Sign in

Peter Frankopan

@peterfrankopan.bsky.social
12K followers 245 following 570 posts

Historian. Coffee drinker

PostsRepliesMedia
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
So very sorry to hear about the death of Chris Wickham - one of the greatest medieval historians of our times and a good friend. He was a brilliant, ground-breaking and deeply insightful man from whom I (and many others) learned a great deal. And a terrific writer too... #RIP
05413
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Thanks Frank - I miss you! It's been too long!
010
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Thanks Charlie 🙏
010
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Charlie Connelly @charlieconnelly.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This looks fantastic.
161
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
And here (as a special treat!): a lovely animation to accompany the cover reveal...#SeventhContinent
1130
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Looking to the far south has been a revelation and a joy. It brings climate, economics, geopolitics, history and more into focus. I very much hope you'll like the book when it comes out in February. #SeventhContinent 🙏🙏🙏
1100
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This region is at the heart of a new set of opportunities and challenges that will help define the 21st century - not least as a place of heightened competition between great powers, above all China and the US 4/5
170
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The Antarctic & Southern Ocean play a central role in global climate systems; they have also been enormously significant in global history - in ways that are surprising (and important) 3/5
180
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
There is so much to say about a key part of the world that usually receives little attention - other than the heroic age of polar exploration 2/5
170
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Well. Here it is: a new book that has been keeping me busy for a while. The Seventh Continent: Antarctica and the Southern Oceans. Past, Present and Future 1/5
510625
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
New ep of Legacy has just dropped: the awesome @SueBrunningBM curator of the #BayeuxTapestry show @britishmuseum on the embroidery, the exhibition - and how King Harold really died...https://pod.link/1711362652/episode/NmFiNGUwOTZkNGMwMmIwZTBkZjg1YmUw?view=apps&sort=popularity
041
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Alan Stedman @alanjstedman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Suspect it was held back because of Trump's probable reaction. He's a fading threat now If you want to set this in the wider context of how climate change has driven much of history I thoroughly recommend The Earth Transformed by @peterfrankopan.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
UK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under Starmer
El Niño poses critical threat to nations’ defences, says Ed Miliband in presentation to global foreign ministers
0193
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I've written about this on another platform. You might need a stiff drink 5/5 peterfrankopan.substack.com/p/the-ai-rev...
peterfrankopan.substack.com
The AI Revolution is upon us
Like many of you (I suspect), I’ve been working my way through the Anthropic report that was published yesterday.
293
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The nightmare has already begun: behold Yemen; Iran; Russia; DRC; China; and criminal groups 4/5
150
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I've worked through Anthropic's own report on how Claude has been used across cyber operations, influence campaigns, surveillance, fraud and conventional weapons development 3/5
140
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Rather than guess if that's right, I took a good look at what's happened in the last 9 months 2/5
140
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Rogue swarms in 6-12 months; 10% chance of AI killing all humans in the next etc. It looks like a nightmare is around the corner 1/5
2145
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I’m so pleased - thank you ! 🙏🙏🙏
000
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Dank u wel ! ❤️❤️❤️
120
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Mirella Marini @mirellamarini.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Wie morgen nog een uitstapje zoekt of tijd heeft: rep u naar de laatste dag voor #Breedbeeld olv curator @peterfrankopan.bsky.social in Brugge. Magistraal. Eerlijk waar 1 vd beste expo's die ik de afgelopen jaren heb gezien. Ik was mee met het verhaal. Fantastische stukken gezien.
Zeevaartkaart uit 1439 op perkament, gemaakt op Mallorca. De kaart is perkament gelig, gedecoreerd met bontgekleurde figuren en 1850 minuscuul geschreven plaatsnamen. Hier het zicht vanaf Noord-Afrika, over de Middellandse Zee, en met zicht op Europa, tot ongeveer de hoogte van Groot-Brittannië.
3196
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Peter Stewart @petercnstewart.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I’m hugely grateful to @peterfrankopan.bsky.social for highlighting my work on this extraordinary ancient textile - the Loulan Hermes.
0133
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
For the article itself, just out in Silk Road Archaeology and Heritage is here. It is a gem silkroadsarchaeoheritage.org/articles/10....
silkroadsarchaeoheritage.org
Reconsidering the Loulan Hermes Textile | Silk Roads Archaeology and Heritage
0194
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Peter has written a guest post which you can read here peterfrankopan.substack.com/p/how-did-he...
peterfrankopan.substack.com
How Did Hermes Reach China? A Silk Road Detective Story
Peter Stewart is an outstanding scholar with a remarkable breadth of interests.
33313
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The evidence strongly points to the textile’s Roman origins: a luxury object that travelled an extraordinary distance before ending up in a grave in the Taklamakan Desert - almost 2000 years ago #WoolRoads 4/5
1161
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
His new article is a first class work of scholarship (as to be expected, given he is brilliant; but it also reads like a detective story 3/5
1161
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The Loulan Hermes is one of the most famous objects of the ancient #SilkRoads - and yet remarkably under-studied. My Oxford colleague @petercnstewart.bsky.social has now taken a fresh look - following clues scattered from Xinjiang to Roman Egypt 2/5
1202
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
In 1914, Aurel Stein unearthed an extraordinary textile fragment at ancient Loulan in the Tarim basin - showing the unmistakable face of Hermes. A Greek god, discovered in a desert cemetery in what is now western China 1/5
26219
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Jodi Breckenridge Petit @jodibp.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
'The appearance of an American military transport in the Russian capital would be noteworthy any time. In the middle of the war in Ukraine, it is very strange indeed.'
032
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
So I wrote about it on another platform. More here peterfrankopan.substack.com/p/the-direct...
peterfrankopan.substack.com
The Director of the CIA is in Moscow. But why the C-17 ?
It’s the 35th anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine today.
183
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
What caught my eye, though, was the choice of aircraft - a C17 Globemaster 3/4
152
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
As always, such events are interesting because of their timing, given Iran, Ukraine (Happy 35th birthday!), China, trade sanctions etc etc 2/4
150
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
John Ratcliffe, the Director of the CIA, landed in Moscow this morning - unannounced and unexpected 1/4
171
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Thank you very much ! 🙏
010
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Ben Jerrit FCCT History Teacher @benjerrit.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
An epic history of the global environment and our place in it. Extraordinary breadth of scope & range of evidence. Magnificent. 1 strand was that human civilisations usually collapse in the face of environmental challenge, even if the species lives. #Booksof2026 no12. @peterfrankopan.bsky.social
Cover of "The Earth Transformed" by Peter Frankopan.
294
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Melissa Chan @melissakchan.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
"When Russia’s problems worsen this summer and Putin’s options diminish, his temptation will be to escalate both at home and abroad." @peterfrankopan.bsky.social's June essay feels even more spot on now that it's August:
foreignpolicy.com
As the Tide Turns Against Putin, Beware the Drowning Man
Like a struggling swimmer, he may take desperate measures to stay afloat.
02514
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
LSE Press @lsepress.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
“A hopeful work that redefines growth for a sustainable age." — @peterfrankopan.bsky.social, Professor of Global History, Oxford University 🔗 The Growth Story of the 21st Century is available via #OpenAccess publishing: bit.ly/4qu1BhR
Photo of hands holding the book The Growth Story of the 21st Century.
017
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
I've written about this on another platform. More here: open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
open.substack.com
Ceuta: What Really Happened at Europe's Southern Border?
The scenes in Ceuta on Thursday were extraordinary.
072
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Why did this happen - and why now? The politics of North Africa? Those of the Middle East? US grievances with Madrid? 3/4
140
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
The scenes of border crossings being stormed/by-passed create panic in Europe - and far beyond 2/4
120
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
The strange story of Ceuta: 50,000 people suddenly converge on the Spanish enclave - only to return to Morocco 24 hours later 1/4
1135
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Dan Batovici @danbatovici.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Proofs time.
0327
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Patricia Sauthoff 司徒雛菊 @sauthoff.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Job 🚨 Tenure-Track Professorship in Buddhist Studies Buddhist Studies; Primary sources in Sanskrit must play a prominent role in both research and teaching. Candidates should further have command of at least one: Pali, Buddhist Chinese, Classical Tibetan.
jobs.univie.ac.at
Tenure-Track Professorship in Buddhist Studies
Tenure-Track Professorship in Buddhist Studies
096
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
I'm sooo pleased you went to see it !
110
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
I'm sooo pleased you went to see it !
000
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Caroline Dodds Pennock @carolinepennock.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Tiny @peterfrankopan.bsky.social in Bruges!
A large curved screen with a video of a medieval map and Peter in a suit standing on it.
3141
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Made in China Journal @madeinchinajournal.com · 22/07/2026
||NEW CfP|| China's 'Science Silk Road' invests in research cooperation with countries along the new Silk Road. But does this create distinct ways of doing science? How does it address local-global development challenges? And is it reshaping the global science system? Visit our website for details.
globalchinapulse.net
Calls for Papers - Global China Pulse
Here you can find the call for papers for the journal issues we are currently working on. The initial pitches should be no longer than 300 words and explain
087
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
This is soooo dull # WorldCupFinal
2130
Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
🙏🙏🙏
010
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Antiquity Journal @antiquity.ac.uk · 10/07/2026
Happy #Matariki! To celebrate the Māori New Year, here is some Māori #archaeology: American sweet potatoes were essential to the Māori settlement of Te Waipounamu. Hardier than native crops, they enabled farming in the South Island's harsher climate. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
Map of the South Pacific, annotated with the potential spread of American sweet potato from South America into Polynesia.
15024
Reposted by Peter Frankopan
Simone Hochgreb @simonehochgreb.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
We will take any good excuses ! The alternative is that slavery led to much shorter players than Haaland of course…
021