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Wendy Ugolini

@wugolini.bsky.social

1.5K followers 600 following 910 posts

Professor of Second World War Studies (Edinburgh Uni). Co-founder of RSE-funded Second World War Network (Scotland); PI on AHRC project 'Beyond Borders: The Second World War, National Identities and Empire in the UK'; Author of Wales in England 1914-1945

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · 9d

Thanks to everyone who came long to my inaugural lecture last week @hcaatedinburgh.bsky.social : friends, family, and colleagues. It was a wonderful evening!

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · 25d

Reflections from Singapore on the 80th anniversary of when the Imperial Japanese Army formally surrendered to the Allied forces:

www.bbc.com/travel/artic...

The island remembering Britain's 'worst disaster'

Britain's surrender of Singapore has long been viewed as a "humiliation". Now, a series of exhibits and tours are revealing how this dark event shaped British and Singaporean identity.

www.bbc.com

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · 26d

Move over, Miss Marple.

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Sep 1

Thank you Charlie! And hopefully it will introduce Urquhart's work to a wider audience.

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Sep 1

Not for a while yet - I have another book to finish first!

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Sep 1

Delighted to have signed a contract with @edinburghup.bsky.social to produce a scholarly edition of Fred Urquhart’s war-time letters. Urquhart, an accomplished writer, was a lover of men and admirer of flamboyant women. His letters offer a Rabelaisian account of the British #SWW home front.

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 28

Slightly belated, but I have a promotion code from @oxfordacademic.bsky.social for my book, Wales in England 1914-1945:
fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/...

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 27

The Imperial War Museum has digitised interviews with women who served in the #SWW Auxiliary Services:
www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

Sound Archive

The Sound Archive holds over 33,000 recordings relating to conflict since 1914. This consists of the largest oral history collection of its type in the world, with contributions from both service pers...

www.iwm.org.uk

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 19

Amazon UK is apparently 'price pulsing' my book. This means some days it is £90, but today it is £31!!! Grab this bargain whilst you can 😁

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 15

Yes, I have vague memories too of good BBC TV coverage around the 60th anniversary...

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 15

At the Scottish National War Memorial (Edinburgh Castle) for VJ Day 80th anniversary commemoration service. Is there more of a concerted effort this year to pay attention to VJ Day? Or were previous significant anniversaries the same?

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 12

On the recommendation of Richard Lloyd Parry, I have just read 'Summer Flowers' (1947) by Tamiki Hara, a starkly mesmerising survivor's account of Hiroshima, immediately after the atomic bombing:
www.fpri.org/wp-content/u...

www.fpri.org

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 9

Working in the UK, I tend to prefer life writing sources (which can encompass recorded oral testimonies, as well as memoirs, diaries, letters, etc.) or personal narratives.

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 7

Hadley is correct.

War Movie Theatre @warmovietheatre.bsky.social · Aug 7

We're replaying classic episodes, starting with Casablanca: romance, film noir, but also an intensely political war movie. Listen wherever you get your podcasts as Hadley Freeman tries to persuade @roberthutton.co.uk and @duncanweldon.bsky.social that Paul Henreid is sexier than Humphrey Bogart.

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 1

Yes! Her unpublished memoir is very rich, but I was primarily focusing on constructions of her Welsh identity and identification with Wales.

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 1

How wonderful! Her unpublished memoir (held at the British Library) is vividly written.

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Aug 1

The film critic Dilys Powell is often mentioned on the @warmovietheatre.bsky.social podcast. A relatively unknown name these days, she is one of the biographical studies in my book, Wales in England 1914-1945.

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Jul 30

My book, 'Wales in England 1914-1945. A Social, Cultural, & Military History', is currently available at a more affordable price (✨️58% off✨️). How ideas of Wales and Welshness influenced two generations of English soldiers & writers:
www.amazon.co.uk/Wales-Englan...

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Jul 29

This is wonderful to see Joel - many congratulations!

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Jul 18

🥳

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Jul 16

As a Council member of the Army Records Society, I'd like to draw your attention to our new round of Fellowships. Deadline for proposals is 11:59pm (GMT) on 2 Nov 2025. More detailed info here:
www.smh-hq.org/opps/jobs.html

Jobs and Fellowships | The Society for Military History

www.smh-hq.org

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Jul 11

Nice to see a mention here of Richard Llewellyn, author of How Green Was My Valley (1939). When Dean and Llewellyn attended a wartime meeting betw ENSA & the BBC, the latter appeared in a green suit & violet tie, causing one wag to comment: "How keen was my valet!".

Matt Eaton @matteatonmedia.bsky.social · Jul 11

This week's post looks at the controversial figure, Basil Dean - Director of ENSA. I've grown to admire this taciturn, mercurial, impressive figure in my research, but there's no denying it, he was a bit of a bastard too.

matteatonmedia.substack.com/p/bastard-ba...
#skystorians

A photo of the great Basil Dean in ENSA uniform. Text in foreground, 'Bastard' Basil Drury Lane's Dictator?

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Jul 9

Me too!

Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Jul 9

The Lascaris War Rooms, Valletta commemorate Malta's pivotal role in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, beginning 9 July 1943:

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Wendy Ugolini @wugolini.bsky.social · Jun 21

Thank you for your interest. If you send me your details via email, I will pass them on.