Charles West

@pseudo-isidore.bsky.social

4.4K followers 450 following 2.2K posts

Professor of History

Videos

Charles West (1816–1898) was a British physician, specialized in pediatrics and obstetrics, especially known as the founder of the first children's hospital in Great Britain, the Hospital for Sick Children in Great Ormond Street, London. .. more

History 43%

Philosophy 19%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Charles West

Ed Roberts @ecroberts.bsky.social · 4h

Medieval legal manuscripts don't often contain illustrations, but this collection (Vatican lat. 1339) made in central Italy in the mid-11th C features depictions of 6 ecumenical councils and 44 portraits of canonical authorities. Here's the 431 council of Ephesus, convened by Theodosius II:

Illustration of the council of Ephesus in 431 in an 11th-century manuscript

Reposted by Dave O’Brien, Charles West, Mark Altaweel

Chiara Bonacchi @chiara-bonacchi.bsky.social · 4h

Really excited that our *new paper* is finally out 🔥 This study is the first to quantitatively investigate museum visitors’ perceptions of historical analogies that compare concepts from the deep past to modern political ideas.
doi.org/10.1057/s415...

Reposted by Charles West

Aylwyn Scally @aylwyn-scally.bsky.social · 4h

Strong words from @theguardian.com : one NATO member attacking another 'would undermine the credibility of the alliance' 😄

Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 5h

A new episode on the Peace of God, with Dominique Barthélemy (and the voice of Georges Duby) @xaviermauduit.bsky.social
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...

Paix de Dieu, maintenir l'ordre en odeur de sainteté : épisode du podcast Paix, une histoire pas si paisible

AUDIO • Paix, une histoire pas si paisible, épisode : Paix de Dieu, maintenir l'ordre en odeur de sainteté. Une série inédite proposée par France Culture. Écoutez Le Cours de l'histoire, et découvrez...

www.radiofrance.fr

Reposted by Charles West, Catherine J. Frieman, Aidan O’Sullivan

Dr Tess Machling @tessmachling.bsky.social · 7h

@profaliceroberts.bsky.social !! I know you said there was a spectacular Iron Age fund, but you could have warned us!!!

@theduncanmackay.bsky.social and me are going to be fit for nowt today!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

‘Extraordinary’ iron age war trumpet find in Britain may have Boudicca links

Bronze instrument or carnyx dug up in Norfolk in area inhabited by Celtic tribe led by warrior who fought Romans

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Charles West, David Koepsell, Klaus Oschema , and 1 more Charles West, David Koepsell, Klaus Oschema, Farah Mendlesohn

Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 9h

FYI:

In 1916 the U.S. signed an agreement for control of St. Thomas, St. John & St. Croix, known as the “Danish West Indies,” in exchange for $25 million & a declaration that the U.S. would “not object to the Danish Govt extending their political & economic interests to the whole of Greenland.

Reposted by Charles West

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 18h

I don't disagree. A big and important achievement to have got the US to it and kept them on board, though.

Reposted by Charles West

Hannah Boston @hannah-boston.bsky.social · 21h

Delighted to bring you the programme for the third Medieval Loyalty Workshop, online on 24th January, under the command of the terrific @katybennett.bsky.social and @mediev-el.bsky.social

All are very welcome!

Details here: medievalloyalty.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2026/01/06/t...

The 3rd Medieval Loyalty Research Network Workshop, 24th January 2026 – Loyalty in the Medieval World

medievalloyalty.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk

Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 23h

When did people last talk about the 'Western Hemisphere'?

Reposted by Charles West, Margot C. Finn

Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 23h

as.ft.com/r/b65ff630-5...

Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter

[FREE TO READ] A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent

as.ft.com

Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 1d

Such a pity bathing hadn't been invented yet.

Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 1d

oh no

youtu.be/tlSDDuWxO_0?...

Reposted by Charles West

Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 1d

oh no

youtu.be/tlSDDuWxO_0?...

Reposted by Charles West, Julia Hillner

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 1d

Our first RHS lecture of 2026 is '"Alike in Appearance but not in Scope": Queens and the Making of Medieval Europe', with Prof Charles West (Edinburgh) bit.ly/49GlmMR

6pm, Friday 6 February. In-person booking is now full but registration to attend this event online remains open #Skystorians

'Queens and the Making of Medieval Europe': RHS Lecture, online

Royal Historical Society Lecture, 6 February 2026

bit.ly

Reposted by Charles West, Catherine Baker

History Workshop @historyworkshop.org.uk · 1d

How have History Workshop Journal articles been used to teach history over the past 50 years?

From the French Revolution, to policing in early modern England, to LGBTQ+ histories, these reflections highlight the HWJ archive as a valuable resource within many different classrooms.

HWJ in the Classroom

From histories of the French Revolution, to policing in Early Modern England, to LGBTQ+ histories, these reflections highlight HWJ as a valuable resource across many different classrooms.

www.historyworkshop.org.uk

Reposted by Charles West

Mateusz Fafinski @calthalas.bsky.social · 1d

Obviously, when it comes to to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, the correct answer is 3 October 1283, the execution of Dafydd ap Gruffudd.

Reposted by Charles West, Paul Nightingale, Aidan O’Sullivan

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

Looking for an intellectual treat? @petermandler.bsky.social 's Ford Lectures on 'The Language of Social Science in Everyday Life' begin Thursday 22 January and continue weekly through 26 February in Oxford. #Skystorians

The James Ford Lectures in British History

The Language of Social Science in Everyday Life - Peter Mandler (Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge)

www.history.ox.ac.uk

Reposted by Charles West

Jackson Crawford @norsebysw.bsky.social · 1d

I appeared on the BBC’s @historyextra.bsky.social podcast to talk about how old our surviving poems about the Norse gods & heroes might ultimately be, & the interesting fact that some of the narratives centered on women look to be among the oldest. open.spotify.com/episode/5gMy...

Inside the Viking battle of the genders

open.spotify.com

Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, I can see the value!

Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, but also troubling - shouldn't historians be expected to know the languages they are studying...?

Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 1d

Lots to reflect on here.

MarineLives @marinelives.bsky.social · 2d

NEW: Can LLMs open Ottoman archives to generalist historians? I show how AI transcription makes Ottoman Turkish, Albanian, Bulgarian, Greek & Armenian accessible—with auditable, scholarly results. Work in progress; feedback welcome!
generativelives.substack.com/p/opening-the-ottoman-archive

Opening the Ottoman Archive

You want to do granular research on the Ottoman Empire and its successor states, but don't read Ottoman Turkish. Do you throw up you hands or look for a new set of powerful tools?

generativelives.substack.com

Reposted by Charles West, Margot C. Finn

Aidan O'Sullivan @aidanosullivan.bsky.social · 2d

Should European universities also consider using European tech, and not Microsoft, Google etc?

Daryl Feehely @darylfeehely.com · 2d

If you are thinking of following suit, here's a list of EU tech alternatives:

european-alternatives.eu

Reposted by Charles West

IHR Earlier Middle Ages Seminar @earliermiddleages.bsky.social · 2d

Happy new year! We're delighted to share our seminar schedule for Spring 2026. All events take place at the @ihr.bsky.social (Wolfson NB02) on Wednesdays at 5.30pm. All welcome - please sign up in advance here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

IHR Earlier Middle Ages seminar schedule for spring 2026

Reposted by Charles West, Tim Hitchcock

MarineLives @marinelives.bsky.social · 2d

Opening the Ottoman Archive

You want to do granular research on the Ottoman Empire and its successor states, but don't read Ottoman Turkish. Do you throw up you hands or look for a new set of powerful tools?

generativelives.substack.com

Reposted by Charles West

Agenda des médiévistes @rmblf.bsky.social · 2d

École d’été – Semaines d’études médiévales de Poitiers (70e édition)

rmblf.be/2026/01/05/e...

École d’été – Semaines d’études médiévales de Poitiers (70e édition)

Comme chaque année depuis 1954, le CESCM organise dans la deuxième quinzaine de juin une école d’été internationale destinée aux étudiants avancés et aux jeunes chercheurs en études médiévales, tou…

rmblf.be

Reposted by Charles West

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 2d

Marcus argues, I think convincingly, that we need to understand anti-Jewish hatred in medieval Christendom not as a sectarian hatred that becomes modern racism, but as the original model on which modern racism is built.

Reposted by Charles West, Aidan O’Sullivan

Daryl Feehely @darylfeehely.com · 2d

If you are thinking of following suit, here's a list of EU tech alternatives:

european-alternatives.eu

Reposted by Charles West

Present & Correct @presentcorrect.bsky.social · 2d

It isn't 2026 everywhere:

Thailand 2569
Ethiopia 2018
Israel 5786
Pakistan 1447
Iran 1404
India 2082
China 4723
North Korea 115
Japan 8

Sources listed below.