Wesley Livesay
@historyofthesecondworldwar.com
Creator of History of the Great War and History of the Second World War weekly history podcasts. Always ready and willing to discuss video games, Tolkien, and the Detroit Red Wings
Pinned
Reposted by Wesley Livesay
In case there are any new people around, here is my liberally-interpreted interwar history starter pack (very much the *long* interwar years)
🗃️ #history #skystorians
go.bsky.app/T21gSU
🗃️ #history #skystorians
go.bsky.app/T21gSU
January 10, 2026 at 8:53 PM
In case there are any new people around, here is my liberally-interpreted interwar history starter pack (very much the *long* interwar years)
🗃️ #history #skystorians
go.bsky.app/T21gSU
🗃️ #history #skystorians
go.bsky.app/T21gSU
I remembered to make my January quarterly tax payment on time for the first time in roughly 5 years.
I'm sure I will forget again in the future.
I'm sure I will forget again in the future.
January 10, 2026 at 1:07 PM
I remembered to make my January quarterly tax payment on time for the first time in roughly 5 years.
I'm sure I will forget again in the future.
I'm sure I will forget again in the future.
Watching The Sandlot for the first time with the kids. Getting to the first “You’re killing me Smalls” moment, something I say to them all the time, was hilarious. 4 YO saying “Hey, that is what Dad says!” is definitely a top 5 parent moment for me.
January 10, 2026 at 1:26 AM
Watching The Sandlot for the first time with the kids. Getting to the first “You’re killing me Smalls” moment, something I say to them all the time, was hilarious. 4 YO saying “Hey, that is what Dad says!” is definitely a top 5 parent moment for me.
The new world of automated slip creation, not just text but audio and video is such a disaster for every content platform online. Found this Reddit thread to be particularly interesting. The online tools that facilitate this type of content also devalue their own output.
January 3, 2026 at 2:41 PM
The new world of automated slip creation, not just text but audio and video is such a disaster for every content platform online. Found this Reddit thread to be particularly interesting. The online tools that facilitate this type of content also devalue their own output.
It is that time of the year again, when I write up some thoughts on the podcast from the previous year and the year ahead. In this case I even included some further ahead discussion, because I am already worried about what the hell I am going to do about Barbarossa.
Looking Ahead - 2026 Edition | Wesley Livesay
Get more from Wesley Livesay on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:57 PM
It is that time of the year again, when I write up some thoughts on the podcast from the previous year and the year ahead. In this case I even included some further ahead discussion, because I am already worried about what the hell I am going to do about Barbarossa.
Always fun to see a Steve WW2 related episode.
1943 US Army Field Ration C 24 Hour MRE Review Breakfast Dinner Supper Soldier Food Testing
YouTube video by Steve1989MREInfo
www.youtube.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Always fun to see a Steve WW2 related episode.
An interesting write up on what I have also noticed, where often times LLMs are most useful on code that already is structured in certain ways. And the vast majority of code isn't structured towards best practices and more like Grover House wonkiness.
this blog really nails a few things I’ve noticed about good architecture/coding practices for using agents, big recommend.
bits.logic.inc/p/ai-is-forc...
bits.logic.inc/p/ai-is-forc...
AI Is Forcing Us To Write Good Code
When Best Practices Are Best
bits.logic.inc
December 30, 2025 at 5:04 PM
An interesting write up on what I have also noticed, where often times LLMs are most useful on code that already is structured in certain ways. And the vast majority of code isn't structured towards best practices and more like Grover House wonkiness.
Gathering up more sources for holiday reading: Anybody have any favorite memoirs, books, articles, etc. revolving around life in any of the territories of Europe occupied during the Second World War?
December 24, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Gathering up more sources for holiday reading: Anybody have any favorite memoirs, books, articles, etc. revolving around life in any of the territories of Europe occupied during the Second World War?
Reposted by Wesley Livesay
The series @alanallport.bsky.social 's books on the British Second World War experience is honestly my favorite history of the war I think I've read. Riveting story telling craft with peak primary source work.
My longtime friends and acquaintances on here and from the Bad Place know of my constant struggles at this time of year to secure the remote from the extended family.
Not this year.
They can do as they please.
I've discovered the secret weapon : Bose headphones and this:
Not this year.
They can do as they please.
I've discovered the secret weapon : Bose headphones and this:
December 23, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The series @alanallport.bsky.social 's books on the British Second World War experience is honestly my favorite history of the war I think I've read. Riveting story telling craft with peak primary source work.
An interesting thread on Finland's defensive readiness and options.
December 23, 2025 at 3:48 PM
An interesting thread on Finland's defensive readiness and options.
Yes. And also, watch out because LLMs will also cite papers that DO exist, but do not say what the LLMs say they say. Very common for LLMs to read a publicly available abstract of a paper and then just vibe extrapolate the contents.
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals
Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.
www.rollingstone.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Yes. And also, watch out because LLMs will also cite papers that DO exist, but do not say what the LLMs say they say. Very common for LLMs to read a publicly available abstract of a paper and then just vibe extrapolate the contents.
As a nation, we made a tremendous mistake the moment we started naming ships after elected political leaders. As long as military vessels are named after those leaders they will be used to glorify political regimes, regardless of whether or not those leaders should be glorified.
December 22, 2025 at 9:25 PM
As a nation, we made a tremendous mistake the moment we started naming ships after elected political leaders. As long as military vessels are named after those leaders they will be used to glorify political regimes, regardless of whether or not those leaders should be glorified.
Interesting to compare old discussions of Russia's economy with new. I don't think everything has a historical precedent, but one constant in the last 100+ years of warfare seems to be: modern economies can sustain wartime spending much longer than expected. With even a bit of popular support.
December 22, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Interesting to compare old discussions of Russia's economy with new. I don't think everything has a historical precedent, but one constant in the last 100+ years of warfare seems to be: modern economies can sustain wartime spending much longer than expected. With even a bit of popular support.
2025 will forever be known as the year when countless people spent countless hours online arguing past each other about LLMs.
It has spawned a whole industry of content creation, on all sides!
It has spawned a whole industry of content creation, on all sides!
December 22, 2025 at 5:48 PM
2025 will forever be known as the year when countless people spent countless hours online arguing past each other about LLMs.
It has spawned a whole industry of content creation, on all sides!
It has spawned a whole industry of content creation, on all sides!
It is amazing how little of what is available in archives is available digitally. Even for really popular topics like the Second World War, only the thinnest crust of sources is available without visiting an archive.
As a person a LONG way from many of the archives, I am acutely aware of this.
As a person a LONG way from many of the archives, I am acutely aware of this.
Just for fun, I pulled up my dissertation bibliography. There's half a page of non-digitized archival collections listed. I started adding up how much was in those collections and I got about halfway through the list and gave up because I was already over 200 linear feet.
December 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM
It is amazing how little of what is available in archives is available digitally. Even for really popular topics like the Second World War, only the thinnest crust of sources is available without visiting an archive.
As a person a LONG way from many of the archives, I am acutely aware of this.
As a person a LONG way from many of the archives, I am acutely aware of this.
Oh god, yet another Maginot Line news article that is going to get it all wro....
Oh wait, it is by Alan, it actually gets things right and is a good read.
Oh wait, it is by Alan, it actually gets things right and is a good read.
“The United States, according to the New York Times, has a Maginot Line problem.
The problem is that Monsieur Maginot’s infamous namesake fortification has little to do with what really happened in 1940.”
Me in Foreign Policy (gift link)
foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/f...
The problem is that Monsieur Maginot’s infamous namesake fortification has little to do with what really happened in 1940.”
Me in Foreign Policy (gift link)
foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/f...
U.S. Strategists Keep Getting France’s Defeat Wrong
Myths about the Maginot Line are strangely persistent.
foreignpolicy.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Oh god, yet another Maginot Line news article that is going to get it all wro....
Oh wait, it is by Alan, it actually gets things right and is a good read.
Oh wait, it is by Alan, it actually gets things right and is a good read.
Anybody have any recommendations/favorites on British Early WW2 Commando operations? Mostly focused on foundation, Norway, and the Med up to the end of 1941. Operation Chariot has a lot of easily available options, everything else seems to be a bit more sparse.
December 18, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Anybody have any recommendations/favorites on British Early WW2 Commando operations? Mostly focused on foundation, Norway, and the Med up to the end of 1941. Operation Chariot has a lot of easily available options, everything else seems to be a bit more sparse.
Okay, had to do bed time and missed the supposed big announcement.
Where we droppin'?
Where we droppin'?
December 18, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Okay, had to do bed time and missed the supposed big announcement.
Where we droppin'?
Where we droppin'?
@armouredcarriers.bsky.social Is such a great site, and a fantastic resource.
December 17, 2025 at 11:29 AM
@armouredcarriers.bsky.social Is such a great site, and a fantastic resource.
Reposted by Wesley Livesay
@thegreatwargroup.bsky.social Dear friends, I’d be most grateful to be signposted to German accounts of the counterattack on 30 November, Bourlon Wood, Gouzeaucourt sectors,
Battle of Cambrai.
With thanks and best wishes N
Battle of Cambrai.
With thanks and best wishes N
December 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
@thegreatwargroup.bsky.social Dear friends, I’d be most grateful to be signposted to German accounts of the counterattack on 30 November, Bourlon Wood, Gouzeaucourt sectors,
Battle of Cambrai.
With thanks and best wishes N
Battle of Cambrai.
With thanks and best wishes N
The Year is 2075.
Congress oversight committee has once again put a pause on the retirement of the A-10. The planes are held together with duct tape and zip ties, but are not allowed to die.
Congress oversight committee has once again put a pause on the retirement of the A-10. The planes are held together with duct tape and zip ties, but are not allowed to die.
FY2026 NDAA: Congress Pushes Back On Aircraft Cuts and Seeks Clarity On Next-Gen Programs
The NDAA freezes E-3, F-15E and A-10 retirements, accelerates F/A-XX and F-47 oversight, and demands a concrete plan for post-E-6B nuclear command-and-control.
Story: theaviationist.com/2025/12/13/f...
The NDAA freezes E-3, F-15E and A-10 retirements, accelerates F/A-XX and F-47 oversight, and demands a concrete plan for post-E-6B nuclear command-and-control.
Story: theaviationist.com/2025/12/13/f...
FY2026 NDAA: Congress Pushes Back On Aircraft Cuts and Seeks Clarity On Next-Gen Programs
The NDAA freezes E-3, F-15E and A-10 retirements, accelerates F/A-XX and F-47 oversight, and demands a concrete plan for post-E-6B nuclear
theaviationist.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:42 PM
The Year is 2075.
Congress oversight committee has once again put a pause on the retirement of the A-10. The planes are held together with duct tape and zip ties, but are not allowed to die.
Congress oversight committee has once again put a pause on the retirement of the A-10. The planes are held together with duct tape and zip ties, but are not allowed to die.
Not enough time is spent talking about the rampant size expansion of strollers. Everybody has a giant wagon for even a single kid which causes catastrophic traffic issues in amusement parks.
December 13, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Not enough time is spent talking about the rampant size expansion of strollers. Everybody has a giant wagon for even a single kid which causes catastrophic traffic issues in amusement parks.
Until there are consequences verbally owning them does not matter.
MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported?
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
December 11, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Until there are consequences verbally owning them does not matter.
The relationship between Research Notes -> Podcast length has been consistent for me for years. Which means, having done a lot of Barbarossa research...I think I have researched my way into about 90 episodes. Definitely going to have to cut that down, don't think anybody wants 2 years of eps on it.
December 10, 2025 at 5:19 PM
The relationship between Research Notes -> Podcast length has been consistent for me for years. Which means, having done a lot of Barbarossa research...I think I have researched my way into about 90 episodes. Definitely going to have to cut that down, don't think anybody wants 2 years of eps on it.
There is basically a whole sub-genre of history writing that is just finding new ways to state: "What you have been told about Schlieffen was wrong, let me tell you why...."
December 9, 2025 at 12:26 AM
There is basically a whole sub-genre of history writing that is just finding new ways to state: "What you have been told about Schlieffen was wrong, let me tell you why...."