Pete Monks
@petemonks.bsky.social
Boring Australian suburban dad. Recipient of participation awards for Kosovo, East Timor, Afghanistan and a few other things and places.
Mark 8:36
Going by @Pete_Monks back at the old place.
Mark 8:36
Going by @Pete_Monks back at the old place.
If you see this, repost with your model of positive masculinity:
December 6, 2025 at 5:03 AM
If you see this, repost with your model of positive masculinity:
The only (very minor) shortcomings in this excellent book include uneven coverage of campaigns (even Tunisia and Italy are barely mentioned, let alone smaller campaigns), and the occasional clumsy translation from the original Swedish that reads like a lesson from Instructor in Gunnery Yoda 2/2
December 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM
The only (very minor) shortcomings in this excellent book include uneven coverage of campaigns (even Tunisia and Italy are barely mentioned, let alone smaller campaigns), and the occasional clumsy translation from the original Swedish that reads like a lesson from Instructor in Gunnery Yoda 2/2
“Gunfire! British Artillery in World War II” by Stig Moberg is indulging my inner gunnery tragic for #histbookchat and #photofriday this week, with impressive detail on Royal Artillery organisation, procedures and employment in WW2. 1/2
December 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM
“Gunfire! British Artillery in World War II” by Stig Moberg is indulging my inner gunnery tragic for #histbookchat and #photofriday this week, with impressive detail on Royal Artillery organisation, procedures and employment in WW2. 1/2
In this week’s edition of #histbookchat and #photofriday, two books by Mary Helen Spooner addressing my recently-developed interest in how authoritarian states restore democratic institutions and norms
(no idea why this topic interests me recently 🤔🤷♂️)
Open to other recommendations on this theme
(no idea why this topic interests me recently 🤔🤷♂️)
Open to other recommendations on this theme
November 28, 2025 at 9:45 AM
In this week’s edition of #histbookchat and #photofriday, two books by Mary Helen Spooner addressing my recently-developed interest in how authoritarian states restore democratic institutions and norms
(no idea why this topic interests me recently 🤔🤷♂️)
Open to other recommendations on this theme
(no idea why this topic interests me recently 🤔🤷♂️)
Open to other recommendations on this theme
I’ve had a few things going on in the last month or so which have led me to neglect #histbookchat and #photofriday.
Now I’m back, I’ve just started a history of a relatively obscure British Empire unit - the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery - which hasn’t had a lot written about it. 1/2
Now I’m back, I’ve just started a history of a relatively obscure British Empire unit - the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery - which hasn’t had a lot written about it. 1/2
November 21, 2025 at 9:41 AM
I’ve had a few things going on in the last month or so which have led me to neglect #histbookchat and #photofriday.
Now I’m back, I’ve just started a history of a relatively obscure British Empire unit - the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery - which hasn’t had a lot written about it. 1/2
Now I’m back, I’ve just started a history of a relatively obscure British Empire unit - the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery - which hasn’t had a lot written about it. 1/2
This was great as well
November 20, 2025 at 1:57 AM
This was great as well
Here’s a couple of immediate contenders by @wesleymorgan.bsky.social and Simon Akam (I don’t think he’s on BlueSky?)
November 20, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Here’s a couple of immediate contenders by @wesleymorgan.bsky.social and Simon Akam (I don’t think he’s on BlueSky?)
The security camera system at home had a software update today.
Now, when one of the neighbourhood kids runs onto my driveway I get an alert that implies the PLA are dropping an airborne brigade into Papua New Guinea.
Now, when one of the neighbourhood kids runs onto my driveway I get an alert that implies the PLA are dropping an airborne brigade into Papua New Guinea.
November 7, 2025 at 9:41 AM
The security camera system at home had a software update today.
Now, when one of the neighbourhood kids runs onto my driveway I get an alert that implies the PLA are dropping an airborne brigade into Papua New Guinea.
Now, when one of the neighbourhood kids runs onto my driveway I get an alert that implies the PLA are dropping an airborne brigade into Papua New Guinea.
Back to Albert Camus again for this week’s #histbookchat and #photofriday.
October 31, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Back to Albert Camus again for this week’s #histbookchat and #photofriday.
Not thinking highly of the median US voter was helpful in completing this survey
October 29, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Not thinking highly of the median US voter was helpful in completing this survey
Making slow progress with Eric Tagliacozzo’s “In Asian Waters” for this week’s #histbookchat and #photofriday.
(I’ve had a few other things going on in the last week or so to distract me)
(I’ve had a few other things going on in the last week or so to distract me)
October 24, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Making slow progress with Eric Tagliacozzo’s “In Asian Waters” for this week’s #histbookchat and #photofriday.
(I’ve had a few other things going on in the last week or so to distract me)
(I’ve had a few other things going on in the last week or so to distract me)
I think about this 2022 tweet from the old place a bit.
I’m old enough to remember my grandfather’s generation who had lived through the depression and fought through WW2 and didn’t feel the need to self-aggrandise. They MIGHT wear their medals to the annual ANZAC day dawn service but that was it.
I’m old enough to remember my grandfather’s generation who had lived through the depression and fought through WW2 and didn’t feel the need to self-aggrandise. They MIGHT wear their medals to the annual ANZAC day dawn service but that was it.
October 24, 2025 at 2:18 AM
I think about this 2022 tweet from the old place a bit.
I’m old enough to remember my grandfather’s generation who had lived through the depression and fought through WW2 and didn’t feel the need to self-aggrandise. They MIGHT wear their medals to the annual ANZAC day dawn service but that was it.
I’m old enough to remember my grandfather’s generation who had lived through the depression and fought through WW2 and didn’t feel the need to self-aggrandise. They MIGHT wear their medals to the annual ANZAC day dawn service but that was it.
Revisiting Tony Judt’s “The Burden of Responsibility: Blum, Camus, Aron and the French Twentieth Century” for this week’s #histbookchat and #photofriday.
The experience and legacy of centrists who ran real risks and demonstrated courage in the face of authoritarianism seems relevant today, maybe?
The experience and legacy of centrists who ran real risks and demonstrated courage in the face of authoritarianism seems relevant today, maybe?
October 17, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Revisiting Tony Judt’s “The Burden of Responsibility: Blum, Camus, Aron and the French Twentieth Century” for this week’s #histbookchat and #photofriday.
The experience and legacy of centrists who ran real risks and demonstrated courage in the face of authoritarianism seems relevant today, maybe?
The experience and legacy of centrists who ran real risks and demonstrated courage in the face of authoritarianism seems relevant today, maybe?
I spent some time on planes this week, so I got to read two entries for #histbookchat and #photofriday - “The Dawn of Everything - A New History of Humanity” by David Graeber and David Wengrow, and “British Infantry Battalion Commanders in the First World War” by Peter E Hodgkinson
October 10, 2025 at 10:53 AM
I spent some time on planes this week, so I got to read two entries for #histbookchat and #photofriday - “The Dawn of Everything - A New History of Humanity” by David Graeber and David Wengrow, and “British Infantry Battalion Commanders in the First World War” by Peter E Hodgkinson
When people were shooting back and I would have had to go to boot camp first and submit to some actual discipline l? Oh, no, I couldn’t serve THEN.
But now I can *serve* by terrorising unarmed women and kids with funny-sounding names and I get to cosplay as an operator? Count me in!
But now I can *serve* by terrorising unarmed women and kids with funny-sounding names and I get to cosplay as an operator? Count me in!
September 28, 2025 at 3:32 AM
When people were shooting back and I would have had to go to boot camp first and submit to some actual discipline l? Oh, no, I couldn’t serve THEN.
But now I can *serve* by terrorising unarmed women and kids with funny-sounding names and I get to cosplay as an operator? Count me in!
But now I can *serve* by terrorising unarmed women and kids with funny-sounding names and I get to cosplay as an operator? Count me in!
Pretty happy with this Grand Final result, especially that a couple of blokes who missed last year’s Grand Final got to play in a winning Grand Final side.
September 27, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Pretty happy with this Grand Final result, especially that a couple of blokes who missed last year’s Grand Final got to play in a winning Grand Final side.
“As it turns out, you can’t sell your soul to Trump and keep your spine; they’re a package deal.”
September 26, 2025 at 12:06 PM
“As it turns out, you can’t sell your soul to Trump and keep your spine; they’re a package deal.”
This week’s entry for #histbookchat and #photofriday is “Shattered Lands” - quite a readable popular history (by William Dalrymple’s son, Sam) of the winding down of the Raj and subsequent events through to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 1/2
September 26, 2025 at 9:03 AM
This week’s entry for #histbookchat and #photofriday is “Shattered Lands” - quite a readable popular history (by William Dalrymple’s son, Sam) of the winding down of the Raj and subsequent events through to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 1/2
Share your favorite black and white movie
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
September 24, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Share your favorite black and white movie
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
In some good news, the Brisbane Lions are playing in the AFL Grand Final next week.
And even better, Collingwood isn’t.
And even better, Collingwood isn’t.
September 20, 2025 at 10:29 AM
In some good news, the Brisbane Lions are playing in the AFL Grand Final next week.
And even better, Collingwood isn’t.
And even better, Collingwood isn’t.
Making a start on this
September 14, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Making a start on this
Makes me think of 1930s Japanese battleships
September 12, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Makes me think of 1930s Japanese battleships
Many people have been saying
September 6, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Many people have been saying
We can do even MORE Australian
September 6, 2025 at 8:52 AM
We can do even MORE Australian