It can often be difficult to get reviews of edited volumes. I'm therefore very grateful to Michael Epkenhans for this thoughtful review of my edited volume, The Franco-Prussian War. Turning-Points in European Experiences and Perceptions of Military Conflict. www.hsozkult.de/publicationr...

Interesting graphic on the longevity of France's Prime Ministers under the Fifth Republic. Pompidou comes out top at 2279 days!

On 13 September, I'll be speaking about the Allied bombing of France and its colonial empire during the Second World War as part of this year's Royal Society of Edinburgh Curious Festival. rse.org.uk/event/the-mo...

According to a poll for Le Figaro, 83% of the French population oppose the government's plans to allow the Corsican Assembly to pass legislation. www.corsenetinfos.corsica/Le-Figaro-so...

Batholdi's Lion de Belfort at place Denfert-Rochereau in Paris looks like it would benefit from being cleaned.

Registration for 'Resist' French History conference, Paris. Already good.

As an added bonus, I also saw Louis XVI's famous 'rien' diary entry for 14 July 1789.

Since the archives in Paris were closed today, I went to the Musée des Archives Nationales to see the original manuscript of de Gaulle's 'appel' of 18 June 1940. Fascinating to see the revisions.

Macron announces annual commemoration for Alfred Dreyfus on 12 July. www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-mac...

Waiting for my delayed flight and already bumped into another French historian heading to the Paris conference

Is Macron planning to 'go on and on'? www.politico.eu/article/macr...

I thoroughly enjoyed attending 'The Global Mediterranean and the Long Second World War' conference in Naples. Excellent papers combined with an amazing setting, finished off with pizza. Lots of new approaches to the Mediterranean to think over.

Today's views from the conference

As conference locations go, this is pretty good...

Looking forward to discussing the Mediterranean dimensions of the Second World War in Naples over the next couple of days.

Just caught this interesting new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.

Interesting discussion about the periodisation of the Second World War at the National Army Museum last night. Looking forward to the rest of the conference.

'Promoting Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general would constitute an act of reparation, a recognition of his merits, and a tribute to his commitment to the republic.' www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

L’Assemblée nationale vote à l’unanimité l’élévation d’Alfred Dreyfus au grade de « général de brigade »

Good to hear about the work of the Cross-Party Group on Europe and the European Movement in Scotland at yesterday's European Diversity Month reception at the Scottish Parliament.

The French government has withdrawn an AI-generated film celebrating the French Resistance after it was pointed out that it featured a German soldier, rather than a French one.

Still so much to be gained from watching Le Chagrin et la pitié all these years later. I've seen it so many times and each time I spot something new. www.theguardian.com/film/2025/ma...

This reminded me how some of the archives I looked at on the Allied bombing of France were only declassified in 2020. Would be interesting to know why.

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the Second World War, next week I'll be speaking about the Allied bombing and liberation of France at the Alliance Française in Glasgow. www.afglasgow.org.uk/community/ev...

A *handful* (single figures) of the general attendance tickets still remain, so follow the link in the quoted post below to book now, if you want to attend this conference, featuring keynotes addresses from Profs Sheldon Garon and Juliette Pattinson plus papers by speakers from across the globe. 🗃️

France Télévisions is streaming the postwar trials of Klaus Barbie, Paul Touvier and Maurice Papon. www.france.tv/collection/c...

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the Second World War, next week I'll be speaking about the Allied bombing and liberation of France at the Alliance Française in Glasgow. www.afglasgow.org.uk/community/ev...

Very much looking forward to this, but no idea how I'll be able to choose which panels to attend...

'For hundreds of years, the English and then the British state inflicted extreme violence in pursuit of strategic objectives.' Brendan Simms and David Trim on English and British violence in Europe. www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2025/0...

Spotted these tied to lampposts while walking around in Leeds earlier

Extraordinary image of the Sacré-Coeur against the backdrop of today's fire in Paris. www.france24.com/fr/info-en-c...

Unboxing my paperback copies.

BBC news coverage of Marine Le Pen misses Corsica from the map of France...

Delighted to learn that my book, Vichy's Double Bind: French Collaboration between Hitler and Mussolini during the Second World War, is now available in paperback. @strathhumanities.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/gb/universit...

SHoW's heading to Potsdam! 📢 Call for Papers – SHoW 2025 🗓 27–28 November 2025 📍University of Potsdam 📝 Abstracts due: 30 June How do societies understand, justify, and remember war and violence? And how do cultures resist, represent, or misrepresent it? All details can be found below! ⬇️

PhD studentships available at Strathclyde in all Humanities subjects, including History and French. Deadline 11 April. www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/...

For those in the Glasgow area - launch of Rachel Chin and Samuel Clowes Huneke's edited volume 'Reimagining Citizenship'. I'm looking forward to offering a few thoughts as discussant. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reimaginin...

Spent part of today's lecture on the early Third Republic trying to explain to students what the pneumatic post was. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_p...

Had an excellent few days in Krakow. Grateful to the Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN) for the invitation.

Good to see some press coverage of this recent event at Strathclyde on the future of Languages in Scotland. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2500934...

The Firebombing of Tokyo - article by Richard Overy. www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...

Traces of Krakow's Jewish past on a very cold evening.

Lovely to be in Krakow for a few days, even if the weather is a bit gloomy.

Excellent article on the challenges facing languages in Scotland by @unistrathclyde.bsky.social colleagues Kerry Roberts and Lidia Acosta. www.tes.com/magazine/ana...

💥Cover reveal💥 I’m excited to announce that my book ‘Josephine Baker’s Secret War’ will be published by @yalebooks.bsky.social this spring and is available to preorder now. 🇬🇧 yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300... 🇺🇸 yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

Looking forward to hearing Guillaume Piketty present on 'Societies After Hostilities' this evening. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/harry-rank...

Joan Tumblety reviews 'Vichy’s Double Bind: French Collaboration between Hitler and Mussolini during the Second World War', by Karine Varley @karinevarley.bsky.social academic.oup.com/ehr/advance-... @cambridgeup.bsky.social

From Laurent Joly's latest book, Henry Rousso's original draft of the chronology of the 'Vichy Syndrome', with the likes of Robert Aron and Paxton mapped on.

The Society for the History of War is now on BlueSky! 🦋 Keep an eye on your feed for more information on our annual conference this year at Potsdam and the many other exciting things we have planned! 👀

Excellent news. www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/politic...