Enjoying this book

Great singer David Alexander. He never achieved stardom, but he deserved it youtu.be/rUN4Gn0xngw?...

If Starmer goes, I'll dance a jig

Appears my book is online. I've not yet been sent any marketing information/material, so I don't plan to advertise it yet - I'd tell everyone to wait until Pen and Sword announce it. But, if anyone wants to read the synopsis, it is here. www.waterstones.com/book/welling...

More in my attempt to build up collection of memoirs. The Napoleon and Joseph correspondence is great, and I'm hoping will help in a project I'm planning

The late great Don Williams live in Ireland. In my opinion no singer matches this man youtu.be/4k3OAInrXnY?...

Four years ago today, we lost the supremely talented Meat Loaf (Michael Lee Aday). He was 74 years old. I saw him three times in concert in Birmingham - more than I've seen any other artist. He was unbelievable live. Especially when performing 'Paradise By the dashboard Light". #MeatLoaf

Some more memoirs

Last night, due to my clothes, was told I resembled Val Doonican. Now I've a soft spot for his music, but I'm not sure and 23yo wants that comparison 🤔

Trying to get some Napoleonic memoirs. 4,5,7 and the atlas for Massena are on order, so just need 6. Can't find the other 7 of Marmont I need in this set though

Paul Scofield. A great actor www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tZH...

An interesting piece I was re-reading last night. Debate on slavery. Wellington, despite the pressure he applied on France to abolish the trade, is reluctant to do so in British colonies. api.parliament.uk/historic-han...

Originally posted this on my Twitter account, but deserves posting here too. I don't think there will ever be a book released on Wellington that could top these. Absolutely indispensable

Time to read about Soult

Rather pricey to learn about Suvorov it seems

Spotted Wellington in a bookstore. Glad to see he's getting about

Picked up some records and books from a shop I found in Bath

Long overdue

A note written by the Marquess of Anglesey, more commonly known as Uxbridge, lost his leg at Waterloo. A small snippet of history to own

Have been reading into Lord Mountbatten lately. Certainly think the Lownie book is the best, if also the most damning at times with it's evidence

Commemorative medallions. The death of Wellington, 1852, and the statue of him at the Royal Exchange 1844

October 12th, 1870, Robert E Lee dies in Lexington, Virginia, at the age of 63.

My personal favourite Wellington portrait. Took the photo yesterday at Apsley House, after listening to a very good talk on Waterloo and black soldiers there

Picked up two books from Apsley House, Wellington's London Home

Wellington's Victory on vinyl. Time to please the neighbours 🎶

By God it was a dire film www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJdw...

A new arrival to add to my Wellington souvenirs. The Wellington banknote, in gold

Sadly #OnThisDay 14 September 1852, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington passed away at Walmer Castle, he was 83 years old. He had likely suffered a series of strokes overnight & his condition deteriorated. He was moved from his bed to a chair where he expired at 3pm.

Greetings from the villa

Roger Whittaker. He had a lovely voice www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CMm...

As it would have been his 92nd birthday, one of the very best Country singers www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIYt...

In doing research for my little project, found an awful lot of material in the Wellington archives covering his opinion on various political matters. Interesting stuff, but not relevant to my purpose. Made me think though, id like to do a book on Wellington's political stances

Not particularly sure if I am dreadful at writing emails, or if they're not being read properly, but I keep getting some rather "short" replies during email conversation about my book proposal that miss what I was trying to say.

Whilst I do not yet have a contract, I have been told my book proposal has been accepted "in principle", so I hope that one day it may actually become a reality and be published. At the start of this year I had not entertained the thought

Talk worth listening to www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2SU...

Not yet got around to ordering a Grant bobblehead

Two biographies I read lately, and enjoyed.

Came last week for my grans 100th birthday, a card from the King.

Great singer. Very underrated in my opinion youtu.be/giTi8KWSZl4?...

The Australians appear on track to end up with a better fleet than ours www.navylookout.com/australia-se...

"Of his own antagonists, the Duke invariably spoke of Massena as the most dangerous and difficult to deal with; of Soult as the best strategist, but as very defective and irresolute in actual collision". Wellington on his French opponents

So the actor Edward Woodward was also a great singer it seems youtu.be/TJYsiBRbztY?...

@johnaharrison.bsky.social As I know you like your crooners, wonder if you like/are familiar with David Alexander? Great Welsh Singer, sadly long gone, had good local success, great voice www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEhS...

@johnaharrison.bsky.social As you like Val, clip of him with Harry Secombe, even sings his famous "Walk Tall" www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaRD...

Sometimes I read that Waterloo is "overrated", and Napoleon would have been beaten anyway. For a while I agreed, but my current research, which has included reading many letters detailing the plans of the Russians and Austrians, make it clear that Waterloo rendered these rather irrelevant (1/2)

Some envelopes addressed to the Duke of Wellington which I bought

Before he went solo, Don Williams as part of the Pozo Seco Singers. Very underrated "folk" music www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdVE...

Thought this was a meme until I checked his real account, I was wrong

Hastings battlefield. Rather overpriced, and not well kept, is my unfortunate verdict. The history of the nation changed here, though you wouldn't know it from a visit.