Stephen England
@stephenengland.bsky.social
Writer, Novelist, Raconteur - International bestselling author of the #ShadowWarriors and #LionofGod thrillers
Pinned
Greetings, BlueSky. Who am I and why am I here? Short version: I'm an American thriller novelist with a lifelong interest in the culture and history of the Middle East, a former conservative who has been politically homeless for nearly a decade, and who prefers his social media with fewer Nazis.
"Having emerged from its trial by fire, the wartime generation was convinced that it had been called to lead the nation. Its mission consisted specifically of bringing the education received at the battlefront back to the home front, where people remained stubbornly ignorant. 1/3
November 18, 2025 at 8:04 PM
"Having emerged from its trial by fire, the wartime generation was convinced that it had been called to lead the nation. Its mission consisted specifically of bringing the education received at the battlefront back to the home front, where people remained stubbornly ignorant. 1/3
Reposted by Stephen England
🇯🇵🇨🇳 China Coast Guard ships have entered the Japan administered Senkaku Islands as tensions explode after Tokyo warned it could respond militarily to a Chinese move on Taiwan.
November 16, 2025 at 1:15 PM
🇯🇵🇨🇳 China Coast Guard ships have entered the Japan administered Senkaku Islands as tensions explode after Tokyo warned it could respond militarily to a Chinese move on Taiwan.
My wife has been trying to remedy my Disney movie deficit ever since we got married. . .
Tonight was "101 Dalmatians" and I realized I'd been immersed in Mick Herron's world for too long when I laughed a little too hard at the line, "Regent's Park--it's an all dogs alert!" 🤣
Tonight was "101 Dalmatians" and I realized I'd been immersed in Mick Herron's world for too long when I laughed a little too hard at the line, "Regent's Park--it's an all dogs alert!" 🤣
November 15, 2025 at 4:00 AM
My wife has been trying to remedy my Disney movie deficit ever since we got married. . .
Tonight was "101 Dalmatians" and I realized I'd been immersed in Mick Herron's world for too long when I laughed a little too hard at the line, "Regent's Park--it's an all dogs alert!" 🤣
Tonight was "101 Dalmatians" and I realized I'd been immersed in Mick Herron's world for too long when I laughed a little too hard at the line, "Regent's Park--it's an all dogs alert!" 🤣
Reposted by Stephen England
🎶 i wanna bypass security checks like dan bongino 🎶
“As I understand it from highly credible sources, key members of Patel’s sr exec team and others on the 7th floor,” Durbin said. “How did they survive? They survived because of a personal waiver by either the director or the AG to remain employed by the bureau.”
www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
As the FBI’s deputy director, Bongino receives some of the country’s most sensitive secrets, including the President’s Daily Brief. His ascent to that position without passing a standard bureau backgr...
www.propublica.org
November 14, 2025 at 4:55 PM
🎶 i wanna bypass security checks like dan bongino 🎶
Reposted by Stephen England
It's hard to overstate what a disaster Kash Patel is. See the many disturbing details here, from @vermontgmg.bsky.social, an expert on the FBI. "The longer this chaos continues," he writes, "the more likely we’re going to face a catastrophic intelligence failure." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Kash Patel, the FBI's agent of chaos
The biggest little scandal in Washington right now is how bad Patel is at being FBI director.
www.motherjones.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:31 PM
It's hard to overstate what a disaster Kash Patel is. See the many disturbing details here, from @vermontgmg.bsky.social, an expert on the FBI. "The longer this chaos continues," he writes, "the more likely we’re going to face a catastrophic intelligence failure." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Stephen England
We've finally found a business case for A.I.!!!!
Wow, a "sophisticated espionage campaign" (attributed to a "Chinese state-sponsored group") used Claude's agentic capability to _execute_ its large-scale attacks -- the first of its kind, Anthropic believes
www.anthropic.com/news/disrupt...
www.anthropic.com/news/disrupt...
Disrupting the first reported AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign
A report describing an a highly sophisticated AI-led cyberattack
www.anthropic.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:13 PM
We've finally found a business case for A.I.!!!!
The annual Zoom HOA meeting: a mechanism for destroying any vestigial faith in human nature that survived the elections.
November 14, 2025 at 4:08 PM
The annual Zoom HOA meeting: a mechanism for destroying any vestigial faith in human nature that survived the elections.
Reposted by Stephen England
[Enter two other Senators with a Messenger.]
THIRD SENATOR
Thou hast painfully discover’d; are his files
As full as thy report?
THIRD SENATOR
Thou hast painfully discover’d; are his files
As full as thy report?
November 14, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[Enter two other Senators with a Messenger.]
THIRD SENATOR
Thou hast painfully discover’d; are his files
As full as thy report?
THIRD SENATOR
Thou hast painfully discover’d; are his files
As full as thy report?
The most awkward part of visiting a Commonwealth country like New Zealand comes when you politely ask someone if they speak English. . .
And they explain that they "bloody have been." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And they explain that they "bloody have been." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
November 6, 2025 at 8:41 AM
The most awkward part of visiting a Commonwealth country like New Zealand comes when you politely ask someone if they speak English. . .
And they explain that they "bloody have been." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And they explain that they "bloody have been." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I am looking for solid resources on the Knights Hospitaller covering their activities at Malta in the 16/17th centuries, particularly focusing on their corsair/anti-corsair operations. Does anyone have any recommended reading to suggest?
November 2, 2025 at 5:53 AM
I am looking for solid resources on the Knights Hospitaller covering their activities at Malta in the 16/17th centuries, particularly focusing on their corsair/anti-corsair operations. Does anyone have any recommended reading to suggest?
It's "reek," Vance. Not "wreak."
For further context, that's the name of a Game of Thrones character you resemble.
For further context, that's the name of a Game of Thrones character you resemble.
November 1, 2025 at 12:06 AM
It's "reek," Vance. Not "wreak."
For further context, that's the name of a Game of Thrones character you resemble.
For further context, that's the name of a Game of Thrones character you resemble.
"When valour preys on reason
It eats the sword it fights with."
~ William Shakespeare, "Antony & Cleopatra"
#poetrysky
It eats the sword it fights with."
~ William Shakespeare, "Antony & Cleopatra"
#poetrysky
October 31, 2025 at 6:54 PM
"When valour preys on reason
It eats the sword it fights with."
~ William Shakespeare, "Antony & Cleopatra"
#poetrysky
It eats the sword it fights with."
~ William Shakespeare, "Antony & Cleopatra"
#poetrysky
A year ago today, on the shores of Bosphorus, watching with the cats of Istanbul as the fishing fleet came back in with the dawn.
October 31, 2025 at 4:58 PM
A year ago today, on the shores of Bosphorus, watching with the cats of Istanbul as the fishing fleet came back in with the dawn.
Your daily reminder that 2025 was the we decided to speedrun "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"
October 30, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Your daily reminder that 2025 was the we decided to speedrun "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"
"Be not offended: I speak not as in absolute fear of you.
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds. . ."
~ William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
#poetrysky
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds. . ."
~ William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
#poetrysky
October 28, 2025 at 9:13 PM
"Be not offended: I speak not as in absolute fear of you.
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds. . ."
~ William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
#poetrysky
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds. . ."
~ William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
#poetrysky
Making my review debut on @spybrary.bsky.social today with my thoughts on David McCloskey's latest thriller. Brilliant read, I can't recommend it highly enough.
spybrary.com/the-persian-...
spybrary.com/the-persian-...
October 28, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Making my review debut on @spybrary.bsky.social today with my thoughts on David McCloskey's latest thriller. Brilliant read, I can't recommend it highly enough.
spybrary.com/the-persian-...
spybrary.com/the-persian-...
Reposted by Stephen England
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Stephen England
Another Russian ship has been added to the grain smuggling fleet, captured on camera and on satellite imagery, evading sanctions to deliver grain from occupied Crimea to Houthi-controlled Yemen. Follow its covert journey here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10...
Russia’s Grain Smuggling Fleet Continues Undeterred - bellingcat
Bellingcat has identified yet another Russian-flagged vessel exporting grain from occupied Crimea to Houthi-controlled Yemen.
www.bellingcat.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Another Russian ship has been added to the grain smuggling fleet, captured on camera and on satellite imagery, evading sanctions to deliver grain from occupied Crimea to Houthi-controlled Yemen. Follow its covert journey here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10...
Reposted by Stephen England
his coworker justin bronk reached roughly the same conclusion this summer too. drones will be a tool in future wars but future wars will not be drone wars
As usual for Jack Watling, this is a fabulously data & evidence-rich paper on what the Ukrainian battlefield looks like today. A pivotal role for drones & ground robots—but also for tanks, armour & artillery, each coming into its own at different moments in an assault www.rusi.org/explore-our-...
October 23, 2025 at 12:12 PM
his coworker justin bronk reached roughly the same conclusion this summer too. drones will be a tool in future wars but future wars will not be drone wars
Reposted by Stephen England
Many focusing on the hubristic blasphemy of “we’re saving God”—and fair enough—but also, Kaepernick?
All he did was exercise his 1A right to expression in a calm, quiet, unobtrusive way. And he last played Jan. 1, 2017!
How lacking in real problems that this was ever a grievance, let alone still.
All he did was exercise his 1A right to expression in a calm, quiet, unobtrusive way. And he last played Jan. 1, 2017!
How lacking in real problems that this was ever a grievance, let alone still.
Eric Trump: "We're saving Christianity. We've saving God. We've saving the family unit. We're saving this nation. I mean, DEI is out of the window, Benny. You no longer have Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem. You no longer have Budweiser going woke as hell. All of this is dead."
October 14, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Many focusing on the hubristic blasphemy of “we’re saving God”—and fair enough—but also, Kaepernick?
All he did was exercise his 1A right to expression in a calm, quiet, unobtrusive way. And he last played Jan. 1, 2017!
How lacking in real problems that this was ever a grievance, let alone still.
All he did was exercise his 1A right to expression in a calm, quiet, unobtrusive way. And he last played Jan. 1, 2017!
How lacking in real problems that this was ever a grievance, let alone still.
Reposted by Stephen England
Maybe this is simply a difference in the expected 'rate' of knew knowledge, but this take puzzles me, because there's quite a bit of new data and studies needing to be done that I can see pretty easily in Roman history.
Knowledge creation steady and clearly visible.
Knowledge creation steady and clearly visible.
October 13, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Maybe this is simply a difference in the expected 'rate' of knew knowledge, but this take puzzles me, because there's quite a bit of new data and studies needing to be done that I can see pretty easily in Roman history.
Knowledge creation steady and clearly visible.
Knowledge creation steady and clearly visible.
"You must contend with all your might against the foe; but it must be not with physical force but with that spiritual charity which is never overcome."
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
October 12, 2025 at 2:50 PM
"You must contend with all your might against the foe; but it must be not with physical force but with that spiritual charity which is never overcome."
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
Reposted by Stephen England
> It is 2025 BC. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
October 11, 2025 at 5:32 PM
> It is 2025 BC. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
"Bring in the guilty. We need some to be guilty. They’re all guilty."
~ Albert Camus, "Caligula"
~ Albert Camus, "Caligula"
October 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM
"Bring in the guilty. We need some to be guilty. They’re all guilty."
~ Albert Camus, "Caligula"
~ Albert Camus, "Caligula"