Today I swam in the Skagerrak and was rewarded with this:

Many 🙏 to War on the Rocks for publishing my piece on #SovietBloc #ColdWar #sabotage #doctrine, which argues that current attacks/fires/explosions on #NATO territory mirror Moscow’s Cold War-era sabotage doctrine in important ways. If this is indeed the case, more is yet to come.

I must declare this in order not to have a TV licence. It isn't clear: do these companies agree a TV licence is a necessary condition for using their services? Can anyone explain the law on whether a licence is per TV / household or per individual? What if I watch on the train?

In the second half of this essay I examine the evolution of the concept of pre-emptive attacks as self defence. The issue concerns how you demonstrate or assess that an attack is imminent ⁦Engelsberg Ideas⁩ engelsbergideas.com/essays/element…

Suzanne Raine Engelsberg Ideas Fascinating read Suzanne. On surprise, part of the deterrence challenge is how to communicate to an adversary both that you can and will respond to a threat, while leaving an element of uncertainty about how, when and where. In other words conveying both clarity and ambiguity.

This month 30 yrs ago, 🇫🇷 intelligence captured enfant terrible of #ColdWar terrorism, Carlos the Jackal, in Khartoum, Sudan. For more on his complicated relationship w/#SovietBloc #Czechoslovakia #StB see "Watching the Jackals" now available for pre-order rb.gy/eoob7w

Devastated to hear that Daquise, a legendary Polish restaurant in South Kensington with 77 years of history, may soon be lost to redevelopment. A true gem of London, full of memories, traditions, and irreplaceable charm. A sad loss for the city. thetimes.com/life-style/foo…

Delighted to have done the SSAFA calendar for a third year. The theme is "Historic Houses and Castles" used for the war effort. I'll post drawings from the calendar through September. Please do support this great charity by sharing & buying one from: ssafastore.org.uk/products/ssafa…

This is so good. on.ft.com/3MC086s

The main target of today’s expedition was this, however - an excavated Roman bathhouse in a corrugated iron bunker under the A1(M) near Welwyn. And this is a place with which I have a special connection… (thread)

This is an entirely frivolous piece about a problem we all face:

Muriel Zagha and I have been friends since before the internet. But she is French. In this podcast we learn about the very different cultures of our neighbouring countries. MURIEL ZAGHA Garlic & Pearls Spotify: spoti.fi/3MHXLiL Apple: apple.co/47ps72O

How do you you make a very sophisticated French woman eat a pickled onion, and what happens when you succeed? To find out, listen to our new podcast, Garlic & Pearls, where MURIEL ZAGHA falls into this very trap. Spotify: spoti.fi/3MHXLiL Apple: apple.co/47ps72O

It's pickling season! Did you know that Britain is the malt vinegar capital of the world? MURIEL ZAGHA and I go on a vinegary voyage of discovery in our new podcast, Garlic & Pearls. Spotify: spoti.fi/3MHXLiL Apple: apple.co/47ps72O