Tylenol anybody?

It's the Autumn equinox and my birthday today! I baked a Guinness Chocolate cake yesterday to celebrate. OMG this recipe is so good! www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/choc...

Recommend @iainmacgregor1.bsky.social's The Hiroshima Men - much more than a tale of August 6, 1945, weaving the story of key individuals involved in building, delivering, and surviving the bomb. Also recommend reading John Hersey's original article: www.newyorker.com/magazine/194... #histbookchat

Historical fiction this week for #histbookchat. The Safekeep by Yarl Van Der Wouden is set in Zwolle in 1961. Beautifully written and fascinating insight into the Dutch experiences during and after the SWW.

History is messy and the echoes of 1945 continue today. Whats real and whats true arent necessarily the same. So many important ideas in @philmcraig.bsky.social's talk on themes in his book 1945: The Reckoning. #histbookchat

Great talk by @kitkowol.bsky.social and Jonathan Fennell at WHWF. Looking forward to reading this. #histbookchat

Latest purchase - Mr Peter Sellars and that Ralph Reader bunch by P.J. Brownsword #histbookchat

Ready for WHWF V

Our latest podcast is focused on an exciting new programme being launched by the American Library in Norwich, England. Find out more about the project that will bring the Mighty Eighth's story to a wider audience. open.spotify.com/episode/4Py3...

Let’s kick off a new semester & season with my 240th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below, please share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ americanstudier.substack.com/p/scholarsun...

Dad's Army - Ring Dem Bells (5th September 1975). The platoon have been selected to act as Nazis in an army film. But their costumes are just a little too realistic for a befuddled barman (played by Jack Haig).

A story of a troopship that was bringing entertainment to the troops in time for Christmas 1943. matteatonmedia.substack.com/p/the-day-th... #skystorians

This time next week, I'll be basking in the historical wonderfulness of WHWF V. If any of my BlueSky connections are attending, please come up and say hi. Always nice to meet people in IRL!

Repost with a character who would make an excellent shitposter.

This is one of the best interactive historical map sites I've found recently - mapping ships that sank during the SWW. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/41d4... 🗃

Reading about the fierce Naval battle outside Casablanca as part of Op Torch in Rick Atkinson's book. Good grief! Not a topic that is often discussed. Any recommendations for more books on this topic? #histbookchat

An autumnal Dorset Apple Cake for tea!

Sharing on #histbookchat feed

The Bristol IC (The Beaufighters) are marching for Finley today🫡 click.contact.justgiving.com?qs=85aa221e7...

On the upside, I became aware of the Pentagon Pizza Tracker today.

If you're going to WHWF V, this from @redfivemodels.bsky.social is a must, only available on site. #WeHaveWays

Four days to go and #HeaviesGB will start in the #histscalemodels community. As an entertaining warm up in the meantime, let's get the most probable status posts out of the way😁

Read East with ENSA yesterday - Catharine Wells (nee Marks), a ballet dancer who entertained the troops in North Africa, Middle East, India & Burma when she was 25. Written with the poise you'd expect. Includes some beautifully described interactions with other artistes and officers. #histbookchat

R4 Today interview this morning ended with Reform admitting they'd pay the Taliban to take people exported from Britain.

Ok, I finally got around to watching THAT episode of Star Trek Strange New Worlds, and honestly, I loved it. My wife was not impressed.

Next up, The Hiroshima Men by @iainmacgregor1.bsky.social Getting this in before WHWF V! #histbookchat

This week I look at a curious article about Einstein and a new wonder weapon published in The Crusader service newspaper in August 1944. Why was it allowed to be published and what was happening to morale in Italy at the time? #skystorians matteatonmedia.substack.com/p/einsteins-...

Just finished The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning. Fiction weaving around historical events during late 1939/40 in Romania. The story was not my cup of tea, but the context of Britain's influence in Bucharest pre-war, the fascist Iron Guards, and Germany's role very interesting. #histbookchat

Two PhD chapters drafted, reviewed, and approved by my supervisor! Will be diving into the archives again after September to research my next chapter on troop experiences.

I'm glad Trump got Zelensky and the European leaders over so he can rant about banning mail-in ballots. Idiot.

Before and after shots from today's sponsored walk. What a wonderful day!

The Duxford Big Wing is today marching to raise money for the Finlays Touch charity. Wish us luck! @whwcambridgeic.bsky.social www.justgiving.com/page/cambrid...

Another Eaton off to Warwick Uni. This time to study Law.

D-3 Final preparations are nearly complete for the Cambridge IC march for Finleys Touch at RAF Tempsford on Sunday. We’ll hear about Special Duties Squadrons, News of the War and agents who left a sleepy Bedfordshire village to “set Europe ablaze”. www.justgiving.com/page/cambrid...

Got to say, episode 1 ticked all the boxes.

US recruitment poster from 1943 at the Wright museum, NH. Feels a long way from the Ukraine meeting with Putin on Friday.

A quick visit to British Library at lunch time between calls turned into 5 hours of very valuable research focused on 3 books. And no calls. And this... Paradoxymoron, by Patrick Hughes, 1996. Clever innit?!

Next up on #histbookchat is Ian Gooderson's analysis of the Italian Campaign in A Hard Way to Make War.

Driving to Virginia tomorrow, so it’s #ScholarSunday on a Saturday! Here’s my 237th thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below, share widely, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ americanstudier.substack.com/p/scholarsun...

Next up on the ‘Marching for Finley’ roster is the Cambridge IC ‘Big Wing’ 16 mile route around Tempsford on August 17th. Let us know if you’d like to join us or please add to our fundraising total if you can’t! www.justgiving.com/page/cambrid...

More Canadian wartime entertainment shenanigans in my post this week. My article compares Canada and Britain's approach to organised troop entertainment and includes some amazing newsreel of the 1st Canadian Army Show in Europe. matteatonmedia.substack.com/p/keeping-it... #skystorians

I will be raising money for the Finlays Touch charity with the @whwcambridgeic.bsky.social on Sunday 17th August. The group will be completing a 16-mile circular walk from Tempsford, the departure point of many secret agents during the war. Find out more here: www.justgiving.com/page/cambrid...

Travel expands the mind, but it feels good to be home.

Canadian concert party, The Tin Hats, had an eventful tour of Italy in the first half of 1944. This week's blog post focuses on their first performance in Ortona and attitudes to sexuality with the wonderful Trixie & Trilby. matteatonmedia.substack.com/p/ortona-can... #skystorians #milwelfhist

Chipmunky

Been marvelling at the size of the Pershing tank with its 90mm gun at the Wright Museum, New Hampshire this morning. Last surviving Pershing that made it to the Remagen Bridge.

Sending positive waves, Blue Sky!

Breakfast at Newfound Lake, NH

Open invitation to the #histscalemodels community:

Canadian concert party, The Tin Hats, had an eventful tour of Italy in the first half of 1944. This week's blog post focuses on their first performance in Ortona and attitudes to sexuality with the wonderful Trixie & Trilby. matteatonmedia.substack.com/p/ortona-can... #skystorians #milwelfhist