I am presenting a paper to this conference, on fortifications and the illusion of protection, focusing in particular on the 1859 Royal Commission on National Defences and the fortification of Portsmouth

royalarmouries.org/fort-nelson/...

I remember a time when the political left was in favour of free speech and opposed to censorship. Oh, how things change.

Coming soon to the Redan, Journal of the Palmerston Forts Society...

'The Papers of Admiral George Grey' is the new volume in the Society's Camden series of primary source editions: bit.ly/4kPZYYf

The collection, edited by ‪@mhtaylor.bsky.social‬, brings together the letters, journal and memoir of George Grey (1809-1891), son of Earl Grey 1/2

Sidney Herbert is not my friend…

A little light reading…

Reading mid-19th century handwriting can be challenging at the best of times. Reading it in poorly reproduced images (for example where the reverse of the page has bled through) on microfilm on a reader out of the ark is even harder...

I am really interested in the way in which large organisations and institutions adapt to paradigm-shifting new technology. My particular interest is in late-Victorian British military institutions, but I am looking for more general material. Any guidance on key texts I ought to be looking at?

I’m half way through my first list of material I want to consult at the National Archives. I’d better buy a house in Kew…

Our third Starter Pack for historians lists institutes and research centres based in the UK and Republic of Ireland go.bsky.app/RbfRrhm

This now includes over 90 centres with BlueSky accounts. We also welcome recommendations for additions to this pack.

#skystorians

It's only Fascism if it comes from the Fascisti region of Italy. Otherwise it's just sparkling authoritarianism.

If there was any doubt about the utter futility of acting as if Trump was just a mildly eccentric character who would ultimately recognise and follow normal rules of diplomatic behaviour, it must surely now have been dispelled. That was the most shameful display by a US president in my lifetime

I didn't actually need all four volumes of Johnson and Buel's Battles and Leaders of the Civil War and it isn't that relevant to my research, but it was in the secondhand bookshop and it was a good price, so that makes it fine, right?

Mourning the death of American democracy...

As of 1 February, I am a PhD student @wlvuni.bsky.social. Not bad for someone who was told at school that “boys like you don’t go to university”…