Jim Leeke
@jimleeke.bsky.social
Writer, researcher, SABR member — sports, aviation and military history. Current book: Big Loosh (University of Nebraska Press). Previously: The Gas and Flame Men; The Turtle and the Dreamboat (Potomac Books).
Pinned
Jim Leeke
@jimleeke.bsky.social
· Jul 1
PUB DAY! “Big Loosh” is now available everywhere. My thanks to @univnebpress.bsky.social for all the good work. Play ball!
I spent so much time writing his biography that I think and speak of him now simply as “Ronnie.” (And I did meet him once, long ago.)
November 26, 2025 at 10:14 PM
I spent so much time writing his biography that I think and speak of him now simply as “Ronnie.” (And I did meet him once, long ago.)
Everyone be safe while traveling for Thanksgiving! (Artist: O’Dell Dean, 1917)
November 26, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Everyone be safe while traveling for Thanksgiving! (Artist: O’Dell Dean, 1917)
Reposted by Jim Leeke
Mark Kelly: "My wife, Gabby Giffords, meeting with her constituents, shot in the head. Six people killed around her, a horrific thing. She spent six months in the hospital. We know what political violence is and we know what causes it too, The statements that Donald Trump made incites others."
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Mark Kelly: "My wife, Gabby Giffords, meeting with her constituents, shot in the head. Six people killed around her, a horrific thing. She spent six months in the hospital. We know what political violence is and we know what causes it too, The statements that Donald Trump made incites others."
Clearly, nobody at Yahoo has ever seen Columbus.
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Clearly, nobody at Yahoo has ever seen Columbus.
Douglas O-38F observation biplane, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Dayton OH, 2024. I’ll need another propeller fix soon while writing the biography of 1930s speed flier Frank Hawks. — #avgeeks
November 23, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Douglas O-38F observation biplane, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Dayton OH, 2024. I’ll need another propeller fix soon while writing the biography of 1930s speed flier Frank Hawks. — #avgeeks
My 2008 book on JFK’s funeral, now out of print.
November 22, 2025 at 2:37 PM
My 2008 book on JFK’s funeral, now out of print.
A favorite discovery, tiny sketch of a female baseball player. An illustration for a newspaper article, 1913. Artist unknown. Maybe the new @wpbl.bsky.social can use it!
November 21, 2025 at 2:59 PM
A favorite discovery, tiny sketch of a female baseball player. An illustration for a newspaper article, 1913. Artist unknown. Maybe the new @wpbl.bsky.social can use it!
Happy this includes my book Big Loosh: The Unruly Life of Umpire Ron Luciano …
News and Reviews featuring @profmkbyrnes.bsky.social @wilderwriter.bsky.social @jimleeke.bsky.social and more!
News & Reviews
Reviews Making Space Review in H-Diplo: "Byrnes’s study makes a critical intervention into the history and historiography of the postwar and postcolonial immigrant communities in France, exploring how and why municipalities such as Saint-Denis and others reacted to and created policies for and sometimes against the North Africans living in their midst." The Bower Atmosphere Review in Western Historical Quarterly…
unpblog.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Happy this includes my book Big Loosh: The Unruly Life of Umpire Ron Luciano …
Reposted by Jim Leeke
For what it’s worth, as a commander and officer it was my duty, moral obligation, and legal requirement to first question and then to not obey any illegal order I was given.
The same is true for everyone who swear their oath.
Hope that clears things up.
The same is true for everyone who swear their oath.
Hope that clears things up.
November 20, 2025 at 10:16 PM
For what it’s worth, as a commander and officer it was my duty, moral obligation, and legal requirement to first question and then to not obey any illegal order I was given.
The same is true for everyone who swear their oath.
Hope that clears things up.
The same is true for everyone who swear their oath.
Hope that clears things up.
Reposted by Jim Leeke
Democratic messaging to our military about killing civilians extrajudicially is too polite. Soliders, sailors and Marines need fair warning that at a future point, a restored military judicial process will review these slayings, and those executing an unlawful order will be subject to that process.
November 20, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Democratic messaging to our military about killing civilians extrajudicially is too polite. Soliders, sailors and Marines need fair warning that at a future point, a restored military judicial process will review these slayings, and those executing an unlawful order will be subject to that process.
Reposted by Jim Leeke
Frank Hawks (right) flew Will Rogers on a Red Cross drought-relieve tour across three states in 1931. “There’s more than a million people in the country with more money than ever before," Rogers said, "but there’s 10 million people who are poorer than ever. It’s up to us to do something about it.”
November 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Frank Hawks (right) flew Will Rogers on a Red Cross drought-relieve tour across three states in 1931. “There’s more than a million people in the country with more money than ever before," Rogers said, "but there’s 10 million people who are poorer than ever. It’s up to us to do something about it.”
An old favorite — Elmer Andrews Bushnell, “A Birdseye View of Uncle Si Tiller’s First View of the Aerial Mail Plane.” (Topeka State Journal, May 10, 1919, via Library of Congress) — #avgeeks
November 19, 2025 at 3:30 PM
An old favorite — Elmer Andrews Bushnell, “A Birdseye View of Uncle Si Tiller’s First View of the Aerial Mail Plane.” (Topeka State Journal, May 10, 1919, via Library of Congress) — #avgeeks
Reposted by Jim Leeke
Happy Holidays from the University of Nebraska Press! Great books make great gifts, so until December 31, 2025, our entire catalog is available for 50% OFF.
Holiday Sale
Happy Holidays from the University of Nebraska Press! Great books make great gifts, so for the rest of the year, until December 31, 2025, our entire catalog is available for 50% OFF. This sale includes over 4,000 books, so there’s something for everyone. Just enter 6HLW25 in the promotion code field of your shopping cart and click Add Promotion Code when making your purchase. Shop Now!
unpblog.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Happy Holidays from the University of Nebraska Press! Great books make great gifts, so until December 31, 2025, our entire catalog is available for 50% OFF.
MLB umpire Ron Luciano was an All-America football player at Syracuse before he entered baseball. He played briefly for the Indianapolis Warriors of the minor United Football League after injuries ended his dreams of an NFL career. Learn more about Ronnie in bio Big Loosh, @univnebpress.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 3:12 PM
MLB umpire Ron Luciano was an All-America football player at Syracuse before he entered baseball. He played briefly for the Indianapolis Warriors of the minor United Football League after injuries ended his dreams of an NFL career. Learn more about Ronnie in bio Big Loosh, @univnebpress.bsky.social
I included this panel in my book Nine Innings for the King, from @mcfarland.bsky.social.
Here's Mutt later, as an American doughboy in 1918, explaining baseball to a Britisher — a panel from my favorite WWI sports cartoon.
November 17, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I included this panel in my book Nine Innings for the King, from @mcfarland.bsky.social.
Here's Mutt later, as an American doughboy in 1918, explaining baseball to a Britisher — a panel from my favorite WWI sports cartoon.
November 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Here's Mutt later, as an American doughboy in 1918, explaining baseball to a Britisher — a panel from my favorite WWI sports cartoon.
Bud Fisher, the creator of Mutt and Jeff, took a vacation as WWl began in Europe. He drew himself into a cartoon and added a joke about the English Channel. An American, the cartoonist later was a captain in the British Army. (Harrisburg Telegraph, August 10, 1914, via Library of Congress)
November 17, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Bud Fisher, the creator of Mutt and Jeff, took a vacation as WWl began in Europe. He drew himself into a cartoon and added a joke about the English Channel. An American, the cartoonist later was a captain in the British Army. (Harrisburg Telegraph, August 10, 1914, via Library of Congress)
“I'm not a financial expert, but if I had disposable cash I'd avoid the hyperinflated AI bubble and invest in a company that manufactures pitchforks.” …
The Epstein emails have damaged Trump beyond repair, because the public has now seen the gross moral rot behind Trump's presidency and the elites who prop it up (and fawned over a convicted sex creep)
Take your money out of AI and into pitchforks. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/epst...
Take your money out of AI and into pitchforks. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/epst...
Epstein’s emails are the end of America as they ruined it
If the evil banality of the world's most powerful people exposed in the Epstein emails doesn't cause a revolution, nothing will.
www.inquirer.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:14 PM
“I'm not a financial expert, but if I had disposable cash I'd avoid the hyperinflated AI bubble and invest in a company that manufactures pitchforks.” …
Reposted by Jim Leeke
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:38 PM
From this minister's op-ed: "People wanting to experience God are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview, Illinois, ICE facility than we ever were in church...God does not live in our houses of worship, but...with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment."
Reposted by Jim Leeke
What would Jesus do? See the photo below.
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:50 PM
What would Jesus do? See the photo below.
I’ve published two books with McFarland: Ballplayers in the Great War & Nine Innings for the King — order them as holiday gifts today!
Black Friday came early! We're launching our biggest sale of the year with a special early access period. Through Cyber Monday, December 1, get 35% off our entire catalog with code HOLIDAY25! Take advantage now because after December 1, the discount drops to 20%. Happy holidays!
November 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
I’ve published two books with McFarland: Ballplayers in the Great War & Nine Innings for the King — order them as holiday gifts today!
