Prof of Conflict History & Archaeology. Uni of Glasgow. Some TV stuff & Novelist (Rep: Felicity Bryan Assoc). Tweets in a personal capacity. Also @WarDiaryF82

Glasgow, Scotland
Joined August 2011
Team Dien Bien Phu at General Giap’s HQ today. Included an impromptu seminar on his way of war with readings from his memoir, and an insight into Viet Minh smokeless kitchens.
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Two battlefield guides debriefing over a beer at our favourite bar in Dien Bien Phu. Behind us, the steps up the west slope of Dominique 2 - the highest of the ‘5 Hills’.
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The office this morning was Lenin Square on Dien Bien Phu Street in Hanoi. What better place to try and unravel the relationship between Communism and Nationalism in post WW2 Vietnam. Now on our way to Dien Bien Phu.
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If it's Friday night it must be Hanoi. My long flight was given bit of an edge by a passenger having a violent outburst which required restraint. Dining alone in the old quarter tonight as l wait for others to fly in. Might do a session on the 1946-47 Battle of Hanoi tomorrow.
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Tony Pollard retweeted
Here’s John Laurie on his wedding day in 1928 - a decade after he’d fought at the Somme and Passchendaele
And here’s a young John Laurie (Private Frazer in “Dad’s Army”) as Hamlet.
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The map’s back up on the study wall. This time next week l’ll be back in Dien Bien Phu, this time as a group guide.
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Street parties when this piece of shit pops his clogs.
Remember when some MAGA stooges said Trump would be good for Ukraine? Well, he's finally gone full agent Krasnov.
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No such thing as a bad Joe Jackson gig. Brilliant once again in Glasgow tonight.
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Good to know Ralph is waiting for me to get home.
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Tony Pollard retweeted
RIP Yelyzaveta 🕯️ Russia murdered her in her own home last night…
💔 This is Yelyzaveta Devdyuk. She was only 24. She should have had decades ahead of her. Instead, russia killed her in a residential building in Kyiv during last night’s attack. Remember her name. Never forget what russia did.
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Today, MiG-29 fighter pilot Marat Mambetov, a flight commander with Ukraine’s 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade “Ghost of Kyiv,” was killed in combat. His aircraft was hit by a Russian missile while he was carrying out a combat mission. Marat had been conducting missile and bombing strikes against Russian forces on one of the sectors of the front. He ejected from the aircraft but, tragically, did not survive. He carried out his duty to the very end, defending Ukraine and its skies. My deepest condolences to Marat’s family, loved ones, fellow servicemen, and the entire 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade. Rest in peace, Warrior. Eternal memory and glory to the Hero. 🇺🇦🕯️
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Tony Pollard retweeted
🚨 BREAKING: A Russian strike hit the Dobrobut medical center in central Kyiv. Video shows first responders saving people from the burning hospital as rescue operations continue.
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Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks spreading some much needed love in Glasgow last night.
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💔🇺🇦 L’horreur. En ce moment-même, des civils tentent d’échapper aux flammes après l’explosion d’un drone en plein centre-ville de Kyiv. À 5 mins du lycée français où se trouve mon frère. Pendant ce temps, certains politiciens demandent un arrêt du soutien à l’Ukraine. Ils ont du sang sur leurs mains.
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Today it’s 50 years since I first presented Playschool wearing my blue beads and silver heart. I adore bringing joy into the lives of my #Playschool Babies during the 12 years I was on the programme. @CBeebiesHQ ❤️
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Today alone, and in Kyiv alone, Russian jet-powered drones “vanquished” two kindergartens and two schools, an ordinary residential building, an auto repair shop, several warehouses, and communications facilities. Anywhere in the world, this choice of targets would be called by one word – terrorism. Russia has no military objective whatsoever in doing this – it is purely an attempt to break people and inflict as much harm as possible on our society. Tragically, there are people killed… My condolences to their families and loved ones. Dozens of people were injured. Overall, since yesterday, the Russians have used 277 attack drones of various types, 155 of them jet-powered. Among the damaged sites is also a building used as the residence of the Saudi Arabian Ambassador. In the Dnipro region, a sports school is among the damaged facilities. In the Sumy region, the building of a regional children’s home was damaged. If Russia were truly preparing for any real steps toward de-escalation – as it claims, particularly to American negotiators – this wave of “shahed” terror would not be happening. And we need to take a sober view of the situation. Russia knows how to send the kind of encouraging diplomatic signals that the world simply wants to hear… It knows how to send such signals in order to delay tough steps by the world in response to the war. In America, the important Lindsey Graham sanctions and tariffs law has already reached the implementation stage. It is a law that can change a lot for the better if fully implemented. This law needs to be implemented – and everyone in the world can see that there is EVERY REASON to apply it and A CLEAR PURPOSE for doing so. We are counting on effective decisions from the world and stronger pressure from our partners, so that Russia sees that manipulating diplomatic signals will not allow it to keep winning more and more time for war and terror. It is important that our other partners in the G7 and G20 also take a principled stance. New sanctions packages are being prepared – specifically targeting financial networks, supply chains for components and equipment used in the production of Russian weapons, and specific companies and individuals primarily involved in the production of Russian ballistic missiles. The new sanctions must take effect as early as October to provide a stronger foundation for changing the situation and pushing Russia toward real diplomacy. Thank you to everyone who helps Ukraine! Thank you to everyone working 24/7 to provide greater protection for Ukrainians and our state!
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As of now, the air raid alert in Kyiv has lasted almost 13 hours today. This is the reality.
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A long journey home and it’s good to be back. Thinking of my friends & students in Kyiv who don’t have the privilege of having home as a safe space. Keeping my air alert app active for a while as a reminder of what they are living through. Here’s a snapshot from this Sunday afternoon. Slava Ukraini.
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Tony Pollard retweeted
We understand that, tragically, the world is becoming numb to reports of children’s hospitals destroyed, maternity wards attacked, teenagers killed while doing their homework. That is why bringing politicians, diplomats, journalists and volunteers to Ukraine matters so much. Come. See this war with your own eyes. Meet the people living through it. Then go home and become an advocate for giving Ukraine the strength to end it. Some things cannot be understood from headlines alone.
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In my element today at the National museum of history of Ukraine being shown the amazing results of a battlefield archaeology project. A 1630s showdown between Cossacks and Poles. Very impressive range of related objects and beatifully executed fieldwork. And for that piece of armour look no further than the Polish Hussar kit in the csse.
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