Simon Jones
@simonjones.bsky.social
Writes about the First World War. FRHistS. Late museum curator. https://simonjoneshistorian.com/
This hand-drawn trench map sold for £440 last month. It's now being offered by a dealer for £3,720! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/27752114...
November 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM
This hand-drawn trench map sold for £440 last month. It's now being offered by a dealer for £3,720! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/27752114...
Here's some blue sky, Bluesky.
November 21, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Here's some blue sky, Bluesky.
Keating's 1921 painting of the IRA is a clear sequel to his 1915 'Men of the West', although the significance of the Enfield Rifles in the earlier picture has been missed by art historians: these are men of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in the 1860-70s.
November 21, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Keating's 1921 painting of the IRA is a clear sequel to his 1915 'Men of the West', although the significance of the Enfield Rifles in the earlier picture has been missed by art historians: these are men of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in the 1860-70s.
This just speaks to me of the profound relief and joy of the Tolkiens that all their children had survived the war.
In highly important news from history today, it’s the 80th anniversary of the 21st birthday of Christopher Tolkien, notable now for the wording (especially the small print) of the invitation to the party
November 21, 2025 at 10:37 AM
This just speaks to me of the profound relief and joy of the Tolkiens that all their children had survived the war.
Reposted by Simon Jones
A Battery Position in an Orchard of Young Fruit Trees in the Snow, by Edward Ardizzone.
IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 4931)
IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 4931)
November 21, 2025 at 7:45 AM
A Battery Position in an Orchard of Young Fruit Trees in the Snow, by Edward Ardizzone.
IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 4931)
IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 4931)
Hello Milton Keynes! I’m visiting you tomorrow evening to give another Western Front Association branch talk on Underground Warfare 1914-18 at 7.30pm, Friday 21 November. All welcome (see alt text for venue details).
November 20, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Hello Milton Keynes! I’m visiting you tomorrow evening to give another Western Front Association branch talk on Underground Warfare 1914-18 at 7.30pm, Friday 21 November. All welcome (see alt text for venue details).
It's that time of year again when the south of England is compelled to inform everyone of the existence of snow.
November 19, 2025 at 9:26 AM
It's that time of year again when the south of England is compelled to inform everyone of the existence of snow.
The best and daftest cop show is coming back!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 18, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The best and daftest cop show is coming back!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Spectator person being very weird again about Dua Lipa talking to authors, this time in The Telegraph, and getting confused about how many newspapers there are called The Guardian.
November 18, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Spectator person being very weird again about Dua Lipa talking to authors, this time in The Telegraph, and getting confused about how many newspapers there are called The Guardian.
Reposted by Simon Jones
Checking here to see if my books published in the UK were registered with the US Copyright Office to be eligible, and sadly it seems not, although they were all stolen by Anthropic. publicrecords.copyright.gov/search
September 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Checking here to see if my books published in the UK were registered with the US Copyright Office to be eligible, and sadly it seems not, although they were all stolen by Anthropic. publicrecords.copyright.gov/search
I hope that the 115th anniversary of Black Friday is a suitable day to say how much I am enjoying reading my third book by @lissakevans.bsky.social.
November 18, 2025 at 9:09 AM
I hope that the 115th anniversary of Black Friday is a suitable day to say how much I am enjoying reading my third book by @lissakevans.bsky.social.
Black Friday
#OnThisDay, 18 Nov 1910, 119 people are arrested whilst protesting for the right for women to vote in the UK.
#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #VotesForWomen #BritishHistory 🗃️
1/2
#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #VotesForWomen #BritishHistory 🗃️
1/2
November 18, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Black Friday
Reposted by Simon Jones
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
And there goes the monetisation of our public records for the benefit of Iron Mountain.
November 17, 2025 at 11:44 AM
And there goes the monetisation of our public records for the benefit of Iron Mountain.
Cousins Kaiser Wilhelm II and King George V take the salute at the unveiling of the memorial to their grandmother Queen Victoria in 1911.
November 16, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Cousins Kaiser Wilhelm II and King George V take the salute at the unveiling of the memorial to their grandmother Queen Victoria in 1911.
The Meissen monkey orchestra wins the best bad taste prize over strong competition in The Edwardians: Age of Elegance exhibition at Buckingham Palace.
November 16, 2025 at 5:52 PM
The Meissen monkey orchestra wins the best bad taste prize over strong competition in The Edwardians: Age of Elegance exhibition at Buckingham Palace.
Radio 3 played a piece this morning by Jean Cras, a French naval officer & composer. Now, here's a thing. During WW1, Cras commanded an anti-submarine torpedo boat in the Adriatic that sank a U-Boat. The most successful Austro-Hungarian U-Boat commander in the Adriatic was Georg von Trapp. That one.
November 15, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Radio 3 played a piece this morning by Jean Cras, a French naval officer & composer. Now, here's a thing. During WW1, Cras commanded an anti-submarine torpedo boat in the Adriatic that sank a U-Boat. The most successful Austro-Hungarian U-Boat commander in the Adriatic was Georg von Trapp. That one.
Autumn in the deer park.
November 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Autumn in the deer park.
Remember last year when you successfully campaigned to stop the government destroying wills after digitization? On Monday, the cost of accessing a single will is increasing from £1.50 to £16.00.
November 15, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Remember last year when you successfully campaigned to stop the government destroying wills after digitization? On Monday, the cost of accessing a single will is increasing from £1.50 to £16.00.
This is a really shocking price increase for access to already digitised public records. www.thegazette.co.uk/wills-and-pr...
November 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This is a really shocking price increase for access to already digitised public records. www.thegazette.co.uk/wills-and-pr...
Reposted by Simon Jones
This painting by Charles Bell is an amalgam of 3 soldiers he had treated with gunshot fractures of the skull which led to them developing opisthotonos. You can read more about the history of the painting in this blog from our Humans Remains Conservator: bit.ly/3vDWO5D
November 14, 2025 at 12:02 PM
This painting by Charles Bell is an amalgam of 3 soldiers he had treated with gunshot fractures of the skull which led to them developing opisthotonos. You can read more about the history of the painting in this blog from our Humans Remains Conservator: bit.ly/3vDWO5D
Reposted by Simon Jones
Friday.
IWM (H 38302), Sgt Wooldridge, AFPU
IWM (H 38302), Sgt Wooldridge, AFPU
November 14, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Friday.
IWM (H 38302), Sgt Wooldridge, AFPU
IWM (H 38302), Sgt Wooldridge, AFPU
Reposted by Simon Jones
So pleased to be reminded of the nurses #WW1 memorial in Liverpool Cathedral #histnursing #lestweforget #armisticeday
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/it...
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/it...
November 11, 2025 at 10:07 PM
So pleased to be reminded of the nurses #WW1 memorial in Liverpool Cathedral #histnursing #lestweforget #armisticeday
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/it...
www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/it...
Reposted by Simon Jones
If you're in London and at a loose end this Saturday (15 Nov) I'm doing some walking tours of Seven Dials with the wonderful @stanfordstravel.bsky.social. Sign up link below.
Come for the coffee, stay for the whistle stop tour of the Dials and sideways look at the history of 1920s and 1930s London.
Come for the coffee, stay for the whistle stop tour of the Dials and sideways look at the history of 1920s and 1930s London.
Interested in the history of Seven Dials or London or the 1920s and 1930s? I'm doing some walking tours of the Dials with @stanfordstravel.bsky.social on Sat 15 Nov.
There's loads to see, but Seven Dials is so small you don't need to walk far.
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/events/songs...
There's loads to see, but Seven Dials is so small you don't need to walk far.
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/events/songs...
November 12, 2025 at 3:23 PM
If you're in London and at a loose end this Saturday (15 Nov) I'm doing some walking tours of Seven Dials with the wonderful @stanfordstravel.bsky.social. Sign up link below.
Come for the coffee, stay for the whistle stop tour of the Dials and sideways look at the history of 1920s and 1930s London.
Come for the coffee, stay for the whistle stop tour of the Dials and sideways look at the history of 1920s and 1930s London.
I only just found out about this review in the Military Historical Society Bulletin. If anyone has access to it, I would appreciate a copy.
"This is an outstanding and very readable account of the war underground throughout the First World War. It is strongly recommended."
The War Underground 1914–18 has been reviewed by the Military Historical Society Bulletin.
https://bit.ly/4oEiq8G
#WWI #History #Books
The War Underground 1914–18 has been reviewed by the Military Historical Society Bulletin.
https://bit.ly/4oEiq8G
#WWI #History #Books
November 12, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I only just found out about this review in the Military Historical Society Bulletin. If anyone has access to it, I would appreciate a copy.