A short 🧵 in response to some of the outrage expressed in this post and responses to it. In both world wars, communal singing, including (indeed especially) of popular music was hugely important to the maintenance of morale. (1/)

Days 7 and 8. Yesterday’s stint was knitted while awaiting the start of the Merseyside WFA’s November meeting, after which I was a bit busy speaking about RAMC innovation and improvisation, so no time for photographs.

PhD Studentship: Announcing 3 PhD Studentships within Royal Holloway funded by the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards Royal Holloway, University of London - Doctoral School #skystorians 🗃️www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPH439/p...

It has been a hot minute since I did a writing accountability post. This was due to a) half term, which is not conducive to focussed writing and b) trying to write both #menandwar and #thereturnofthesoldier at the same time. (1/2) #amwriting

I must admit, one of the nicer parts of this job is writing references for former students who are applying for programmes of further study. #aclife

A film you’ve seen more than 7 times with a gif.

From tomorrow I’ll be knitting every day for a month in aid of Dementia UK. I will try to post a picture of my progress each day. This is my starting point, just over half way through the central section of a shawl with three borders. If you can, please donate: www.facebook.com/donate/83589...

The unexpected sweetness of teenage boys on a local train discussing Hairy McLairy.

Job Opportunity! Teaching Fellow in Twentieth Century Black British History University of Leeds - Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Cultures - School of History www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPF977/t...

Late writing on the 18:33 from London to Leeds. A couple of messy paragraphs on 18th century regulars and impressment. Tomorrow will be French conscription and lots of references to @historymatt.bsky.social’s work. #amwriting #menandwar

Today’s writing accountability: 1 sentence. Crowded Grand Central trains are not good places to write, and I still can’t work out how to get from where I am to mercenaries and where camp followers fit. A problem (again) for tomorrow. #amwriting (slowly) #menandwar

Quick reminder that this is 3 weeks today! Please sign up if you haven't already - in-person and online.

On a train heading for a very #20s30s sort of day. An appointment with the Marie Stopes letter @wellcomelibrary , followed by the launch of @tricksterprince.bsky.social’s exciting new book, with a bit of writing about interwar disabled ex-servicemen thrown in for good measure.

Today’s writing accountability post: two more paragraphs, probably in the wrong place at the moment. I’ll think about moving them tomorrow. #amwriting #menandwar

Today's writing stint has involved trying to summarize the events and significance of the Hatian Revolution, something I have not attempted since I lectured on the subject for @gsoh31.bsky.social's Atlantic Histories module nearly twenty years ago. #amwriting #menandwar

Looking forward to co-convening this with Kat Rawling and an awesome bunch of colleagues.

This November, I'm knitting everyday and raising funds for Dementia UK. I would be grateful for your support, however large or small. Anything you can give will make a difference. Thank you! www.facebook.com/share/1A8YcH...

Today felt like I spent more time crossing out than writing, but there is another paragraph on the page (and a lot of reading about the Latin American Wars of Independence to do), so I'm taking that as a win. #amwriting #menandwar

The 2026 SSHM Conference will be @universityofleeds.bsky.social. The theme will be In/Out and we are inviting papers that consider experiences of being in and/or out of health or health care in any period or geographical location. #HistMed #HistSTM sshm.org/sshm-2026/

Based on this, a considerable portion of my cultural history research corpus may have, in fact, been selected based on sausage content. (No euphemism intended, says the historian of masculinity…)

🎉 We are delighted to announce that Dr Sofya Anisimova (@sdanisimova.bsky.social) has been elected President of the International Society for First World War Studies starting in January! 🧵

It has been what is known as a mast year, a reference to beech masts and the abundance of fruits and nuts. This is the result from my garden and the local hedgerows. Everything here is home grown or foraged, including apples, plums, blackberries, sloes, bullaces, elderberries and rose hips.

And hear scholars like them speak. To be able to ask them questions. And then, over the course of the next few days, have them also listen to your own work and ask you questions about it. The support of leading scholars for the past (nearly) 25 years is a huge part of the Society's success. 5/

Reposting purely to continue mortifying @chriskempshall.bsky.social for as long as possible! 😂

There were topics covered from Hawaii to Japan and many countries in-between (going the long way round), including strategy, diplomacy, social history and literary and cultural work. A reminder: @fwwsjournal.bsky.social is very keen to have more literary/cultural papers (email me if interested).

Closing out this year’s @fwwsoc.bsky.social’s conference in Thessaloniki with a guided tour of the Allied Military Cemetery at Zeitenlik. An appropriate end to an intense, enjoyable and educational few days.

Great news! JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month www.jstor.org/action/showL...

After more than a year in the making, it is finally here! Check out the programme of the bi-annual Society conference dedicated to naval aspects of the First World War

With two book projects on the go and two more in the planning stages (plus various other professional and domestic projects on the go), what I *really* don’t need is to suddenly develop an interest in the family tree and all the family history materials my mother collected and which I inherited! 📜

The launch of my new @manchesterup.bsky.social book Songs of Seven Dials will be at 6pm, Tues 21 Oct, at Waterstones Covent Garden. I'll be in conversation with the wonderful @julialaite.bsky.social. Please do come along. Free tickets, but register in advance www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/songs-of-s...

Some big news: the University of Birmingham is launching a new MA in Gender & Sexuality. It's interdisciplinary, with a focus on combining theory & practice. It's going to be amazing. I'm convening it: message or email with questions. www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/postgr... @unibirmingham.bsky.social

Such an honour and a pleasure to have contributed to this amazing event. I’m heading back to my writing enthused and inspired.

DAY ONE 🕵🏻‍♀️🔪🧶 is underway! ✨ We are so excited for some amazing papers this morning. Are you joing us? What panel are you excited for?! 🕵🏿‍♀️🔪🧶 @fsucci.bsky.social @jcbernthal.com @stefanoserafini.bsky.social @thehistorygirl1.bsky.social @michellekazmer.bsky.social @tinahodgkinson.bsky.social

In 1990 my mother took me to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. It changed my life, my attitude to Shakespeare and my relationship with her. Tonight I went a play as achingly funny and breathtakingly moving. I only wish Mum could have been there to share it with me. She would have adored it.

We at The WFA have launched our PhD Grant Scheme for 2025. The grant is open to doctoral students researching ANY aspect of the First World War. Where will our grant take you? See website for full details 👇🏻 www.westernfrontassociation.com/latest-news/... #Fwwhist #phdchat

Plum harvest, in what is turning into an amazing year for fruit. There is at least another trig-ful of the red plums to collect, as well as an entire tree of damsons still ripening! 🍈 #plums #harvest #homegrown fruit #growyourown

First World War Studies is very happy to finally have arrived on Bluesky! please follow for news on our publications and activities

We are delighted to share the details for this year's Dennis Showalter Memorial Lecture 'Poetry under fire: what poems did during the First World War' to be delivered by @juliarsct.bsky.social on 11th Nov 2025 You can book to attend in person or online: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/remembranc... 🗃️

The official Bluesky account for our journak has arrived!

Save the Dates in your planners! The dates and host institution for the Society for the Social History of Medicine Biennial Conference #SSHM2026 are now confirmed. Tues 30 June - Fri 3 July 2026 University of Leeds @sshmedicine.bsky.social Theme and CFPs to follow later #histmed

🚨JOB POSTING🚨 We are currently looking for a postdoctoral researcher to cover the history of veterans among the colonized population/Indigenous population of the interwar imperial polity of the United States of America. 18 month contract, deadline October 03. universityvacancies.com/maynooth-uni...

Having won the under 18 category in today’s fete fell race at, my son’s next challenge is to row the length of Loch Ness as part of a team from his school next week. They are raising money for the RNLI and would very grateful for any support for their adventure. www.justgiving.com/page/bgsbc-m...

Finally finished binding last year’s BoM project (Alice Caroline’s tricolour Aurora Stars with variations to incorporate material from my father’s shirts as a memorial. Next stop, the quilting class at next week’s village fête.

@jackiantonovich.bsky.social, does this earn me a place in the historians’ commune? ☺️

real talk, we *should* be able to have anti-reading lists. so you wanna do the witch trials? if you insist on reading federici you can’t do the course

Given that I am trapped by Storm Floris with my family, who do not deserve to be subjected to my ranting, listening to the entirety of Rory Stewart’s new Radio 4 programme on heroism is probably a bad idea, isn’t it?

I very much enjoyed listening to @tomgatti.bsky.social school Amol Rajan on 20th century #bookhistory on the Today programme this morning, but was fascinated by the way magazines as mass reading matter appear to have disappeared completely from popular memory.

Number of student-initiated PhD scholarships funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council set to fall by 60% when new doctoral training arrangements come into effect next year www.timeshighereducation.com/news/student... via @jgro-the.bsky.social

#graduationfashion Day 3: Trends include - lemon yellow (mainly full-length dresses) - gloriously coloured saris and headscarves - prairie style dresses, whether cut or print (sometimes both)

The past is not neat and tidy - it is as messy and hard to understand as the present. Studying history can help us wrestle with complexity but only if we don’t try to simplify it. 2/2