Dr James Titterton
@jtitterton.bsky.social
35 followers 92 following 4 posts
Medievalist. Recovering academic. Likes Doctor Who, board games and pro wrestling.
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jtitterton.bsky.social
This week I am on the 'School of War' podcast, talking about deception in both medieval and modern warfare with Aaron Maclean. Find it on Apple, Spotify or here: youtu.be/8oOZAmrb2ic?...

#podcast #medievalsky
Ep 238: James Titterton on Medieval Deception
YouTube video by School of War Podcast
youtu.be
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
doctorwaffle.substack.com
In honor of National Poetry Day, the greatest parody rewrite of all time:
Screen cap of parodic version of William Blake's "The Tyger" that begins:
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
(Not sure if I spelled that right) 
What immortal hand or eye
Could fashion such a stripy guy? 
What the hammer that hath hewn it 
Into such a chonky unit?
Did who made the lamb make thee, 
Or an external franchisee?
jtitterton.bsky.social
I have an article in this month's Wargames Illustrated magazine on gaming the battle of Bouvines, illustrated with pictures of the armies a friend and I created for playtesting #wargaming #medievalsky
A picture of the first two pages of the article in Wargames Illustrated magazine
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
colinmurray.bsky.social
Right. My students working two part time jobs and/or having an hour and a half commute to uni because they have to live at home due to the cost of student accommodation lack drive and vigour. Sure thing, Peter. The UK Govt still haven't a clue about the realities of universities today.
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
lvhicks.bsky.social
And the situation in Medieval history... I've had several conversations this summer about whether our field will survive. If I left my job now, not only would I.not be replaced by a medievalist, I wouldn't be replaced at all. 1/
willpooley.bsky.social
“Cataclysmically bad”

This new series of ECR blog posts on the French History Network makes for grim reading, perhaps grimmer even than some in UK #FrenchHistory might have realised.

1st post, anon ECRs in French History on what it’s like right now out there:

frenchhistorysociety.co.uk/6691/

🗃️
ECR in 2025: Part One- What is it like? – SSFH
frenchhistorysociety.co.uk
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
erininthemorning.com
The Nation pulls NO punches, from @espiers.bsky.social

"There's no requirement to take part in this whitewashing campaign. Refusing to join in doesn’t make anyone a bad person. It’s a choice to write an obituary that begins “Joseph Goebbels was a gifted marketer and loving father to six children.”
Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning
The white Christian nationalist provocateur wasn’t a promoter of civil discourse. He preached hate, bigotry, and division
www.thenation.com
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
joebarton.bsky.social
I actually enjoy the 100 tweets about sending illegal immigrants home that our Prime Minister writes every single day in order to supplicate to the far right. I think it’s helping to soothe tensions, is morally defensible, and I can’t wait to vote for him again!
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
bestforbritain.org
According to anecdotal reports, the new in-fashion insult heard around schools and playgrounds is: "Your dad shouts at hotels!" 😮😆 ~AA
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
earlymodernjohn.bsky.social
Seeing a lot of critical responses from medievalists about this BBC 1066 thing. As an early modernist, just to say that I'm happy to confirm that medieval people were indeed covered in dirt all the time and did all sound like they were in the Wurzels.
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
ayoub.bsky.social
I finished my PhD 2 years ago, and in the past 2 years I've been the primary carer for our kid at home. Because of that, I'm already too late for many university departments' definitions of 'early career academic' for fellowships or other post-doctoral work

So that's fun and nice and unproblematic
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
deaconjh.bsky.social
Call for papers! This year's sessions on Arms, Armour, and the Arts of Combat at the @imc-leeds.bsky.social demonstrated some excellent research and produced much brilliant discussion. Please do circulate to any interested parties. #imc2025 #imc2026
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
parodypm.bsky.social
Once more for the dimwits at the back:
a) Lucy Connolly pleaded guilty.
b) She was convicted under legislation introduced under Thatcher.
c) She was sentenced under guidance brought in under Boris Johnson.
d) fuck off.
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
scriblit.bsky.social
Patient, sobbing: But Doctor, I AM Pagliacci!
ChatGPT: Apologies. I didn't realise when recommending Pagliacci's epic show to cure your depression that you were the genius himself. I'm impressed! With regards to your initial question, I can recommend seeing the Great Clown Pagliacci.
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
aedwardslevy.bsky.social
hoping that when they say the LLM talks like a Ph.D.-level expert, they mean "holds indecipherable decades-long academic grudges expressed largely in the form of questions that are actually more of a comment"
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
wib.bsky.social
I think some people have trouble seeing fascism as anything other than 1940s Germany.

But I think 'people going to a comic convention needing to have a plan in case the government's goons show up to disappear people' is a pretty good demonstration of what it can look like in 2025.
comicsbeat.bsky.social
SDCC ‘25: What to do if ICE crashes the con

If you see ICE or Border Patrol agents while attending San Diego Comic-Con, know your rights and exercise them.
SDCC ‘25: What to do if ICE crashes the con
If you see ICE or Border Patrol agents while attending San Diego Comic-Con, know your rights and exercise them.
www.comicsbeat.com
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
lvhicks.bsky.social
This doesn't affect some of us as we never had AHRC-funded students in the first place at our institutions, but this cut is emblematic of the instrumentalisation and threat to Humanities research across the country.
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'The number of student-initiated PhD scholarships funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is set to fall by 60 per cent when new doctoral training arrangements come into effect next year, new figures show.' 1/3
‘Student-led’ AHRC PhD places ‘to fall by at least 60 per cent’
Internal modelling released under Freedom of Information enquiry reveals extent of PhD scholarship cuts, with academics fearing impact could be greater still
www.timeshighereducation.com
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
eddierobson.bsky.social
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Every British person on the internet is complaining about you
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
barristersecret.bsky.social
To understand the context of Sir Brian Leveson’s call for restricting jury trial, look at the terms of reference.

The government wouldn’t let him recommend increased funding.

Akin to demanding a solution to starvation that doesn’t include food.

And the recommendation being to chop off body parts.
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
waterbarnes.bsky.social
🧪"The myth of meritocracy in science collapses under the financial sacrifices expected at every career stage...the hidden costs of ‘doing science’ are profound. These burdens disproportionately exclude those without generational wealth, compounded by race and gender." dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...
Too poor to science: How wealth determines who succeeds in STEM
From student to researcher, a career in science can come with a high price tag. This Perspective explores how persistent financial barriers limit who can succeed in science, revealing how wealth shape...
dx.plos.org
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
andykhouri.bsky.social
This sounds like a bit but I’m being serious: kids using chat gpt for their homework are denying themselves the invaluable experience of learning how to bullshit their way through a problem. You drink some caffeine the night before and figure it the fuck out. That’s a skill. You need it in life.
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
doctornerdlove.com
OK, I've got a few minutes to kill, so I'll go ahead and ignore that this is bait. Bait that OP doesn't seem to realize makes him look sad as hell, but bait none the less.

This is someone who doesn't understand WHY people read. The purpose of reading, even non-fiction, ISN'T pure info gathering.
joestieb.bsky.social
These people are the enemy.
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
michaelbrunstrom.bsky.social
Gashapon (or Gachapon) are vending machines found all over Japan that dispense capsules containing miniature toys and other items. There are thousands of different kinds. Here’s a thread of the best ones I saw on my recent trip. 🧵
A row of gashapon machines
Reposted by Dr James Titterton
miketaddow.bsky.social
“builder.ai is just 700 indians in a trench coat”
Microsoft-backed Builder.ai bankrupt after 'Al' powered by 700 Indian engineers

London-based Al firm Builder.ai files for bankruptcy after its ‘neural network' is exposed as 700 Indian engineers

News Desk | June 03, 2025