast, so get yours here 👉 shorturl.at/5Pbwc

The final draft of my next book, 'The Return of Russia: from Yeltsin to Putin, the Story of a Vengeful Kremlin' has now gone to @yalebooks.bsky.social . I have added it to my Amazon author page for anyone interested in pre-ordering from there. www.amazon.co.uk/stores/autho...

The final draft of my next book, 'The Return of Russia: from Yeltsin to Putin, the Story of a Vengeful Kremlin' has now gone to @yalebooks.bsky.social . I have added it to my Amazon author page for anyone interested in pre-ordering from there. www.amazon.co.uk/stores/autho...

Just finished this, years after it was published and rightly praised. What a book. I was led to it after reading Richard Flanagan's 'Question 7', a masterpiece of nonfiction. 'The Narrow Road...' has made such an impression I am already looking forward to reading it again.

The last evening match of the season @kiaoval.com earlier this week. Rain finally cleared so the Surrey vs Northants quarter final could go ahead. Victory for the visitors by seven runs on a dramatic evening on the field and in the sky above.