It wasn’t a dream… Sean Bean and Bernard Cornwell really did join me & Liam Telfer @liamtelfer.bsky.social on the Napoleonic Wars Pod @napwarspod.bsky.social last night. As Sean put it ‘we could have talked all night’. We also discovered which is Bernard’s favourite book from the Sharpe series.

Bernard Cornwell and Sean Bean will be appearing in a joint interview for The Napoleonic Wars Podcast. If you’ve got a question for them, post it below and we’ll pick the best.

Publication Alert 🚨 Show trials: Legal Process in the British Army’s Military Justice System I wrote an article on why military courts were much more careful about giving soldiers a fairer hearing than we’ve previously recognised Read for free below ageofrevolutions.com/2025/09/02/s...

Dawn on the 18th June 1815 - it has been a night of frenetic activity for both sides, but the Battle of Waterloo beckons. Hear more of what has happened overnight as Napoleon, Wellington and Blucher prepare for battle.

The Battle of Waterloo: 11am The fight for Hougoumont begins in earnest. Listen to what is happening across the battlefield, RIGHT NOW 210 years ago

“We had hardly taken our position at the loopholes when masses of French came out of the wood..”  Private Peter Leonard of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Nassau Regiment, describing the French attempts to cross the killing ground at Hougoumont, happening right now 210 years ago.

“The action commenced by the most dreadful cannonade I ever heard”.  Lieutenant John Roberts, Royal Horse Artillery describes the opening of the Battle of Waterloo Happening right now, 210 years ago.

Special Day! Took a leaf from @zwhitehistory.bsky.social & with info from Dr Abrutat I sought out the grave of Edward Nicolls! This Royal Marine led 100s of enslaved to freedom. I left him with the Union Jack he served so well & a red "no quarter" flag that those he led fought & died under. #History

I’ve submitted the manuscript for my edited collection on Siege Warfare! Massive thanks to my incredible authors, including @amikaberidze.bsky.social Silvia Gregorio Sainz, @beatricedegraaf.bsky.social @marksthompson.bsky.social Andrew Bamford who commissioned it & Rob Griffith at Helion

Does preserving and protecting a key site from the Waterloo campaign sound important to you? Then follow @heritage1815.bsky.social to stay up to date with their efforts to safeguard the future of Gemioncourt farm, a site of significant fighting during the Battle of Quatre Bras.

I did a thing! I’m very pleased with this mount that I made to hold the fabulous present I received for my birthday back in January. I hope it does justice to the wonderful people who clubbed together to buy it for me.

A part of Waterloo history faces an uncertain future Gemioncourt Farm on the battlefield of Quatre Bras is or sale. Similar events saw another site from the battle bulldozed recently. Back @heritage1815.bsky.social’s efforts to preserve it by following them & joining their mailing list. 👇

Heritage 1815: a committee of Napoleonic historians working to safeguard the future of sites from the Waterloo campaign. Following news of the planned sale of Gemioncourt Farm & 8.5 hectares of land on the Quatre Bras battlefield, the committee has issued a statement 🧵1/

I need YOU… To fill out the @napwarspod.bsky.social Census As the show’s 5th anniversary approaches we’re taking stock of how you access the show, what you enjoy, & how we can continue to improve If you can spare five minutes we’d really appreciate your feedback docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

This surprised me. Whilst by no means Britain’s set back during the period, & there were worse campaign-scale defeats, I honestly think this might have been Britain’s worst defeat in a single battle during the Napoleonic Wars. What do you think? Have a listen to @napwarspod.bsky.social

Was Bergen Op Zoom the British Army’s worst defeat of the Napoleonic Wars? Andrew Bamford of Prime & Load Podcast joins us to explain how such a major defeat happened when the British army was meant to be at the height of its powers. open.spotify.com/episode/41cw...

Britain’s Second Napoleonic Army Join @zwhitehistory.bsky.social for a FREE talk on the East India Company army - key to Britain’s imperial ambitions in Asia, it receives less attention than it should. Tues 11 March, 6pm, online & at York St John University www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/britains-s...

Britain’s Second Napoleonic Army Join me for a FREE talk @yorkstjohn.bsky.social on the East India Company Army - key to Britain’s imperial ambitions in Asia, it receives less attention than it should. Online & in person Tuesday 11th March, 18:00-19:30 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/britains-s...

Enroute to Leeds for the @societyarmy.bsky.social Land Forces of the Crown conference where I’ll be honoured to deliver my first ever keynote speech. Had to pause before boarding to admire the beautiful architecture of King’s Cross Station

It was a treat to join @zwhitehistory.bsky.social at #BSECS2025 and talk all things pregnancy and fashion for The Napoleonic Wars Pod #18thcentury #maternalbodies open.spotify.com/episode/6YGK...

Two years ago I took this picture as I flew out of Lisbon and vowed I would be back. Flights are now booked. Roll on April… The Peninsular War by Air beckons…

What an incredible 40th birthday it’s been. I am completely surprised at the kindness and generosity of the have best people in my world. I could never have imagined the history nerd journey of the last few years. You know who you are and I’ll be in touch properly very soon.

On this day in 1814 the Battle of Brienne was fought during the War of the Sixth Coalition. Despite the Allies ceding the field to Napoleon, he could not prevent Russian and Prussian forces, commanded by Blucher later linking up with Schwarzenberg’s Austrians.

Conquering Rome I mean it’s called Rome Total War. What’s a nerd to do? 🤷‍♂️

On this day in 1809 the British win the Battle of Corruna, a desperate action that bought them time to embark following a disastrous campaign. Josh Provan & I discuss the campaign/battle as part of our History of the Peninsular War on the @napwarspod.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

I’m so proud of the brilliant team behind this show, including @liamtelfer.bsky.social @lureynol.bsky.social & Josh Redden. Thank you to all the exceptional guests who have brought insights and laughter to the show. Make sure you’re following & leave a review on Apple Podcasts 😉 Onward to 1mil!

Happy New Year! As you recover from your hangover, spare a thought for the soldiers of the 1808-9 Corunna campaign who trekked over the Galician mountains in a bitterly cold winter. In the @napwarspod.bsky.social New Year Special Josh Provan & I retell the story podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

500,000 56 months. 270 episodes. 300 hours of content. The @NapWarsPod has finally reached HALF A MILLION downloads. Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible. Watch the celebratory video at www.patreon.com/posts/500-00...

Black Redcoats’ available now on @napwarspod.bsky.social @blackredcoats.bsky.social share the inspiring story of the Corps of Colonial Marines - a unit formed of emancipated US slaves who fought for the British during the War of 1812. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

The Life of Horatio Nelson @kejamieson.bsky.social returns for Part 2 of the @napwarspod.bsky.social series on the life of Nelson, covering everything from losing his sight on Corsica to ‘making bridges’ at the Battle of Cape St Vincent. Listen at podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

It was a privilege to contribute to History Magazine’s feature on what inspires our love of history, explaining how a visit to HMS Victory changed my life & ignited my passion for Napoleonic history by making the past tangible. Read the full article in the Jan edition, out now!

The Battle of Bailen Josh Provan returns for another instalment of the @napwarspod.bsky.social History of the Peninsular War as we discuss the ‘dream’ that was Castaños’s crushing victory over Dupont at Bailen in July 1808. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

This holiday can be stressful and painful for many. If you are feeling overwhelmed this season, please contact a helpline. the world is better with you in it. National Suicide Prevention Hotline UK: 0800 689 5652 US: 1-800-273-8255 Canada: 1.833.456.4566

The Peninsular War: The Global Perspective @amikaberidze.bsky.social & @beatricedegraaf.bsky.social discuss wider reactions to the conflict, if it was obvious that Napoleon had blundered in 1808, & whether the war was a sideshow. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

What was Christmas dinner like in the Napoleonic era? Rebecca Earle joins @lureynol.bsky.social & Josh Redeen to talk about when the Christmas dinner got invented & what you’d be eating in the festive period 200 years ago Christmas drink recipes are also shared. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

What was Christmas like in the Napoleonic era? In the 1st of 12 festive specials on @napwarspod.bsky.social our very own @lureynol.bsky.social answers important questions like ‘would Sharpe recognise an Argos catalogue’? (We might be dating ourselves a bit there!) open.spotify.com/episode/2XI9...

Today is the 282nd anniversary of the birth of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, aka ‘Marshal Vörwarts’. Prussia’s best general of the Napoleonic era, who excelled at coalition warfare. Feels apt that I’m spending the day finishing off a piece on him for future project…

Napoleonic Wars Pod Christmas Prize Draw This month we’re giving TWO lucky patrons 1 month’s full access to all the perks we offer show supporters. To enter, just be signed up as one of our ‘General’, ‘Mentioned in Despatches’ or ‘Admiral’ patrons by 21st December www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleo...

Want to hear about (some of) my Chevalier d'Eon discoveries among The National Archives' vast legal collections? Well, you're in luck. I'm giving an online talk on Valentines Day 2025 to chat all about them. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-cheval...

Researchers have found a steep drop in deaths from cervical cancer, all thanks to the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine.

What a difference a year makes. November 2024 vs Nov 2023 This is the grave of Severus Stretton, a British army officer who was wounded twice at the Battle of Vittoria. I cleaned his grave in Southampton for the Napoleonic & Revolutionary War Graves Charity last year, but nature is fighting back 😭

It is a huge honour to have been invited to deliver my first keynote speech at the @societyarmy Land forces of the Crown Conference. I’ll be drawing on my work founding @NRWGCharity to talk about ‘Forgetting the Fallen?: Remembrance & (Dis)respect of British veterans, 1775-1815’

The Society for Army Historical Research can announce that tickets are now on sale for our next conference, ‘Land Forces of the Crown, c.1660 to the Present’, which will take place at the University of Leeds on the weekend of 22/23 February 2025. Info here: ahc.leeds.ac.uk/history/even...

I sat down with BBC History Extra to talk about why Master & Commander is the greatest historical movie. Have your say in their poll of 100 movies at historyextra.com/100movies www.instagram.com/reel/DCZXJHj...

Our next 'Meet the Author' event will feature the brilliant author of Napoleonic fiction @lynnbryant.bsky.social. Join us on 22nd November online to hear about her experiences writing historical novels, and also get the chance to ask Lynn your questions! www.patreon.com/posts/meet-a...

Who was Napoleon’s Greatest Marshal? In this instalment of the @NapWarsPod series, the last of the heats sees Marmont, Grouchy, Poniatowski & Oudinot vie for the final places in the semi-final? Who wins? You decide. Comment to vote for your favourite. Listen at open.spotify.com/show/3Htn2J4...

Hi everyone! If you’ve not followed me over at the other place, I am a Napoleonic history enthusiast and am usually wittering somewhere about the Marshals of the Empire and their fascinating wives! Have done a few episodes with @zwhitehistory.bsky.social & @andnapoleon.bsky.social on the subject.

Durham views And yes, inevitably I found a cemetery in which to go hunting for Napoleonic veterans - didn’t find any though.

Ok, I've started a crime history starter pack, hmu to be added! go.bsky.app/BaHNGzw