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James Crossland

@jamescrossland.bsky.social

2.1K followers 900 following 1.3K posts

Professor of #History. Author of "Rogue Agent" and "The Rise of Devils". #spies, #terrorism, extremism, fake news, weird stories, terrible people and things that are not real 🗃️

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James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · Sep 1

🔊Summer's over. Back to work.

Upcoming "Rogue Agent" events in Cheshire, London and the Isle of Wight
#history #historybookchat
🗃️📝💙📚✏️

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James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 2m

This is astonishing research and the person responsible should be given an honorary doctorate.

James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 7m

www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...

Think this is the cue to put on Ice Cube's "It Was A Good Day"
#grifters

Supreme Court declines Alex Jones challenge to defamation judgement

In 2022 it was ruled that the conspiracy theorist would have to pay $1.4bn to families of the victims of Sandy Hook.

www.aljazeera.com

Reposted by James Crossland

Luca Trenta @lucatrenta.bsky.social · 23m

This has long been an issue in the context of Russia’s (c)overt foreign policy. A balance is needed between confronting and exposing Russia’s activities and refraining from seeing an all-powerful Russian hand behind every development.

Roman A. @romanad.bsky.social · 3h

"But overestimating Putin’s power means doing his job for him. It means amplifying every one of his threats, mistaking posturing for reality, and making policy decisions based not on facts but on what Putin wants us to believe." via
@theatlantic.com

www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Putin Is Not Winning

Underestimating the Russian leader is dangerous, but ascribing dark powers to him plays right into his hands.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by James Crossland

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 1h

The vast majority of British people don't have A level standard English so this is truly insane.

The Independent @the-independent.com · 5h

Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in UK

www.independent.co.uk

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James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 4h

Awesome recognises awesome

David Lynch's Worlds @davidlynchsworlds.bsky.social · 19h

#NaomiWatts brings up #DavidLynch during her #HollywoodWalkofFame celebration speech:

James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 4h

He needs a suit of armour, otherwise I'm just not going to take him seriously.

James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 4h

I could not agree with this more. I have had to re-purchase my favourite books on multiple occasions because I literally read them to death.

Nick Pettigrew @nick-pettigrew.bsky.social · 21h

The veneration of Books As Objects misses the point entirely. If you're reading a book, turn the corners down, break the spine, spill soup on it. It's your book, go nuts. A pristine, unread book is a tragedy in a way that a beloved, much-read book that looks like the dog's been at it could never be.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 1d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

Reposted by James Crossland

Orkney Library & Archive @orkneylibrary.bsky.social · 6h

Time travel exists between the pages of a book.

This luggage tag fell out of a pile of old books, and everything about it looks like the past.

A photo showing both sides of an old BEA luggage tag with flight information written on it.

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James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 5h

The left: earnest public speaker, telling the story of Robert Bruce Lockhart to a full ballroom of #history lovers at the @iowlf.bsky.social

The right: devil incarnate summoning the dark legions to do my bidding

I like both of these.
#booksky
@ljmuresearch.bsky.social @ljmuhistory.bsky.social

James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 7h

I love space. Its absolutely fucking terrifying.

Jennifer Ouellette @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social · 1d

A black hole fell into a star - then ate its way out again www.newscientist.com/article/2499...

A black hole fell into a star – then ate its way out again

Stars often fall into black holes, and now it seems the opposite can also occur, producing an extra long-lasting explosion as the star is consumed from within

www.newscientist.com

Reposted by James Crossland

Nitish Pahwa @nitishpahwa.com · 1d

had the great privilege of speaking with Cory Doctorow about his new book Enshittification, how he came to coin the word on @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy, the myriad ways the concept has manifested throughout tech's modern history, and how he maintains hope that we may yet de-enshittify the commons:

He Coined the Word That Describes Why the Internet Sucks Right Now. His New Book Could Help Make It Better.

His newest book provides ideas for how to de-enshittify the world wide web that’s become our everyday life.

slate.com

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Reposted by James Crossland

Toby Earle 🇺🇦 @tobyontv.bsky.social · 8h

‘I was stopped by police while driving my silver Bentley stuffed with cash and I told them I’m a journalist’

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James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 7h

Peace

James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 7h

He needed to do this on day one of his prime ministership. It won't cut through now.

Reposted by James Crossland

Tales from the Mabinogion @mabinogiongame.bsky.social · 1d

#MythologyMonday
Cadair Idris is one of Wales' most beautiful and storied peaks. Legend says that a night upon its slopes may grant the gift of 'Awen', or divine poetic inspiration. But it comes also with a risk: some who sleep there will wake not as poets, but as madmen!

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James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 7h

There is a noble sadness in this

Reposted by James Crossland

Lawprofblawg @lawprofblawg.bsky.social · 15h

Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead are really just one incredibly long, bad, and boring book.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 1d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

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James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 9h

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Smart organisations never abandoned hardcopy records.

Have plans on paper in case of cyber-attack, firms told

Prepare to switch to off-line systems in the event of a cyber-attack, firms are being advised.

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by James Crossland

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 23h

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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Reposted by James Crossland

Matthew L Reznicek @drreznicek.bsky.social · 1d

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical

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Reposted by James Crossland

Alan Owlport 🦉 🎃 @alanallport.bsky.social · 1d

Has anyone ever written up this alt-history story because Garibaldi v Lee would be amazing.

Stephen Nuñez @socio-steve.bsky.social · 1d

Garibaldi was like, "Hey Mr. Lincoln, I'd be happy to lead your forces to victory if you free the slaves. "

Stephen Nuñez @socio-steve.bsky.social · 1d

Happy Garibaldi day to all who celebrate

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Reposted by James Crossland

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 1d

BBC HistoryExtra recently featured new research on the victims of 'Vlad the Impaler' bit.ly/47neK4M. The article draws on new work by Dénes Harai which is published in 'Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'.

Dénes's 'Transactions' article is now available bit.ly/46iJfIU #Skystorians 1/2

Vlad the Impaler was medieval Europe's bloodiest warlord, but is the scale of his murder just a myth?

Vlad III Dracula, the brutal warlord and inspiration for Bram Stoker’s genre-defining vampire, has long held a reputation as medieval Europe’s most terrifying ruler. Now, new research asks: how true a...

bit.ly

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Reposted by James Crossland

QuoProQuid @quoproquid.bsky.social · 1d

if lee harvey oswald were alive today, he’d be a dude with under 100 followers who is constantly replying to every politician’s banal tweets with what he thinks is “shocking content” that earns him nothing more than 3 likes and the occasional visit from bored fbi agents

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James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 1d

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Once phase one is complete, negotiations are expected to follow over the details of the latter phases"

Going to go out on a limb to suggest the "details" will be more than a bit pesky.

What happens next in Gaza ceasefire plan after hostage release?

Israel and Hamas are exchanging hostages and prisoners as part of phase one of Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza.

www.bbc.co.uk

James Crossland @jamescrossland.bsky.social · 1d

Academia needs to be more like this. #skystorians

Michel Lacombe @michellacombe.bsky.social · 2d

Julius Caesar conquered Gaul in 51 BC and died in 44 BC, therefore all of Asterix's adventures took place over the course of less than seven years, probably much less since Asterix's chieftain was at the battle of Alesia, were it is probable Asterix and Obelix's fathers died. In this essay, I will