Interesting talk by Tim Minchin on #R4 about art and AI from the Hay Literary Festival. His take: Art = content + intent and the stories humans tell each other. AI lacks intent unless provided by humans. But AI is learning all the time... Art is the domain of humans. Use AI, but don't call it Art.

For those on Facebook, I encourage you to follow Simon's HistoryBookChat page. But don't worry, I will, of course, continue Bluesky's own #histbookchat feed as FB is not everyone's cup of tea.

It's fair to say that my reading rate has slowed this past month. Partly because I'm in a writing phase, but mostly because I've been savouring @alanallport.bsky.social's astonishing Advance Brittania. Finished it today in the British Library and I think I now need a little lie down! #histbookchat

Any suggestions on #histbookchat?

Tommy Trinder at Canning Town and autographs on French francs: discover the surreal and not-so-secret world of the D-Day holding camps in my latest blog post. newsletter.mattheweaton.co.uk/p/calm-befor...

Reading Galloway for my IRL book club this month. His holy trinity of maleness to protect, provide, and procreate feels deeply problematic to me, especially in the context of long-term national identity. Not far in and will press on, but has anyone read it and happy to share their opinions? #booksky

Wonderful. Lost on these mouth breathers, I fear, but wonderful all the same.

Heard this German saying this week, and it blew my tiny mind: If you spend your time chasing butterflies, they will fly away. But if you build a beautiful garden, the butterflies will come to you.

May and June have turned into a writing frenzy with multiple deadlines on the horizon, with PhD, work, and academic conference stuff. And like an idiot, I just agreed to do another presentation at the end of June. I even thanked them! Reading is going to need to go on slow mode until the summer.

Bumping to #histbookchat

Back in his natural habitat.

Legend in his own lifetime. The great Eric Morecombe.

At a trade show today as part of my day job and I've come to the conclusion that I can see more by sitting in one place and letting conversations come to me.

Busy weekend - a trip down memory lane visiting where I grew up, finalising the index and corrections in the book proofs, and launching my new website. Weekends need to be longer!

It’s gonna be May—well, it is May, & with it comes my 274th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, please share widely, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ + blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...

In Whitby!

This weeks #photofriday #histbookchat is The World is Full of Charlie's by Charlie Chester. Trip to British Library to read this one. This variety hall legend served in the Irish Fusiliers and entertained the troops with the Stars in Battledress during the SWW.

Discover the double-life of Eric Maschwitz - from West End lyricist to MI6 saboteur & Auxiliary Unit Recruiting Officer! Read/listen to his incredible war career on the Historical Ephemera newsletter - matteatonmedia-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/nightingal... #SWW #histbookchat #skystorians

Recommend for things like #NavalHistory, #MaritimeHistory, #CoastalHistory and #PirateHistory too 😁

#photofriday #histbookchat is Advance Brittania by @alanallport.bsky.social. Think you know the SWW, think again. The book examines the economic and political factors that shaped decision-making, such as the role of the Opium trade. The tone is bold and direct - like a triple shot of espresso!

I'm sorry to constantly post about my website, but I do think public scholarship is one of our most important resistance tools right now. Experts getting information and historical context out to the public before fascists can shape narratives is crucial. I'm building resources on my site to help 🗃️

#histscalemodels #histbookchat - reposting in case of use...

This good boi is 9 today. He had a run through bluebells, a huge bone, and a trip to the local pub. Happy Birthday Mickey!

Entertaining the Forgotten Army matteatonmedia-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/entertaini...

Simon Heffer's biography of Vaughan Williams is an excellent pairing with @alanallport.bsky.social's Britain at Bay. A composer I greatly admire whose music at times captures the Shire folk myth & whimsy Alan writes about. Perhaps the Gandalf of these simple folk? #histbookchat

OK, here goes nothing - A New Home for the Historical Ephemera Newsletter matteatonmedia-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/a-new-home...

Two loaves - that should keep my boys in PB&J sandwiches for 24 hours.

This week, I have been mostly migrating my newsletter from Substack to Beehiiv.

Fascinating piece about the founder of Save the Children. #histbookchat

Mickey and the bluebells yesterday.

I can't get this ear worm out of my head, so I dont see why you shouldn't have it too. youtu.be/nnQ2zOmb6Hg?...

#histbookchat and #histscalemodels users - these feeds should be running as normal again. I took an executive decision. Let me know if you experience any problems.

Apologies #histbookchat and #histscalemodels feed users, they appear to be down still. Any updates @blueskyfeedcreator.com? If not, I will look into re-hosting to get the feeds back.

Apologies #histbookchat and ##histscalemodels feed users. They're on the case.

@blueskyfeedcreator.com what's going on with #histbookchat and #histscalemodel feeds please?

Started reading Rick Atkinson's The British Are Coming, the first volume of his War of Independence trilogy. I love the language he uses and his attention to detail when describing the scenes. #histbookchat

@blueskyfeedcreator.com - my feeds seem to be down #histscalemodels, #histbookchat

My next post on the story of British Army Welfare focuses on Earl Munster's visit to India & Burma and his parliamentary report of December 1944. Cabinet papers show Attlee's involvement in clearing obstacles to make improvements. open.substack.com/pub/matteato... #skystorians #milwelfhist

Hot cross buns based on @nigella.bsky.social's recipe - some of the buns are more Christian than others. Never have the patience to do perfect crosses.

This year's Simnel cake!

Beautiful evening in Buckingham yesterday

Good to see the #histbookchat custom feed community thriving! Thank you!

The #histscalemodels custom feed community continues to grow. Stats for total views over the past month. Thank you.

A rather special #histbookchat this week - Notes for Commanding Officers (Nov 1918). In pristine condition. A gift from someone I helped with researching William Chappell's time in Italy during the war.

The first bluebell - ignore my previous post, that was Grape Hyacinth (Muscari)!

This is the first in a series of posts looking at welfare of British troops in India & Burma. I begin by tracing the impact and fallout of a ‘damaging’ article in the Sunday Pictorial using Cabinet and War Office papers in TNA. #milwelfhist #skystorians matteatonmedia.substack.com/p/i-accuse-m...

This has been too long on the #histbookchat tbr pile. And it was worth the wait - enjoying it immensely so far. Popping those sww myth balloons as we go - sectarianism, Democracy, and peaceful English shires. Britain at Bay by @alanallport.bsky.social

Happy Thursday - the first of the bluebells are out in my garden!

Latest #histbookchat acquisition is this biography of Vaughan Williams by Simon Heffer in an effort to better understand the English Pastoral School and their work during the SWW.