Closest thing to a book in #Pompeii were the separate wax tablets tied together. It is pleasing to find that most depictions of them are in the hands or homes of women. #WorldBookDay #WorldBookDay2026

Postcards are short posts on a single subject. Today is the decorated domes of The Chora, the last imperial monastery in Constantinople. open.substack.com/pub/hilarywhit…

⚠️ Recent data from 2025 and 2026 reinforce a sobering reality: SARS-CoV-2 is not a transient respiratory illness but a multi-systemic pathogen that exerts a "weathering" effect on the human body. Every infection, regardless of severity, contributes to a cumulative physiological

'I see in Chagos an example of all of these problems coming together' With wars raging in Ukraine and Middle East, and tensions rising with China, has Britain adapted to a more chaotic global order? Former British diplomat Ameer Kotecha explains why the Chagos fiasco persuaded

His mother wrote that she would rather bury him than see him in a red coat. He died a Field Marshal. The only man in British Army history ever to do so from the rank of Private. The British Army he enlisted into in November 1877 was an army of absolute caste. A private soldier

Read this very compelling piece by Nico Lange in National Interest with screaming logic about the kinds of weapons, interceptors and platforms the US and allies need in times like these. He writes: This war already marks a turning point. The old American and Western idea of a

The oldest intact ship from ancient Egypt ever discovered

This man has an unrighteous amount of talent. Truly stupendous work.

A story of the Royal Navy and a true Admiral - Admiral Cunningham (thanks to “Underestimated Arsenal” on Facebook): Then came Crete. The island was lost. The army was trapped on the southern beaches. The Luftwaffe owned the sky above and there was no air cover to give.

After nearly a decade the website is updated. Nearly all images are replaced with higher resolution versions. byzantium1200.com/index.html

It’s absolutely true, the Covid virus is a thromboembolic virus causing heart attacks and strokes, vaccination prevents heart disease. During the day I will provide scientific papers to support this. Watch out for the antivaccine activists with an agenda

Marvellous account of the fall of Constantinople in 1453 by my Defence On The Brink colleague, #EliotWilson . Highly recommended, if at times, harrowing account, open.substack.com/pub/theideasla…

An underground temple dedicated to the god Mithras, in the #Roman port city of Ostia Antica - as hidden as befits a mystery cult, as from the surface you'd have little idea it was there! #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology

Democracy and self-determination for the Chagos Islands. They want to stay British and they support the base. It would be an outrage to hand their homeland to a foreign power against their wishes Keir Starmer Kemi Badenoch Ed Davey Nigel Farage MP The White House John Kennedy

I asked a simple question in the House today: freedom of navigation through one of the world’s most critical energy routes matters to Britain, to our allies, and to global stability. The question now is simple: will we act, within international law, to defend it if necessary?

Andrew Neil Andrew's column today isn't just the best I've read on the war... It's one of Andrew's best ever. Plotting a course through fog of war. Connecting every dot surgically. Detailing second order effects. I found it genuinely masterful. The Middle East is on fire. The Regime