iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

@liberopodcast.com in response to the question on the Q&A pod a shameless plug for my substack on Central European history. Scholar Martyn Rady has a pretty good definition of what Central Europe is here (it includes Germany @rorysmith.bsky.social ) empiresandnations.substack.com/p/the-middle...

empiresandnations.substack.com

The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe

The first book you should read on the region

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

If you’re struggling with the international break like I am, or tired of speculating about whether Man City will be forced into League Two, and just need your football/soccer fix, try reading this empiresandnations.substack.com/p/the-politi...

empiresandnations.substack.com

The Politics of Football in Yugoslavia: Sport Nationalism and the State

A book review of a topic which is as fascinating as it is niche

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I actually visited Drzic’s house in Dubrovnik a while back and found him to be a really interesting character. Would definitely be going to this if I wasn’t a 6 plus hour flight away

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UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies @uclssees.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

How Do We Speak About Central-Eastern Europe Today? Please join us for this panel discussion on cultural diplomacy and representation with Anna Tryc-Bromley, Tereza Šídlová, @okhromeychuk.bsky.social and @odrekhivska.bsky.social. 🗓️ 26 October at 6pm 📍 UCL Bloomsbury www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanit...

ucl.ac.uk

How Do We Speak About Central-Eastern Europe Today?

Please join us for this SSEES Rethinking Eastern Europe and Eurasia panel discussion on cultural diplomacy and representation.

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This just went live, a review of how Thomas Barfield applies the theoretical framework from “Shadow Empires” from @princetonupress.bsky.social to the Holy Roman and Carolingian empires, and my attempt at applying it to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. empiresandnations.substack.com/p/the-holy-r...

empiresandnations.substack.com

the Holy Roman Empire of Shadows

After my review of Thomas Barfield’s Shadow Empires: An Alternative Imperial History, I thought it would be worthwhile in a followup article to examine specifically how he applies his theoretical fram...

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

My second post on “Shadow Empires” where I do a deep dive on Barfield’s examination of the Holy Roman and Carolingian Empires, and apply his framework to Austria-Hungary, arrives on Wednesday, so now is a great time to read my original review #History empiresandnations.substack.com/p/shadow-emp...

empiresandnations.substack.com

Shadow Empires

An Alternative Imperial History

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Just want to make another post for this review. Really found the theoretical framework Barfield provided for examining empires helpful empiresandnations.substack.com/p/shadow-emp...

empiresandnations.substack.com

Shadow Empires

An Alternative Imperial History

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

My review of “Shadow Empires” from @princetonupress.bsky.social is live. Really enjoyed this. It let me explore places I don’t read much about like China and Persia and gave me a new framework to examine the Empires of Central Europe with. empiresandnations.substack.com/p/shadow-emp... #History

empiresandnations.substack.com

Shadow Empires

An Alternative Imperial History

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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Optimist: The cup is half full Pessimist: The cup is half empty Political scientist: The cup creates sovereign borders around the water, socially constructing who can and cannot drink from it — and that is power.

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Just wanted to reshare this latest post. Great read for anyone interested in the history of football/soccer, and its social impact during the 20th century #history #football substack.com/@empiresandn...

substack.com

The Politics of Football in Yugoslavia: Sport Nationalism and the State

A book review of a topic which is as fascinating as it is niche

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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

The Air Force One catering truck scandal is deeper and darker than the media is portraying it — it’s a Russian nesting doll of corruption and national security threats: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/the-five-s...

doomsdayscenario.co

The Five Scandals Within the "Air Force One" Scandal

Donald Trump, a Catering Truck, and the Qatari "Air Force One" represent a Russian Nesting Doll of Scandal and Corruption

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Nathan Goldwag @goldwagnathan.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Every six months a writer goes on parental leave, is driven insane by watching 10,000 hours of Paw Patrol, and writes another one of these articles, and they're always great.

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AIPT @aiptcomics.com · 25/07/2026

😈🔥 EXCLUSIVE: James Harren is bringing THE DEMON back to DC! The Ultramega creator writes and draws a terrifying new take on Jason Blood and Etrigan, blending monsters, horror, and supernatural action. #comicsky 👀 Plus, check out 2 interior pages:

aiptcomics.com

James Harren unleashes a terrifying new era for ‘The Demon’ in DC’s Next Level line

The Ultramega creator writes and draws a horror-infused reinvention of Jason Blood and Etrigan as DC's Next Level initiative continues to grow.

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

The only just thing now would be Spain kicking the absolute shit out of every Argentine players and falling down in pain at the slightest touch

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Posting a very fun, and admittedly niche topic book review tomorrow in celebration of the last week of the #WorldCup. Sadly the team this book is related to have already been knocked out, but it still should be a great read!

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

VAR is quickly turning this World Cup into an absolute farce

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Zweig’s “The World of Yesterday” is one of the most fascinating first person accounts of the early 20th century. I read it while I was traveling in Vienna which made it all the more impactful of a read

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Why did we even go through with all that corruption if we were just going to play this bad!

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Every time Brazil gets knocked out of a major tournament an angel gets its wings

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

When it comes to the commentators Fox has chosen for this summer I’ll always remember it as the starf*Carr World Cup

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

This commentary from FOX on Argentina vs Austria is just two men gushing over Messi to the detriment of any analysis of what is actually happening on the pitch. So far the closest thing to analysis has been that Austria has taller players so they are probably good on corners

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Just a Dad 📎 @dadmakingcans.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

It's crazy how we have both the World Cup and America 250 this year and almost no one cares about them because the administration has wholly sucked the joy out of even momentous national events

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

So ecstatic to see the collection of foul merchants, dirty players whiners and frauds that is OKC out of these playoffs.

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Simon Bisson @sbisson.com · 24/05/2026

Today I have been learning about Baarle-Hertog, possibly the most complex set of international borders in the world. It's a Belgian town that's a series of enclaves inside Holland - more than 20 different fragments of Belgium surrounded by a Dutch town with a slightly different name, Baarle-Nassau.

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Well there’s another book in the must read category

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CEU Review of Books @ceureviewofbooks.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

New review! @nmw1.bsky.social reviews Pieter Judson and Tara Zahra's new book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 (@academic.oup.com, 2005). Read the review here: ceureviewofbooks.com/review/the-l...

ceureviewofbooks.com

The long end to Habsburg Central Europe’s long nineteenth century - CEU Review of Books

In The Great War and the Transformation of Habsburg Central Europe (OUP, 2025), Pieter M. Judson and Tara Zahra analyse the war not as the end of the Monarchy, but rather as a series of socio-politica...

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Just a quick reminder that yesterday I posted a review of “The Fiume Crisis” a fascinating story of the legacies of empire post WWI centered on the former Habsburg city Fiume and its 4 year temporary status as a city under international mandate #booksky #History open.substack.com/pub/empiresa...

open.substack.com

The Fiume Crisis: Life in the Wake of the Habsburg Empire

The end of World War I saw one of the most comprehensive redrawings of Europe’s borders in recorded history.

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Just went live with this review of “The Fiume Crisis” covering the fascinating story of Fiume (now Rijeka) which existed as an independent city under international mandate for 4 years after WWI from @harvardpress.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/empiresa... #bookreview #history

open.substack.com

The Fiume Crisis: Life in the Wake of the Habsburg Empire

The end of World War I saw one of the most comprehensive redrawings of Europe’s borders in recorded history.

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Sarah Posner @sarahposner.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

It's so funny to me that right-wingers love to pretend to love the Middle Ages and the Crusades and all that and then complain that the Pope shouldn't get involved in politics.

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Stefan Bienkowski @sbienkowski.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Stuttgart may have lost to Dortmund at the weekend, but they’re still on course for a top-four finish. That’s a huge achievement and further proof that the Swabian club continue to out-play their bigger and richer rivals on and off the pitch.

gegenpressing.substack.com

Stuttgart are outfoxing the Bundesliga's big spenders on a fraction of the budget

As the Bundesliga's bigger clubs grapple with bloated transfer fees and inconsistent form, Stuttgart's model of careful planning is quietly reaping its rewards.

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Forgot to share this last week, a new article inspired by my reading of “Austria: 1867-1955” about the destructive nature of identity politics as seen through the lens of 19th cent Bohemia #History substack.com/@empiresandn...

substack.com

Austria: 1867-1955

Czech yourself before you wreck your Reichsrat

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

#TIL that both the United States’ 6th President John Quincy Adams and Paul Verhoeven, famed director of RoboCop, both studied at Leiden University

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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

How Frederick the Great and George Washington embody the competition between liberal democracy and authoritarianism. George Washington and Frederick the Great: Parallel Lives by Jürgen Overhoff is now available (26 May UK pub). Find it here: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... #History

George Washington and Frederick the Great: Parallel Lives by Jürgen Overhoff

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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Out now with a new preface by the author, Alexei Yurchak's Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More is a fascinating exploration of “hypernormalization” in a political system that seemed powerful & eternal—even while on the verge of collapse. Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...

Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More: The Last Soviet Generation by Alexei Yurchak

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

I have loved pretty much everything Kaplan has written on the Balkans. Excited to read this eventually

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

This is just a description of regular working out if you’re a non-athlete over 30

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CEU Review of Books @ceureviewofbooks.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

In Habsburgs on the Rio Grande (@harvardpress.bsky.social), Raymond Jonas re-examines the Second Mexican Empire & argues that rather than being a historical sideshow, it was at the centre of historic power struggles. @barnabas-szabo.bsky.social reviews the book. ceureviewofbooks.com/review/a-hab...

ceureviewofbooks.com

A Habsburg imperial experiment in Mexico - CEU Review of Books

In Habsburgs on the Rio Grande (Harvard University Press, 2024), Raymond Jonas re-examines the Second Mexican Empire and argues that rather than being a historical sideshow, it was at the centre of wo...

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Really enjoyed this book when I read it last year. It was an aspect of the interwar experience in Central Europe I knew very little of and as a result was a very enlightening read

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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Mustafa Aksakal describes how European imperial ambitions and the Ottoman commitment to saving its empire at any cost led to the empire’s violent partition and created a politically unstable Middle East. press.princeton.edu/ideas/mustaf... #history #books #MiddleEast #OttomanEmpire

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

@sbienkowski.bsky.social this was all I could think of during the entire discussion of the Dortmund game on the MW20 recap pod

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Graham Ruthven @grahamruthven.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

The Polish Ekstraklasa returns from its winter break tonight! 🇵🇱 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 newsletter from last month about the remarkable rise of the league 👇

thesoccerdispatch.substack.com

🇵🇱 Poland's Ekstraklasa is FINALLY becoming one of Europe's best leagues

Record attendances, more money, better players... a sleeping giant has woken up!

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Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Me, reading and studying history: Haha fuck yeah!!! Yes!! Me, realizing I am living through a historical event: Well this fucking sucks. What the fuck.

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Iain Macintosh @iainmacintosh.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

If you're a West Brom fan and you feel a little ignored by the wider media after four and a half years in the Badlands, there's a whole Baggies feature on ROUTE ONE here with the marvellous @chrislepkowski.bsky.social pod.fo/e/373e71

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Andrew @empiresandnations.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Posted this yesterday. A departure from my normal book reviews this bit of #travelwriting reflects on why so much of my travel is informed by the books I read and #history I find fascinating, explored through the lens of my recent trip to #Vienna open.substack.com/pub/empiresa...