Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 13h

Book review: Captain of Horse - the second book in Griff Hosker's English mercenary series. Our hero, Captain James Bretherton, is recruited by Gustavus Adolphus to lead a unit of light horse during the Swedish phase of the TYW. A cracking read. balkandave.blogspot.com/2025/10/capt...

Captain of Horse

This is the second book in Griff Hosker's English mercenary series. The first book covered the opening campaigns of the Thirty Years' War....

balkandave.blogspot.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 16h

OTD in 1915, Bulgaria invaded Serbia, joining the Central Powers to gain territory lost in the previous Balkan War. Another disastrous decision which enabled the destruction of Serbia, but in the long run did further damage to Bulgaria. Some of my 28mm Bulgarian infantry.

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 1d

GDWS Napoleonic Open Day is this coming Sunday. A wide range of Napoleonic games and rules, including Black Powder, Soldiers of Napoleon, Black Seas, Blucher and Fistful of Lead. From big battles (they don't come bigger than Leipzig) to skirmish games. All welcome.

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 1d

Crumbling 'Old Man of Wick' could reopen after three and a half years. The surviving four-storey tower is believed to date from the 14th century or later, although tradition links its origins to Earl Harald Maddadson in the 12th century.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2553118...

Crumbling castle could soon reopen after three and a half years

Specialist teams carried out checked the castle’s exposed masonry by hand

www.heraldscotland.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 2d

Having got around both flanks, in classic Hannibal fashion, the cavalry failed to exploit their position. Even failed a flank attack! The Roman legions then steam rolled through the centre. Punic wars using Midgard.

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 2d

Mordheim with boats at North Ayrshire Gamers today.

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 2d

Midgard at the Irvine club today. Punic Wars. First blood to my Carthaginian medium cavalry who have driven the right wing Roman cavalry from the field.

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 2d

OTD in 1787, the Battle of Kinburn (modern Ukraine) was fought, the first action of the Russo-Ottoman War of that year. This will be the GDWS participation game at Targe (Kirriemuir) on 1 November 2025. www.gdws.co.uk/kinburn-1787...

Kinburn 1787

Targe 2025 The first action of the Russo-Ottoman War of 1787 began with the Ottoman offensive began at Kinburn (in modern Ukraine), opposite the Ottoman fortress at Ochakov (Özi), on a spit of land...

www.gdws.co.uk

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 2d

Raise Your Soul by Yanis Varoufakis review – an intimate history of Greece. The colourful former minister uses the lives of five female relatives to tell the story of postwar Greek politics. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

Raise Your Soul by Yanis Varoufakis review – an intimate history of Greece

The colourful former minister uses the lives of five female relatives to tell the story of postwar Greek politics

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Dave Watson

Jur @jurdj.bsky.social · 3d

And we're off at the Hartenstein Airborne Museum with three tables : Dennenoord, Oosterbeek Laag train station and Ginkel Heath #ChainofCommand #SpreadtheLard

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Reposted by Dave Watson

Mark Backhouse @markbackhouse29.bsky.social · 3d

At Partizan tomorrow? Come and try out a quick game of Strength and Honour. #spreadthelard

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 3d

It's Bookshop Day! Get down to your local independent bookshop and buy a book or three. I could suggest a few Balkan titles 😂. www.booksellers.org.uk/Campaigns/bo....

Booksellers Association - Bookshop Day and Books Are My Bag Readers Awards

The Booksellers Association of the UK and Ireland is a trade body founded to promote retail bookselling in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It operates the National Book Token scheme in the UK and spo...

www.booksellers.org.uk

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 4d

We have a launch date of 30 October 2025 and a landing page. It now feels like a project coming to fruition. A lot of miles were travelled researching this one. As always, thanks to everyone we met on the way.
www.balkanhistory.org/struggle-for...

Struggle for the Pontic Steppe

This book examines the conflict between the Russian and Ottoman empires for control of the Pontic Steppe region during the second half of the 18th century. The Pontic Steppe stretches from the...

www.balkanhistory.org

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 4d

If you have to defend the size of your hobby collection to a loved one, here is a guy with 4,379 different Monopoly sets😂. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Experience: I own the world’s largest Monopoly collection

Every set is exciting. I’ve currently got 4,379 different ones. The dream is to hit 4,500, maybe even 5,000

www.theguardian.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 5d

Latest in my Nigel Tranter project is the MacGregor Trilogy. Three books focused on the MacGregor Clan in the late 17th and early 18thC. This begins with the story of Rob Roy and continues with his relatives in the 1745 rising. Classic Scottish legend. balkandave.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

The MacGregor Trilogy

The latest in my Nigel Tranter project is the MacGregor Trilogy. Three books focused on the proscribed MacGregor Clan in the late 17th and ...

balkandave.blogspot.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 7d

OTD in 1571, the Battle of Lepanto was fought off the coast of Greece. The Holy League gained a decisive victory, with the Ottoman fleet almost completely destroyed. However, the Ottomans rapidly rebuilt their fleet in under 6 months. Some of my galleys using Black Seas rules.

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 7d

The Pushkin job: unmasking the thieves behind an international rare books heist. “it’s impossible that a group of thieves initiated this action without the involvement of a state.” www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

The Pushkin job: unmasking the thieves behind an international rare books heist

The long read: Between 2022 and 2023, as many as 170 rare and valuable editions of Russian classics were stolen from libraries across Europe. Were the thieves merely low-level opportunists, or were bi...

www.theguardian.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 7d

Scotland's historic buildings must not be 'left to rot' as tough choices loom. Faces pressures over rising visitor numbers, deterioration of monuments caused by climate change, increased costs and a lack of traditional skills to maintain its assets. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Robison warns of 'difficult choices' as Scottish Budget date set

The Scottish government will outline its tax and spending plans for the year on 13 January, more than a month later than usual.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 9d

The Yugoslavs held off the Nazi hordes, this afternoon anyway. In fairness, the rookie Stuka pilot bombing a German unit helped 😂. Bolt Action at GDWS today.

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 9d

Bolt Action at the club this afternoon. German invasion of Yugoslavia. Not a good start with my R35 missing his first shot but at least the PkwIII also missed.

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 11d

Researchers have identified the location of Cadirli Fortress, one of the earliest strongholds conquered by Osman Ghazi the founder of the Ottoman state, in the early 14thC.
The finding sheds new light on the formative years and reliability of chronicles. www.turkiyetoday.com/culture/site...

Site of fortress conquered by Ottoman founder Osman I in early 1300s identified - Türkiye Today

Cadirli Fortress, captured by Osman Ghazi in the early 1300s, has been located in Bilecik, confirming early Ottoman chronicles’ historical accuracy

www.turkiyetoday.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 11d

Archaeologists uncover Ottoman-era key (29cm long) at historic Bitlis Castle. Alongside the key, the expert team uncovered a variety of significant artifacts and structures within a 50-square-meter vaulted space, believed to be the palace’s reception area. www.dailysabah.com/life/history...

Archaeologists uncover Ottoman-era key at historic Bitlis Castle

Archaeological excavations at Bitlis Castle in southeastern Türkiye, a historic site that has hosted numerous civilizations throughout history, have...

www.dailysabah.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 13d

‘See you in Valhalla’: how the FBI director waded into the far-right’s obsession with the Vikings. It doesn’t require any understanding of the Norse tradition. It comes from the Nazi’s fetishisation of violent death to secure the racial purity of Germany. theconversation.com/see-you-in-v...

‘See you in Valhalla’: how the FBI director waded into the far-right’s obsession with the Vikings

Was the FBI chief sending a message to white supremacists? It’s more likely Patel’s Valhalla reference was a clumsy attempt to call Kirk a hero.

theconversation.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 13d

My blog on an afternoon spent in Warwick’s three regimental museums. The Hussars, Yeomanry and Fusiliers. Excellent wee museums and my thanks to the volunteers who add so much to the experience. balkandave.blogspot.com/2025/10/warw...

Warwick military heritage

I was in Warwick last Saturday afternoon, not for the castle, which I have visited before, but to visit the three regimental museums. Yes, ...

balkandave.blogspot.com

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Dave Watson @balkandave.bsky.social · 13d

‘Laughing at a libertarian crypto dragon? That rules’: Brennan Lee Mulligan on how Dungeons & Dragons took over the world. The games master has accrued millions of fans and sold out Madison Square Garden with his shows where he plays D&D live with guests.

www.theguardian.com/games/2025/s...

‘Laughing at a libertarian crypto dragon? That rules’: Brennan Lee Mulligan on how Dungeons & Dragons took over the world

The games master has accrued millions of fans and sold out Madison Square Garden with his shows where he plays D&D live with guests. He’s still ‘bewildered’ by the success

www.theguardian.com

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