Tom Isitt
@tomisitt.bsky.social
Author, historian, cyclist, hiker, occasional climber, idiot adventurer with unrealistic goals and expectations.
History says the Austro-Hungarian army was starving in 1918, but what does that actually mean? What was the effect of starvation on frontline soldiers? The Minnesota Experiment gives some answers, but few historians have attempted to analyse the effects of starvation. So I’m doing some science…
November 22, 2025 at 2:31 PM
History says the Austro-Hungarian army was starving in 1918, but what does that actually mean? What was the effect of starvation on frontline soldiers? The Minnesota Experiment gives some answers, but few historians have attempted to analyse the effects of starvation. So I’m doing some science…
We have WW1 memorials for war horses, dogs, mules, even pigeons. But where are the ones for the oxen, eh? They are the perfect draught animal — strong, hardy, and when you’re done with them, they’re much more tasty than your average mule.
November 17, 2025 at 11:33 AM
We have WW1 memorials for war horses, dogs, mules, even pigeons. But where are the ones for the oxen, eh? They are the perfect draught animal — strong, hardy, and when you’re done with them, they’re much more tasty than your average mule.
Another book I’ll never get round to writing.
November 13, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Another book I’ll never get round to writing.
The best view in WW1? An Austrian machine gun position on Lagazuoi Piccolo in the Dolomites.
November 11, 2025 at 8:01 PM
The best view in WW1? An Austrian machine gun position on Lagazuoi Piccolo in the Dolomites.
The Castello, an Italian WW1 machine gun position on Costabella Ridge in the Dolomites.
November 10, 2025 at 5:13 PM
The Castello, an Italian WW1 machine gun position on Costabella Ridge in the Dolomites.
Italian WW1 trench near Bosco Malo (Hudi Log) on the Carso, dug in summer 1917, untouched since then (except by brush fires in 2021).
November 9, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Italian WW1 trench near Bosco Malo (Hudi Log) on the Carso, dug in summer 1917, untouched since then (except by brush fires in 2021).
Well that’s frustrating…I hiked for 2 days, crossed a glacier, and climbed to 3306m (10,846ft) ASL on an icy mountain to take a photo for the cover of my book, and people assume it’s a composite, or A.I. 😡
November 5, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Well that’s frustrating…I hiked for 2 days, crossed a glacier, and climbed to 3306m (10,846ft) ASL on an icy mountain to take a photo for the cover of my book, and people assume it’s a composite, or A.I. 😡
My spell-checker hates my new project.
November 4, 2025 at 3:06 PM
My spell-checker hates my new project.
Researching the Great Retreat of 1915, I thought it would be a good idea to plot where my main protagonists were, and when. And, like many of my good ideas, it’s spiralled completely out of control. Still, if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing to excess.
October 29, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Researching the Great Retreat of 1915, I thought it would be a good idea to plot where my main protagonists were, and when. And, like many of my good ideas, it’s spiralled completely out of control. Still, if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing to excess.
Putting together an online photo gallery of WW1 huts on the Italian Front, and thinking I should tap up B&Q for some advertising.
October 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Putting together an online photo gallery of WW1 huts on the Italian Front, and thinking I should tap up B&Q for some advertising.
Finally! Someone (other than me) said it out loud. Perhaps they can also address the other elephant in the gravel bike room…tyre widths.
Singletrack Issue 163: Stop The Drops!
Why are people riding drop handlebars off-road? To answer that, let’s first ask ‘why are people riding drop handlebars on-road?’
Why are people riding drop handlebars off-road? To answer that, let’s first ask ‘why are people riding drop handlebars on-road?’
Singletrack Issue 163: Stop The Drops!
Why are people riding drop handlebars off-road? To answer that, let’s first ask ‘why are people riding drop handlebars on-road?’
singletrackworld.com
October 28, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Finally! Someone (other than me) said it out loud. Perhaps they can also address the other elephant in the gravel bike room…tyre widths.
When my son said he was going to the football, I didn’t realise he’d actually be playing.
October 26, 2025 at 3:40 PM
When my son said he was going to the football, I didn’t realise he’d actually be playing.
So, in addition to snakes, ticks, UXOs, tetanus, rock-falls, frostbite, avalanches, and falling off mountains, we can now add Dengue Fever to the list of potential hazards that may be encountered while “walking the ground” on the Italian Front.
October 23, 2025 at 4:28 PM
So, in addition to snakes, ticks, UXOs, tetanus, rock-falls, frostbite, avalanches, and falling off mountains, we can now add Dengue Fever to the list of potential hazards that may be encountered while “walking the ground” on the Italian Front.
This year’s autumnal tree photo.
October 18, 2025 at 5:14 PM
This year’s autumnal tree photo.
Today’s handy infographic tells you everything you need to know about Allied foreign policy in the Balkans during WW1.
October 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Today’s handy infographic tells you everything you need to know about Allied foreign policy in the Balkans during WW1.
Contrasting the WW1 experiences of western journalists and Serbian refugees during the Great Retreat of 1915. Foie Gras and roast duck for the former, starvation and hypothermia for the latter.
October 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Contrasting the WW1 experiences of western journalists and Serbian refugees during the Great Retreat of 1915. Foie Gras and roast duck for the former, starvation and hypothermia for the latter.
Bivacco…Italian for “mistake” (to paraphrase a popular saying in the hiking/climbing community).
October 3, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Bivacco…Italian for “mistake” (to paraphrase a popular saying in the hiking/climbing community).
The “hiking essentials” they never tell you about.
October 2, 2025 at 9:39 AM
The “hiking essentials” they never tell you about.
It’s available for pre-order on Amazon, so it must be real.
(It’s been six years in the making, and I still can’t quite believe it’s actually a thing)
(It’s been six years in the making, and I still can’t quite believe it’s actually a thing)
September 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
It’s available for pre-order on Amazon, so it must be real.
(It’s been six years in the making, and I still can’t quite believe it’s actually a thing)
(It’s been six years in the making, and I still can’t quite believe it’s actually a thing)
If I wasn’t so busy, I’d try to make a Pro Cycling ethics league table, based on Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth rankings, and the number of ex-dopers employed by the team. We should know what we’re cheering for. Maybe the cycling media could…oh, wait…
September 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
If I wasn’t so busy, I’d try to make a Pro Cycling ethics league table, based on Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth rankings, and the number of ex-dopers employed by the team. We should know what we’re cheering for. Maybe the cycling media could…oh, wait…
As observation posts go, this is a belter.
September 22, 2025 at 7:15 PM
As observation posts go, this is a belter.
Surprising, considering he died 10 years ago. Still, it occasioned a pleasant trip down memory lane. He was an absolute maniac (a common character trait among my dead friends).
September 19, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Surprising, considering he died 10 years ago. Still, it occasioned a pleasant trip down memory lane. He was an absolute maniac (a common character trait among my dead friends).
The curse of family portraits…you don’t want them on the wall, but you can’t really get rid of them either (heirlooms, and all that). He was a Methodist preacher, she was a vocal Prohibitionist. They would have been rather disappointed to find themselves in my loft.
September 16, 2025 at 6:27 PM
The curse of family portraits…you don’t want them on the wall, but you can’t really get rid of them either (heirlooms, and all that). He was a Methodist preacher, she was a vocal Prohibitionist. They would have been rather disappointed to find themselves in my loft.
Battlefield tourism, done differently.
September 14, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Battlefield tourism, done differently.