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Mark Jones

@mark18681918.bsky.social
2.6K followers 1K following 2.3K posts

PhD student @cardiffuni.bsky.social/Prifysgol Caerdyd. Critical historian researching regimental identity, organisational culture & learning processes within the British Army during the Cold War. profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/research-sta…

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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 1h
From the perspective of an outsider looking in, I'm really struck by how the USMC (much like the Royal Marines in the UK) identified their future vision & purpose, took the hard decisions, and now are well on the way to delivering on this vision. The British Army could learn from this approach.
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
static.klipy.com
Tom and Jerry: Tom Takes a Bow
ALT: Tom and Jerry: Tom Takes a Bow
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
ABOAP very nearly made it onto my list.
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Andrew @andrew617.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
A bandwagon I'm happy to jump on - 9 history books (I could've been 20). I could happily wax lyrical about them all but 2 is a perfect example of how to mix eyewitness testimony with history, 5 is the best recent American book on the subject, 7 is best single vol on the subject IMHO #HistBookChat
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
It was a very popular book so I'm not surprised there are a few different variants out in the wild. Biography isn't really my favoured genre, so I found it a bit hit or miss, although some sections are incredibly dark
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
The first 'proper' history book I read- still treasure my (very sun damaged) copy
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
It's the one that won't be going to the charity shop!
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Inspired by @lwestwoodauthor.bsky.social here are the nine (non-fiction) books I won't forget. Some have been hugely influential in my research, others have stuck with me for one reason or another. One continues to haunt me to this day. All highly recommended. #HistBookChat #Skystorians
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
A very quick #HistBookChat post this week. Lots of travel this week so a good opportunity to clear the backlog. One book was excellent, another so-so, the third fell a bit flat for me.
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Laurence Westwood @lwestwoodauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
#histbookchat No new book this week but decided to pick 9 histories/biographies that left me thinking 'wow!' when I got to the end! Second choice photo not great but it is Faust's Metropolis, Alexandra Richie's astonishing history of Berlin pubbed in 1999, 1000+ pages of brilliant writing!
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David Burbach 🇺🇸 @dburbach.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Wow is this something that comes up for scholars of conflict and of military technology. There are sadly quite a few on the antiwar left, including some profs who vote on hiring and tenure, who think if only academics stopped studying war and weapons, war and weapons would stop happening
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Agreed - I've yet to come across any conflict scholar who even vaguely considers war to be a 'good' thing.
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Nick Kodama 🌳👻 @nickkodama.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Despite my research area, I would like to remind everyone that:
nuclear war is bad for kittens
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Preach
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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
You can really see the different phases of the war play out in this radar imagery. These first two show the damage from the most intense bombing, before ground forces entered Gaza, when the IDF was announcing the destruction of “power targets” and sometimes dropping more than 1,000 bombs in a day.
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Dónal Hassett @donalh.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
My 3 big frustrations with Anglophone coverage of France. 1. No acknowledgement of how much of private media is under control of far-right billioniares. 2. No acknowledgement how exceptionally violent French police are in Western Europe. 3. No acknowledgement that 'centrism' has been very repressive
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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The US fled from a UK base in fear of an Iranian drone attack. UK found a specific plot against this base, but there’s nothing uniquely vulnerable about it. The US has many similar bases in various locations. Going to run away from all of them? Rely on intel sniffing out every plot in advance?
nytimes.com
Potential Iranian Drone Attack Led to Exit of U.S. Aircraft From British Air Base
According to U.S. and British officials, 12 B-1 Air Force bombers from R.A.F. Fairford air base were withdrawn because of the risk of a drone attack ordered by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps...
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Pathetic isn't it? A billionaires vanity project and the predictable faux-culture war fallout when he doubt get his own way.
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Waitman Wade Beorn, PhD, FRHistS @waitmanwbeorn.com · 06/10/2026
Oh no! Is it because they got rid of the Jagdpanther and medal room? This may be news to Lara, but, good museums are ALWAYS in the process of renovating, changing, and updating their exhibits. spectator.com/article/can-...
spectator.com
The Imperial War Museum has lost its way
The Imperial War Museum (IWM) will be spending £1 million on a major rebrand to highlight modern conflicts.
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Couldn't agree with you more - a billionaires vanity project (and subsequent temper tantrum). The NAM have made a mistake in inviting him into the fold.
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Mike Walker @newnarrative.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
U.S. Sends Reaper Drones from Fighting Terrorists in Africa to Colombia and Ecuador to Hunt Cartels www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/w...
nytimes.com
U.S. Sends Reaper Drones to Colombia and Ecuador to Hunt Cartels
MQ-9 Reaper drones — known for high-profile deadly strikes — have been shifted from Africa to Colombia and Ecuador, U.S. officials said.
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Seeadler @seeadler.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
It would be a lot easier to believe this – as opposed to "we've run out of bombs for them to drop" – if the US had similarly removed the U2s at Fairford, which are presumably equally vulnerable to attack. But they haven't.
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Bryn Hammond @brynleyh.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
That thing where people copy and paste from ElonWorld and then moan about it here. What. Did. You. Expect? The guy is a shit. He invaded a world to make it shit and it’s shit. Really shit. Don’t give those who choose to stay there oxygen.
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Lisa Carey @msleedy.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Genuinely concerned about what's happening to the space-time continuum in this toilet.
A toilet door with a sign saying "Temporally Out Of Order"
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Hupple’s Cat @hupplescat.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
When NFL teams wear throwback uniforms for games, the coaching staff should have to wear suits and fedoras on the sidelines.
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Happy #HistBookChat Friday!. Quick one from me this week - very much enjoyed it, an interesting perspective of Cold War submarine (non-) warfare from a Soviet Perspective. Highly recommended. #Skystorians #NavalHistory #ColdWar
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I can't see it have much of a legal difference, other than picking a fight with a state is much trickier than a private individual.
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Leopard face eating abounds
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Will do my best, although there are plenty of massive egos in the field of history 😅
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
😅
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Interesting - I do have a copy of Lambert's book so I'm intrigued to see how it unfolds! Cheers!
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
On a seperate note, I just searched 'Franklin Expedition' on this app (intrigued to see the duscourse) and some of the skeets...
static.klipy.com
Its A Bit Odd Strange
ALT: Its A Bit Odd Strange
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Having just purchased some books on the Franklin Expedition, I'm intrigued to hear which ones you would class as academic (even loosely)?
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Matthew Ford @warmatters.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Latest publication: Hammers & Nails: Military Innovation as a Strategic Dead End In this article I argue that innovation has become an end-in-itself, supplanting the much harder challenge of defining a meaningful, justifiable and achievable strategy. www.militarystrategymagazine.com/article/hamm...
militarystrategymagazine.com
Hammers and Nails: Military Innovation as a Strategic Dead End - Military Strategy Magazine
This article argues that contemporary Western military innovation has become a strategic dead end. Tracing the evolution of military innovation from the Revolution in Military Affairs through counteri...
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"Look, I was just visiting the promenade to count caravans with my associate. I have absolutely nothing to do with Transit Vans in rural Gloucestershire"
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Colonel Tavington's Disapproval in The Patriot
ALT: Colonel Tavington's Disapproval in The Patriot
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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
And here is a thread linking to articles that describe how, within the IDF, to-the-foundations earthmover demolitions became the norm in Gaza. It wasn’t because of orders from IDF high command, really—it was a highly successful bottom-up revolution by the extremist reservists who had the earthmovers
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Society for Army Historical Research @societyarmy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Call for Papers - SAHR Virtual Conference, "The British Army Since 1945" Paper and panel proposals sought for an online conference taking place 20-21 February 2027 - full details in link. Please share widely. www.sahr.org.uk/docs/sahr-call-for-papers-the-british-army-since-1945-sahrs1143.pdf
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𝟙𝟜𝟙𝟠𝕔𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤 @fourteeneighteen.co.uk · 29/09/2026
Advice, please! My new book is a battalion history. The history itself, by the time I have added maps and index, is ~400 pages. Part 2 consists of biographies of every officer and will be ~200 pages. So ... produce as one heavy volume or two smaller, easier to handle volumes? Thoughts? #ww1 #book
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Obviously still to be confirmed...but perhaps everyone can chill the fuck out for a bit.
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Three, perhaps they weren't actually committing an offence as defined by the Terrorism Act and, therefore, there is no reason to hold them on suspicion of terrorism offences? They're still under investigation, but in all likelihood for a different set of offences.
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Excited to see all the new counter-terrorism experts that have sprung out of the earth in the last 24hrs...
static.klipy.com
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Not The Expert
ALT: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Not The Expert
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Christine Ferguson @cferguson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Solidarity to @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social as they fight what have clearly been proven to be unnecessary and disproportionate cuts within an institution that remains the wealthiest university in Scotland. Victory to the strikers! www.ucuedinburgh.org.uk/blog/five-we...
ucuedinburgh.org.uk
Staff at the University of Edinburgh start five-week strike — UCU Edinburgh
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at the University of Edinburgh today (Monday) start five-weeks of strikes in a dispute over £140million cuts and compulsory redundancies. The strike f...
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Dr. Claudia Hillebrand @ckhillebrand.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Seoul accuses Ukraine of violating secrecy pact on North Korean soldiers
giftarticle.ft.com
Seoul accuses Ukraine of violating secrecy pact on North Korean soldiers
South Korea demands apology after Volodymyr Zelenskyy discloses prisoner transfer
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DJ (he, him)🏳️‍🌈 @dmrh0720.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
SPECIAL REPORT - Your Neighbour Canada Has Changed And You're Not Going to Like What is Happening Underestimating Canadians - Trumps Fatal Mistake americanpulse.substack.com/p/special-re...
americanpulse.substack.com
SPECIAL REPORT - Your Neighbour Canada Has Changed And You're Not Going to Like What is Happening Underestimating Canadians - Trumps Fatal Mistake
50% tariffs, a collapsed trade deal, and a Canadian economy posting record highs anyway. Here's news you're not going to like, but you need to know it
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Thomas Leahy @thomasdmleahy.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
On #bbcradiowales this morning talking about #Garvaghyroad #orangeorder #drumcree 8.15am
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I'm still staggered they could accrue 97 million files, let alone 'mislay' then.
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
97,000,000??? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Discovery of 97 million files related to SAS inquiry 'regrettable', MoD says
It comes after the inquiry's chair called the disclosure - three years into the investigation - "troubling".
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
There's a weird part of me that wants to watch it, not least for the hilarious selection of ex-politicians taking part (Harriet Harman aside).
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Mark Jones @mark18681918.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I do agree that sharing and talking about history shouldn't just be for the 'professionals', but I would argue most professionally trained historians can recognise when they're talking beyond their area of expertise.
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