My grandmother had jelly and lots of ice cream

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo ago

JD Vance says his grandmother "had loaded revolvers all over the house" adding, "she made sure that no matter where she was, if somebody walked in her door, she would have a loaded revolver within arm's reach."

Papers relating to the repatriation of Spanish POWs in July 1808. Along with the muskets, swords, accoutrements & cartridges going with them to Corunna were ‘hats of cheese’ weighing 120,000lb. I assume a hat was like a wheel but taller than wide. Anyone come across the term before? #cheese #history

With The Firearm Revolution out next week, I'm delighted to announce that you can hear me talk about it in person *and live-streamed* at the @royalarmouries.bsky.social on Wednesday 29 April. Book here for your ticket / online link. 2pm UK, 3pm CET, 9am EST.

Still time to sign up for next week's online talk, with Tom Golding-Lee talking about the men who took part in Britain's ill-fated attempt to seize Cartagena from Spain in the War of Jenkins' Ear. 7.00pm on Tuesday 14 April; register for free at my.demio.com/ref/IZ0H7aYY...

Delighted to learn that my PhD dissertation has received the 2026 Research Prize from the International Society for the Research and Promotion of Wind Music. The book version, Musical Warriors: British Military Music and the Napoleonic Wars, is out early next year with @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

A very entertaining and interesting article that shows the trouble that ‘dull’ garrison life could breed among young officers…

Eamonn O’Keeffe@1812andallthat.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Just published a new piece for The Lion & the Dragon, the magazine of Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life. It dives into some colourful episodes of officer misconduct during the Napoleonic Wars. If duelling, disorder, and general drama are your thing, have a look: eamonnokeeffe1812.com/2026/01/28/a...

In our next free online talk, on 16 February, Dr Nicola Martin will be speaking about how the British Army's experience of pacifying the Scottish Highlands after the '45 Rising helped shape its approach to dissent in the Americas three decades later. Register at my.demio.com/ref/sknZMpZz...

There's a lot going on the world, but I was glad to see an article of mine published in the @jbritishstudies.bsky.social Read about Shadrack Byfield, an English War of 1812 veteran who buried his own arm, designed a custom prosthesis, and wrote multiple memoirs: doi.org/10.1017/jbr....

Merry Christmas to all and thank you to the Society and all the contributors - I really enjoy these personal recommendations of favourite books on particular subjects.

Society for Army Historical Research@societyarmy.bsky.social · 8mo ago

On behalf of the Society's President and Council, we wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our members and online followers. And if your Christmas gifts disappoint, our full booklist is now available online to give you some ideas to treat yourself. www.sahr.org.uk/view-book-li...

An old blog about Christmas in the Peninsula. daringdutycunningplans.wordpress.com/2019/12/02/c...

Thrilled to have been invited back by the @napwarspod.bsky.social to finally discuss my thesis. As Zack said, I am clearly post-submission: how I see the fencibles and their place in the period has changed so much in 4 years For the better, if I do say so myself 😅 open.spotify.com/episode/0Xz2...

Britain's Forgotten Recruits: The Fencibles

Spotify video

open.spotify.com

The British Army and the American War, 1775-83: Fresh Perspectives Saturday 14 March 2026 Please save the date for our forthcoming conference to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and the British Army’s doomed efforts to prevent it. Details at www.sahr.org.uk/view-event.p...

Sad news…

Geraint@geraint.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Some sad news brought over from Twitter. His books were or excellent and got me interested in the War of 1812 as were his Peninsular War books on Thomas Pearson and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers @markurban.bsky.social @marksthompson.bsky.social @robgriffith.bsky.social @rorymuir.bsky.social

Story of two First World War letters home from Australian soldiers on board ship headed to Europe found in a bottle on a West Australian beach. #FirstWorldWar #WW1 #Anzac www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

WWI soldier's message in a bottle found on WA beach

A century-old message in a bottle from a World War I soldier to his mother has been found on a beach in Western Australia's south.

abc.net.au

Unexpected visitor to a suburban library in Adelaide last night

In this sample article from our Journal, Pete Starling looks at a scheme from the 1850s to train young African men as medical officers for Sierra Leone: www.sahr.org.uk/docs/shar-boys-of-colour-draft-sahrs1120.pdf Join us to get access to over 400 Journal issues: www.sahr.org.uk/membership.php

Our friends at the Army Records Society have launched another round of their fellowship programme, which offers funding over three years to create a volume in their long-running primary source series. Details at www.smh-hq.org/opps/jobs.html.

Thanks to Owen Davis for a lovely review of King George’s Army Vol 2 (Foot Guards and 1-30 Foot). Vol 3 is out now, and Vol 4 not too far away. #napoleonic #history #helion www.napoleon-series.org/book-reviews...

King George’s Army, British Regiments and the Men who led them 1793-1815: Volume 2 | The Napoleon Series

King George’s Army, British Regiments and the Men who led them 1793-1815: Volume 2: Foot Guards and 1st to 30th Regiments of Foot. Steve Brown Helion & Company Limited (2024) ISBN: 9781804514382 Pages...

napoleon-series.org

Look forward to June! Here is a list of new #nonfiction #books about the #18thcentury scheduled for next month: regency-explorer.net/new-releases/ #Regency #Napoleon #history #JaneAusten #read

Join us at York St John University (and online) for a fascinating FREE talk by Dr James Hurst based on his new research into the British heavy cavalry at Waterloo. Wed 28 May, 5:30pm, all are welcome! More info and tickets (completely free!) here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/waterloo-t...

Waterloo: the Great Charge of the British Cavalry

This event will be taking place in person and online

eventbrite.co.uk

An updated blog post on 'The Fact & Fiction of Captain Peter Blassiere, 5/60th Rifles'. My thanks to Thomas Hemmann for sending me the Hannoversches militairisches Journal article. daringdutycunningplans.wordpress.com/2018/12/19/t...

The Fact & Fiction of Captain Peter Blassiere, 5/60th

Almost everybody interested in the Napoleonic Wars will be familiar with Bernard Cornwell’s fictional rifleman, Richard Sharpe. However, the first fictional rifleman was probably from the 5th Bat…

daringdutycunningplans.wordpress.com

LAST CHANCE TO TAKE OUR MONEY! Are you a postgraduate student researching any aspect of the history of the British Army? If so, why not apply for our University Research Grants, open to scholars worldwide. Deadline now extended until 30 May. Details at: www.sahr.org.uk/university-r...

Our Annual Members' Meeting last month saw the announcement of 10 new SAHR Fellows. Pictured L-R, Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, Mick Crumplin, Carole Divall, Tim Cooke. For a full list and details of those honoured, see: www.sahr.org.uk/fellowships....

So happy to be able to announce that in a couple of weeks I'm going to be speaking on negotiated authority in the fencibles at @camhistory.bsky.social, hosted by @1812andallthat.bsky.social! Free attendance and all that, & would be lovely to see some friendly faces www.cfg.cam.ac.uk/events/contr...

Live-streaming now: Dr Matthew Spring speaks about British tactics and adaptation during the American War of Independence. Part of the AWI 250 series at the National Army Museum. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lhs...

Learning to Adapt: The British Army in the American War of Independence

YouTube video by NationalArmyMuseumUK

youtube.com

Support for historians at mid-career: the Society invites applications for its 'Funded Book Workshop' programme bit.ly/4fYQcRC Workshops enable authors of a 2nd or 3rd monograph to hold a day-long discussion of a book MS with 6 readers of their choosing. Closing date: Friday 11 July #Skystorians

“I was in love with the book. In pure, ignorant defiance of the decree of the Iowa Writing School that controls almost all modern fiction, Galt tells without showing.” —Ursula K. Le Guin discusses John Galt’s 1821 novel ANNALS OF THE PARISH 2/6 www.publicbooks.org/b-sides-john...

B-Sides: John Galt’s “Annals of the Parish” - Public Books

For 30 or 40 years a book has been lurking on my shelves, a beautiful little Everyman’s Library edition published by Dent and Dutton, undated, with red fake leather binding …

publicbooks.org

Look forward to May! Here is a list of new #nonfiction #books about the #18thcentury scheduled for next month: regency-explorer.net/new-releases/ #Regency #Napoleon #history #JaneAusten #read

Sunday's books. Something really good and something really... weird. 😄

Do we know if the British army ever adopted this newly proposed scheme of attaching scythes to cavalry horses? buff.ly/ExWcYQP #Archive30 #SomethingNew @ARAScot