The day has come!

*Encounters in Wartime Italy: A Social History of Invasion, Liberation and Occupation*, published by Oxford University Press, is finally out in ebook!

One month to go until the print edition.

View contents, abstracts and the full ebook here:
👉 academic.oup.com/book/61479

Struggling to figure out why in Putin's mind having foreign (US/EU) troops aiding Ukraine would lead to a nuclear war, while having North Korean soldiers aiding Russia would not 🤔

Since the old link disappeared, the one link to preview the book on the OUP website is: global.oup.com/academic/pro...

The First Occupation Studies Research Network conference has just kicked off at King's College!!
Great to be part of it!

Your excruciating wait is almost over!! In just 143 days you will be able to read my new book, Encounters in Wartime Italy: A Social History of Invasion, Liberation, and Occupation, which Oxford University Press will publish on 10 November 2025!!

Preview it on the OUP website: lnkd.in/e4tMffRX

You don't see that many top Italian Studies heads in the same room every day (and not all of them are in the picture...).

Great day Yesterday at the Italian Cultural Institute... e tanti auguri Modern Italy per i tuoi primi 30 anni!!

So many countries are currently attempting to turn back the clock. We shall see where such a reactionary movement leads us - though we probably already know, don’t we?

Good morning 🙃

Just watched the abominable 'Trump Gaza' video (which I won't repost to avoid further publicity). It's difficult to find words to express how far one's ego can go in disregarding, flouting and perpetrating human suffering.

‘More than ever, history and historians need a collaborative and co-ordinated approach' bit.ly/4iddCU8

In advocacy, the Royal Historical Society works closely with fellow #history organisations. Today we release a statement with @histassoc.bsky.social, @ihr.bsky.social and History UK.
#skystorians

Let's shut history departments, they say... history isn't a relevant discipline anymore, they say...

Needed a break from work and news.
Getting to know the neighbours (both historical and four-legged ones) at Bushy Park, where SHAEF HQ and Eisenhower were based in 1944, prior to D-Day

NEW: Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago on February 24, 2022. Ukraine has not been defeated or destroyed but remains resilient and innovative in the face of this unjustified Russian aggression. 🧵(1/11)

Latest: isw.pub/UkrWar022425

... However, they all play masterfully in conveying the message of an unscrupulous and brutal but cunning leader who sets up a regime based on violence and fear (with the complicity of weak and divided opposition forces) before becoming prisoner of his own character and creature. A big yes from me!

... Milan looks like revolutionary Paris to me, Rome a decadent imperial city and parliament a dark, dusty, insalubrious environment. Events are indeed condensed and simplified, as well as the role played by some characters...

I couldn't agree more with John Foot. I really enjoyed the series and how it manages to condense history, the present and a meaningful warning into entertaining TV drama. I loved the acting, I loved the surreal scenography...