Karl James
karljames1945.bsky.social
Karl James
@karljames1945.bsky.social
Head, Military History, Australian War Memorial. Australia & the Second World War. Chinooks in Afghanistan. ADB editor board
Great 📖 find on the weekend. 🇦🇺 war correspondent Wilfred Burchett traveled extensively in China, Burma & India reporting on the war. He was later the 1st Western journalist to visit Hiroshima. Post-#WWII, he became controversial figure.

#WeHaveWays #HistBookChat
November 24, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Out of the office today to spend time with @AustralianArmy for the Chief of Army History Conference @ Parliament House. Fantastic keynote presentations from the Deputy Chief of Army MAJGEN Chris Smith.
November 18, 2025 at 11:58 PM
It’s been a big fortnight of🏃‍♂️with a PB time for the 1/2 marathon on 2/11 with the @canberratimes Fun Run & the 15km on 15/11 with the Stromlo Running Festival. Mt Stromlo is brutal but the views are spectacular 🍻
November 16, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Just finished reading @almurray’s 📖. Learnt lots about airborne ops & for the first time the battle of Arnhem made sense to me. Great shout out too to WO Keith Prowd @AusAirForce, a glider pilot with No. 196 Sqn who also flew on #DDay. Prowd was awarded a 🇳🇱 Airman’s Cross.
November 13, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Family movie night 🦈
September 27, 2025 at 11:13 AM
This week at the Australian War Memorial, we had Michael Veitch present on Borneo, I’ve just finished the book 📖 It’s an easy read & a good introduction to the I Aust Corps operations on Borneo in 1945.

#WehaveWays #HistBookChat
September 5, 2025 at 1:42 AM
This #BookFriday don’t forget to book your free tickets for next week’s author talk at the @AWMemorial! Join us as Michael Veitch discusses his latest 📖 on the Borneo campaigns in 1945. See: awm.gov.au/author-talk-mi… #WeHaveWaysy#WWIIII
August 29, 2025 at 5:04 AM
This #BookFriday, the last of my recent🏖️reads, Captain Andrew Wilson's ripping memoir as a troop commander in Churchill flamethrower tanks in NW Europe & this brief history of Samurai & medieval Japan, beautifully published by @TuttleBooks 📚

#HistBookChat
August 22, 2025 at 1:01 AM
This #BookFriday, the last of my recent🏖️reads, Captain Andrew Wilson's ripping memoir as a troop commander in Churchill flamethrower tanks in NW Europe & this brief history of Samurai & medieval Japan, beautifully published by Tuttle 📚
August 22, 2025 at 1:00 AM
The Australian War Memorial's special #VPDay symposium "Interpreting Australia's Second World War: previewing Anzac Hall" is now online: www.youtube.com/live/P6vGj8_....

For more #WWII see, including author talks, see: www.awm.gov.au/the-end-of-t...

#WeHaveWays #WWII #VJDay80
August 19, 2025 at 2:35 AM
My latest article, “The Final Campaigns” about Australia’s controversial Pacific campaigns in 1944-45, is now available for free on the @AWMemorial’s new digital magazine WM: wm.awm.gov.au/read/final-c...

So too are some of my older Wartime articles on #WWII.

#WeHaveWays #VJDay80
August 13, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Interested in #WWII? How about #SOE & Intelligence history?
Tickets are now available for historian Kate Reid-Smith’s free talk on Op Cleeves, an SOE operation in Southern Thailand in 1941.

www.awm.gov.au/author-talk-...

#WeHaveWays
August 8, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Very happy to see the photographic exhibition I curated “Victory in the Pacific!”is now on display at the Australian War Memorial.

It’s free! Come & have a look:
www.awm.gov.au/articles/blo...

#WeHaveWays #WWII
August 1, 2025 at 5:09 AM
He’s back!
July 31, 2025 at 2:33 AM
The holiday is over & back @ work but I did finish reading Marc Milner’s masterful “Second Front”. If you’re interested in #WWIi, you have to read this 📖. Milner covers much more than the debates surrounding the 2nd front.

(The beer was very nice too 🍺)

#WeHaveWays #HistBookChat
July 31, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Breakfast margarita & holiday reading 🏝️🍸 📖

#WeHaveWays
July 19, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Following the Second World War research group’s wonderful conference last month, we were able to see the IWM’s new #WWII galleries. They gave us lots to think about. The highlight had to be meeting @peterajohnston.bsky.social in IRL!
July 15, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Winter trail run done, now time for some reading by the fire ❄️ 🏃‍♂️ 📖 🍺

#WeHaveWays
June 22, 2025 at 6:12 AM
It's not too late to join us today at the @AWMemorial for Dr Mark Johnston's free talk "Last words in a long war: Australians in the Pacific in 1945".
This is the 2nd in our author talks marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the #WWII: www.trybooking.com/events/landi....

#WeHaveWays
June 18, 2025 at 12:52 AM
All set for day 3 of the @SWWresearch’s “The Second World War: 80 Years On”. It’s been an excellent conference with 200+ delegates from 27 different countries. Here with Dr Lachlan Grant representing the @AWMemorial.

#SWW80YearsOn #WeHaveWays
June 13, 2025 at 6:56 AM
The Australian War Memorial is marking the 80th anniversary of the end of #WWII in a variety of ways, including with free author talks. First up is the award winning @kristenauthor.bsky.social!

For more see: www.awm.gov.au/the-end-of-t...
May 12, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Thinking of my Nan this #VEDay. Annie McCahill served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during #WWII & was attached to heavy anti-aircraft battery. On VE Day in 1945, she was in the crowd in front of Buckingham Palace.
May 8, 2025 at 5:09 AM
We're very proud of the Australian War Memorial's new print & digital magazine WM 🎉 Our first issue features @claremulley.bsky.social Peter Caddick-Adams Mat McLachlan @drdavesutton.bsky.social & others.

Sign up now: wm.awm.gov.au
❤️for a chance to win a copy.

#WeHaveWays #VEDay80 #VEDay2025
May 7, 2025 at 5:39 AM
It only took 2 days to recover from my first 1/2 marathon on Sunday but I’m ready to run this afternoon & thinking of the next event 🏃‍♂️ ☀️
April 16, 2025 at 2:11 AM
In very exciting news, the @AWMemorial is proud to announce the arrival of our new magazine WM! In the spirit of Wartime, WM remains focused on the Australian experience of war. Published in print twice a year, WM will also online and digital content shop.awm.gov.au/pages/wm-war....
April 9, 2025 at 5:52 AM