"Grief and Destruction" - Marsh Family parody of Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" on war in Iran YouTube video by Marsh Family

Superb parody of Barry McGuire’s ‘Eve of Destruction’ mocking the US’s imbecilic war secretary Pete Hegseth. @marshfamilysongs.bsky.social

The Black Death by Thomas Asbridge review – a medieval horror story A magisterial history of one of the worst ever pandemics focuses on the individuals caught up in the chaos

Brilliant review of Thomas Asbridge's 'magisterial' new book on the #BlackDeath. We'll hear from Thomas in this year's Derek Keene London Lecture - part of the 2026 @ihr.bsky.social Summer School on 'Sickness and Health'. Info: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...

Don’t review the book if you have not read it

Big news for the wills world:

#EarlyModern 🗃️

'The report for the Political Studies Association, shared exclusively with Research Professional News ahead of its publication on 31 March, analyses trends in politics departments between 2012 and 2025....it says the field has developed acute problems with jobs and student numbers.' 1/3

Young black woman in turquoise silk gown, with lace sleeves, lace cap, and fichu, double strands of pearls around her neck and her wrists. She is holding a white flower. in one hand, and a ribbon in the other. A tropical looking tree is behind her. She looks right at the viewer with an assessing look.

It is lovely that the Art Gallery of Ontario can now name the Black woman in the gorgeous #18thc portrait they acquired 6 yrs ago & also date the painting. It's from 1775. She is Eleonora Susette, enslaved by the Dutch governor of Guyana, accompanying his widow on her return to the Netherlands.

Thick skin required. And a training in Librarianship. Unusual combination.

Congratulations. An impressive book.

Great to see Margaret Beaufort getting a long overdue episode of BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time this week. If you’d like to learn more about my research on Margaret’s palace at Collyweston and her links to Stamford, mentioned in the episode, I explore both topics in articles for @tudorplaces.bsky.social

A selection of books form the Fagel Collection

TCD Library is recruiting a Senior Bibliographer to help catalogue the Fagel Collection! This is a fabulous professional opportunity to work on one of Europe's great early modern private libraries. Closing 10 March at noon. Full details available at www.tcd.ie/hr/vacancies

We are advertising a two-year lectureship in Modern British History at University of Cambridge, please spread the word!
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/assista...

Opening pages of Pauline Stafford's British Academy memoir of Dame Jinty Nelson with abstract text: Summary. Jinty Nelson was a leading scholar of early medieval European history, with a special focus on Francia in the late 8th and 9th centuries. She was at the forefront of a generation that re-vivified the study of the early middle ages, in her case especially concerned with the working of the Carolingian political system and the re-evaluation of the role of the aristocracy alongside king and church in early medieval politics. She was a pioneer of the study of women’s and gender history, demonstrating not only its intrinsic interest and importance, but also that political history could not be understood without attention to both. She had a deep and humane interest in the people of the past. Her academic career was spent entirely at King’s College, London, where she was an outstanding and much-loved teacher. Her professional contribution and recognition went far beyond that, and were marked by her election in 2000 as the first woman President of the Royal Historical Society. She became a champion of the subject and its teaching, wherever that was practised. In 2006 she was made a Dame of the British Empire for services to History.

Now available, the British Academy memoir of Dame Jinty Nelson (1942-2024), historian and first female President of the Royal Historical Society: bit.ly/4qUa0ua

The memoir is written by Professor Pauline Stafford @pstafford.bsky.social and available via @britishacademy.bsky.social #Skystorians

A review of higher education funding is inevitable As John Blake is announced as the first Director of The Post-18 Project, he argues that politicians must not ignore the feelings running ever deeper about the student loans system.

'A review of higher education funding now feels unavoidable. The choice for government is whether to lead it, or be forced into it by crisis.'

Regardless, if we don't factor universities' core research and civic functions into the mix, we're stuffed.

Dr Frank Prochaska (1941-2026) - Somerville College Oxford We are deeply saddened to pass on the news of the death of Dr Frank Prochaska on Sunday 15th February, his 85th birthday. Frank was an accomplished historian of modern Britain and a valued member of t...

Frank Prochaska (1941-2026) - always amusing, often shrewd, articulate and perceptive historian of philanthropy in modern Britain. www.some.ox.ac.uk/news/dr-fran...

Take it from me – attacking the Greens’ fringe policies won’t work for Labour in Gorton and Denton Take it from me – attacking the Greens’ fringe policies won’t work for Labour in Gorton and Denton Lucy Powell, deputy leader of the Labour Party (left) and Anna Turley, chair of the Labour Party (right) at the announcement that Angeliki Stogia (centre) is the party's candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election, January 31, 2026 (PA Images / Alamy) Baroness Debbonaire Baroness Debbonaire 3 min read2 hr By-elections can be a pain for campaigners. I have memories of taking my mum to a remote corner of the North West which was an hour away from any train station; it was cold and rainy, dogs howled and we didn’t win. Voters can resent or ignore by-elections – or use them as a means of telling a governing party they are fed up. Leaflets have confusingly similar claims and counter-claims about who is the only party who can beat another party, sometimes illustrated with different coloured silhouettes of two racing horses. Rarely do so many trees die for so little effect. In Gorton and Denton, both Labour and the Greens are pitching as the “only party who can beat Reform”. In a constituency that had a healthy Labour majority in 2024, in a Labour city with Labour MPs, council and mayor, it is noticeable that the Greens are currently the bookies’ favourite, though Reform and Labour are close by. So, what should Labour do? Learn more about the house Voters need a good reason to vote Labour. Under a Labour government with a healthy majority, this needs to be better than “because the others are worse than us”. And clearly, “change”, the 2024 slogan, won’t work this time. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the decision about who our candidate is, we should campaign on Labour achievements and commitments. In a seat with Reform and Greens in contention to take over a previously solid Labour seat, the temptation can be to triangulate – to Reform voters and to would-be Gree…

Some advice worth listening to for Labour in Gorton and Denton from @thangamdebbonaire.bsky.social who lost out to the Greens (albeit in a very different constituency) in 2024. www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

Need some help accessing medieval documents? I am available for freelance work in archives!

I have extensive experience transcribing medieval documents in Latin, Middle French, Middle English and Italian from 1200 to 1500.

Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio) YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Stay free

Lecturer in Early Medieval History | King's College London

Very exciting job announcement! Permanent early medieval (Britain and/or Europe) teaching post at KCL. I know first-hand that this is a great opportunity to work with amazing colleagues and students. www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/136727-...

Dear Sir Paul, Re: Royal Society Code of Conduct I am sure that many scientists have written to you about the specific question of Elon Musk’s Fellowship and whether, under the Royal Society’s Code of Conduct, his retaining that Fellowship is appropriate. I will not rehash these issues. Instead, as a female scientist with extensive experience of activities aiming to increase equality, diversity and inclusion in the engineering and physical sciences sector, I am writing to you (in a personal capacity) to ask you to reconsider the statements you have recently made in this context to the UK press about the Royal Society’s Code of Conduct and how it is applied. A 2018 report from the joint National Academies of the United States of America, concluded that “sexual harassment is common in academic science, engineering, and medicine” and that “greater than 50 percent of women faculty and staff and 20–50 percent of women students encounter or experience sexually harassing conduct in academia”. This report described codes of conduct that make clear that sexual harassment is unethical and will not be tolerated as a “powerful incentive for change”. The authors also noted that sexual harassment can have significant and damaging effects on the integrity of research. In my own praxis, I have found that clear and consistently-implemented codes of conduct that address these issues make female scientists and engineers safer, and allow them to focus more effectively on their research. For codes of conduct to have such a positive effect, it is vital that sanctions for actions which transgress the code are meaningful and substantial.

I was hence aghast to realise that in an interview with the Financial Times published on 9/1/26, you appear to have suggested that the Royal Society “should only expel fellows if their science proved “faulty or fraudulent or highly defective””. Moreover, in a further interview with the Guardian on 11/1/26 you suggested that the code “may need to be looked at again”, with the implication that your aim would be to remove the option of sanctions on Fellows for reasons not strictly related to faults or defects in their research. I suggest that changing the Royal Society’s code of conduct so that the likelihood of serious sanctions for sexual harassment is reduced, would directly endanger women who interact with the Royal Society at events or otherwise, and would provide a licence to harass to the already powerful people on whom the Society bestows fellowship. The implications of your words - that under your leadership the only infringements of the code which are likely to receive the sanction of the Fellowship being removed are those related to research misconduct - already risk empowering harassers. You stated, in the Financial Times interview, that “there’s many bad people around, but they have made scientific advances”. Given this awareness of the possibility of bad actors in our scientific community, it is wholly irresponsible to suggest that the Royal Society would not act to sanction these people if they harass more vulnerable scientists. I am hence writing to request that you retract any suggestion that the Society’s Code of Conduct should be changed so that the only reason a Fellow might be sanctioned by the removal of their Fellowship is “faulty or fraudulent or highly defective” research. This action is necessary to safeguard female scientists, a requirement placed on the Society by safeguarding legislation and UK statutory guidance. Yours sincerely, Professor Rachel A. Oliver.

Following coverage over the weekend of Sir Paul Nurse's comments that suggested that the only reason that a Fellow should be expelled from @royalsociety.org is scientific misconduct, I have written to him to explain the risks such an attitude poses of increasing sexual harassment in STEM.

('long 17C historians' 🤣) #earlymodern

Birkbeck, University of London, is seeking a Lecturer in Medieval Studies to join our dynamic team within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Autumn 2026. As Lecturer in Medieval Studies you will contribute to the teaching of Medieval English literature and Medieval history across the Faculty, within our School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication, and School of Historical Studies - this includes our BA English and BA History programmes, as well as postgraduate taught programmes in the two subject areas. This post is offered on a permanent contract at Birkbeck, full time 35 hours per week, with a salary of £44,247 rising to £60,858 per year. Teaching hours will vary from 6pm - 9pm, Monday to Friday. To be successful, you will bring research expertise in the literature, history and culture of the Late Medieval period (c.1300-1500), and demonstrate a capacity to contribute to interdisciplinary research and teaching, participate actively in curriculum development, supervise doctoral students, and help shape the intellectual life of our vibrant academic community. We would also welcome applicants who would be able to contribute to collaborative teaching programmes or research in the Faculty, in areas such as identity, race/ethnicity, or gender - experience of collaboration with cultural institutions, whether through research or teaching, is also welcome. Core responsibilities will initially include programme/module administration, teaching, supervision, assessment, student support and pastoral care. You will also be equipped to supervise doctoral students. With a PhD in any area of Medieval Studies, you will contribute the Faculty’s and Schools’ research impact and culture, and to the intellectual and cultural life of the institution and the various communities and partners with whom we work and serve.

Birkbeck is hiring a Lecturer in Medieval Studies (c.1300-1500), full-time and open-ended.

They will be formally based in English but expected to be able to contribute about 0.5FTE to History, including teaching and supervision.

Closing date Feb 23rd: cis7.bbk.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...

Having spent a wonderful academic year there, I cannot recommend these fellowships enough and I’m happy to answer any questions

'This charming series' starts Monday, Radio 4, 11.45am.

#AHistoryOfEnglandIn25Poems on BBC Radio 4 next week! Tune in from Monday!

Image of crowd with text: 'Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society. We warmly welcome applications to join the Fellowship. Fellowship recognizes the scholarly contribution of historians working in all sectors of professional history. Next closing date: Monday 11 August 2025'

The Royal Historical Society is a fellowship of professional historians. We welcome applications from historians working in education and many other sectors.

Fellows make original contributions to historical understanding through research, public history and heritage bit.ly/4iOu51g #Skystorians

Quite important really now to ask (and answer) 'What are universities for?' and 'How do/How can universities do what they are for?'. Then ask: Can universities 'do' university (including for taught students) without doing research?

Love it!

Very excited about reading this! I'm currently doing research on the Annals of Clonmacnoise so I think this will pair nicely. #medievalsky

Wow!

Winter sunshine in Nice.