Last night I watched Threads, an extremely affecting BBC film from 1984 about the effects of a full-scale nuclear war on one British city, Sheffield.1 One might say it’s a very British ‘kitchen sink’ approach to the subject, following the lives of two ordinary families during the international crisis (involving Iran — so what else […]
Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries has an article on academic blogging in its latest annual web issue, and guess which academic blog scores a mention … Airminded is an example of a graduate student blog; it is devoted to the topic of fears of air attack in Britain prior to World War II.1 Note
Executive Council of the New Commonwealth. An International Air Force: Its Functions and Organisation. London: The New Commonwealth, 1934. A submission to the International Congress in Defence of Peace, February 1934, detailing the organisation and role of an international air force. Lawrence Freedman. The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Third edition. An
[Cross-posted at Revise and Dissent.] He 111 over London, 7 September 1940. Image source: Wikimedia Commons. So, I’ve looked at J. M. Spaight’s predictions in The Sky’s the Limit about how the British fighters would fare in the Battle of Britain, and how the German ones would too. All that remains is to examine his
Veteran history blogger Alan Allport (Horizon and Cliopatria) has an interesting new blog: War Starts at Midnight! I can’t find anything defining the blog’s scope, but so far the posts are a mixture of links to images, reviews and news relating to the World Wars, centering on the Second World War and Britain. Which is
Reginald Berkeley. Cassandra. London: Victor Gollancz, 1931. A workers’ uprising and a Soviet invasion (including the inevitable aerial bombardment), along with a future archaeologist digging through the ruins of London — as seen via clairvoyant visions of things to come! Looks like fun. Hamish Blair. Governor Hardy. London: Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood & Sons,
It’s exactly 40 years since the Battle of Long Tan, a notable feat of Australian arms during the Vietnam War. But I have a more personal anniversary in mind — yesterday was 90 years to the day since my great-grand uncle John Joseph Mulqueeney was killed by an artillery round during the Somme campaign, on
[Cross-posted at Revise and Dissent.] The British contingent of the historioblogosphere has swung into action upon hearing that their government is planning to pardon over 300 soldiers executed during the First World War. I have little to add to what everyone is saying (broadly, that such a blanket pardon rides roughshod over a complex situation
I successfully passed the one-year confirmation stage of my PhD yesterday. It was never really in question: I would have to have been in serious trouble to be given my marching orders at this stage. (On the other hand — been there, done that, got the MSc instead.) But it’s nice to get it out
[Update: due to my misunderstanding of a key word, this post is fundamentally misconceived. Exercise due caution!] Hello everybody, I seem to have got here at last, it’s been a long long time but here I am and jolly glad I am to be here at last. I bring [inaudible] from the people of England
