The US-Russia deal for Ukraine, point by point with comments on each by me. 9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland. Gee, wow, Poland can station its own fighter jets on its own territory, and can allow international partners to station there as well. Thanks for the permission, Moscow.

Didn't sell many copies after my talk but nice to see this one in the wild

At the V&A for my talk, so checked out the Marie Antoinette exhibition. Some stunning buckles, obvs

Today! If you're coming along, do say hello

Well done Scotland! One of the most astonishing games I've ever watched

Londoners! I'm doing a free lunchtime talk about my book at the V&A on Thursday www.vam.ac.uk/event/xd9XBD...

There is a Traitors-shaped hole in my life so I'm watching the Australian version. It's great - there is no "I love you guys and this has been a great experience" - instead, they are all ruthlessly playing to win from day one.

At graduation today, our Chancellor Richard Coles said that he bumped into Alan Carr shortly after they'd filmed Traitors. Asking how it went, he replied "I can't say! I've signed an NDA!"

Applications are now open for the Curriers Prize, awarded by the Worshipful Company of Curriers in association with ourselves and the @ihr.bsky.social for the best entered essay on any aspect of London's history from Roman times to the present.

🔴'BBC Bias’ Memo Was Authored by Lobbyist Tied to Pro-Trump Tech Giants The leaked memo that fuelled Trump’s attack on the BBC was written by a lobbyist at a firm paid by US tech giants tied to the President, reports @nafeez.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2025/11/11/b...

North American scholars come and work at Birmingham for a month. Deadline 15 November! #nacbs www.birmingham.ac.uk/about/colleg...

Having seen the edit, the lawsuit against the BBC is absurd. Or it would be if they hadn't already admitted liability

Less than a month to go until our free online workshop *Object Stories in Health and Medicine, 1700-1900*. Friday 5 December from 10am GMT. Tickets available through this link!  www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/objec...

I teach this article EVERY time I teach philosophy of tech.

STARSHIP TROOPERS was released 28 years ago today. Among the most popular films of director Paul Verhoeven, and a classic sci fi/action satire, the making of story is as outrageous as the film. Would you like to know more…? 1/69

So the historian didn't win Traitors, but happily Northampton did

CFP: “Embodied Knowledge Practices in the Early Modern World” Conference at the University of Amsterdam Monday, 15 June 2026 How do material conditions shape how & what we know about the natural world? #earlymodern #C18L 1/6

Great investigation of the Nazis, racists and criminals mobilising the flag-on-lamp-posts movement. This is the kind of journalism that the national media could and should have conducted: manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...

My walk this morning, on Mersea Island

There are few things more terrifying than a rotten pumpkin

A lovely review of Innovations in Teaching History in the American Historical Review! academic.oup.com/ahr/article-...

Ladies please take note.

My office for the morning, looking at children's shoes from the 18th century. Will be talking about this at @bsecs.bsky.social - on their theme of "big and small" (some were tiny)

Three high schoolers founded a book club that reads some of the country's most frequently banned books after a state law removing books with sexual content was signed in 2023. Two years later, many of the books have been reshelved and parts of the law can't be enforced.

See @vanessathorpe.bsky.social in @theobserveruk.bsky.social — a devastating story: observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

At @ihr.bsky.social we can now offer PhD by Publication in History! For those with a substantial body of existing published research (within past 10 years), but without a PhD, should be of particular interest to #heritage professionals and independent scholars!

Reading a book from the university library and found this

University of Derby proposes more than 200 redundancies. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

On 20 November, I'm giving a lunchtime lecture at the V&A about my book Shoes and the Georgian Man. It's free, do come along! #skystorians @bloomsburyfashion.bsky.social @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social www.vam.ac.uk/event/xd9XBD...

This is incorrect - Luton have stopped free pick up at mid stay. Don't believe AI overview

Rollerskaters at the Stadio do Dragao in Porto

A cobbler's shop in Porto

This is fantastic news. As is often the way, it's not so much a "discovery" as it was already in an archive - more a case of better cataloguing www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...

The Bootleg Beatles were awesome at the Derngate last night. Many of the songs were never intended to be played live, so to recreate the studio sound with only a handful of musicians was hugely impressive

The RHS is a membership organisation of 6500+ historians. We welcome applications to join us at any time. Our next closing dates are 13 October and 15 December. We offer categories for all kinds of historians and at all stages of research, from Postgraduate to Fellow: bit.ly/46V8WOQ #Skystorians

Jilly Cooper interviewed members of the Bournemouth SO when she was researching the bonkbuster Appassionata. She was hoping for tales of bedhopping musicians, but the findings were disappointingly dull.

This is a great piece of local journalism - about all those flags going up in Brum. Some interesting details.

Many thanks to @zarakesterton.bsky.social for a very generous review of Shoes and the Georgian Man in the new issue of Selvedge. Much appreciated! www.selvedge.org/products/iss...

New Absolute Units is live! Join us and @katrinanavickas.bsky.social as we explore resistance to enclosure in the modern era: from riots, to raves, to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Listen below, or search 'Absolute Units' wherever you get your podcasts! merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...

An easy headline, but brass instruments are great for health and wellbeing. Holst took up the trombone to help with his asthma. www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...

"Of all the seasons autumn is the most unhealthy, because the perspirable fluid is both obstructed and apt to grow putrid; but it cannot hurt him whom the coldness of that season shall find well cloathed, and who uses a proper diet"...

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...

Alien: Earth was OK. The best thing about it by a MILE was the eyeball monster. Give it more screen time, or its own show

History curious? You don't need to be in London (or the UK) to attend many Institute of Historical Research seminars, although if you're in Bloomsbury you'll enjoy doing so. Most are hybrid (online/in person). They're free, usually fortnightly and open to the public. Starting this week:

If you listen to streamed music while you work, I can recommend Haydn's complete symphonies. It's very uplifting and lasts for weeks

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.

Today marks the 350th anniversary of the great fire of Northampton. There is a special light show at All Saints this weekend

At Northampton Museum for the launch of "A history of Northamptonshire in 100 objects"