Michael Dwyer

The curious death of pagan Europe In Lithuania – Europe’s last pagan kingdom – the death of the old religions was neither swift nor absolute. They lingered on, revealing a slower, stranger story of Christian conversion.

'a masterful guide through Lithuania’s journey from Europe’s last pagan state to the far smaller nation-state it is today'
@hurstpublishers.bsky.social @dankaszeta.bsky.social @paullay.bsky.social
engelsbergideas.com/reviews/the-...

Gaza is a largely flat piece of land bordering to 2 countries with reasonable infrastructure. So we’re going to drop aid from the air ffs.

The secret British history of South America In Small Earthquakes, Shafik Meghji uncovers Britain’s forgotten connections with Latin America, from Welsh tea rooms to red phone boxes

www.thetimes.com/article/f371...

‘If an instrument is needed to evoke the highs and lows of human nature there is no better choice than the bagpipes.’
pipingpress.com/2025/07/09/r... @hurstpublishers.bsky.social

The Survival of Syria’s Damask Rose Every spring, the valuable flowers bloom, a symbol of the country that has persisted through bloodshed, exploitation and drought

newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th...

Worried the World Is Falling Apart? That’s OK. It’s Happened Before.

Worried the World Is Falling Apart? That’s OK. It’s Happened Before.

A review of two new books

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/b...

Secret Russian Intelligence Document Shows Deep Suspicion of China

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/07/w...

“Cracking the Crab: Russian Espionage Against Japan, from Peter the Great to Richard Sorge” by James DJ Brown Russia came late to Japan, but devoted considerable energies to grappling with one of the world’s great intelligence challenges and penetrating the insular Asian nation once the Japanese shifted in…

Today in the ARB: Stephen Mercado reviews “Cracking the Crab: Russian Espionage Against Japan, from Peter the Great to Richard Sorge” by James DJ Brown @hurstpublishers.bsky.social @oxunipress.bsky.social asianreviewofbooks.com/cracking-the...

Podcast with Vappala Balachandran, author of “China at Odds in the Asian Century: A Diplomatic and Strategic History” China and India have had a tense relationship, disagreeing over territory, support for each other’s rivals, and even, at times, leadership of the “Global South.” But there were periods where things…

Drops today: this week's ARB @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social podcast with Nicholas Gordon in conversation with Vappala Balachandran, author of “China at Odds in the Asian Century: A Diplomatic and Strategic History” @hurstpublishers.bsky.social asianreviewofbooks.com/podcast-with...

A gorgeous cover and an intriguing premise for a book-length study

As Qatar presents a jet to President Trump, for the definitive account, read 'DIPLOMATIC GIFTS: A History in Fifty Presents', by Paul Brummell.
‘Would Your Majesty prefer a beaver or a giraffe? History’s strangest diplomatic gifts.’ — @Telegraph
@hurstpublishers.bsky.social

Charles Darwin’s contribution to Patagonia’s grim history It was a journey Bruce Chatwin hankered to make: to Southampton and the grave of General Juan Manuel de Rosas, the exiled Argentine dictator described in the Southampton Times after his funeral in 187...

Characterising native tribes as ‘naked, painted, shivering, hideous savages’ proved no less calamitous for their survival as Argentina’s efforts to exterminate them, writes Matthew Carr
www.spectator.co.uk/article/char...

Pratinav Anil - From Paris to Pondicherry Pratinav Anil: From Paris to Pondicherry - Glorious Failure: The Forgotten History of French Imperialism in India by Robert Ivermee

Glorious Failure reviewed by
@pratinavanil.bsky.social for the Literary Review. Publication date is June 26th :) @hurstpublishers.bsky.social
literaryreview.co.uk/from-paris-t...

Two printed book jackets for Ramping Up Rights by Rachel Charlton-Dailey, laid flat at a printer’s, showing the bright green cover with disability pride flags and endorsements on the back.

Spotted at the printer! 👀 @rachelcdailey.bsky.social’s Ramping Up Rights is almost here 😍
Pre-order your copy to discover the 100-year history of the fight for British disability rights 👉 hurstpublishers.com/book/ramping...

UK 'extremely dependent' on the US for space security : After 60 years+ cooperation on space and military ops, worrying 'rhetoric' from Team Trump has Brits examining options

Thanks to @datadictum.bsky.social m.bsky.social at @theregister.com.web.brid.gy m.web.brid.gy for writing up some of my comments on UK dependencies on the US to the House of Lords UK Engagement with Space select committee on Monday.

www.theregister.com/2025/05/21/u...

Norwegian man woke up with huge container ship in his garden The 135 meter long container ship is owned by North Sea Container Line. No injuries or oil spills have been reported.

shippingwatch.com/carriers/Con...

Use promo code GIFTS25 for a 25% discount when ordering here ➡️ tinyurl.com/ymy3wmuu

As Qatar presents a jet to President Trump, for the definitive account, read 'DIPLOMATIC GIFTS: A History in Fifty Presents', by Paul Brummell.
‘Would Your Majesty prefer a beaver or a giraffe? History’s strangest diplomatic gifts.’ — @Telegraph
@hurstpublishers.bsky.social

fivebooks.com/best-books/t...

Oh yeah nice one kid hook that hope for humanity right into my veins

Why Papal Conclaves Have Drawn the Attention of Spies Intelligence agencies have long gathered information to help their governments get a sense of who the next pope might be

Why Papal Conclaves Have Drawn the Attention of Spooks
@hurstpublishers.bsky.social
Extracted from VATICAN SPIES by Yannick Denoel
time.com/7281823/papa...

Notably, Sameer and I talk about why this crisis is occurring under meaningfully different structural conditions than any post-2001 crisis between the two countries: for reasons having to do with geopolitics, domestic politics in both countries, and the United States.

As the Cardinals of the Catholic Church convene for the Conclave to select the successor to Pope Francis, will external forces attempt to exert influence? ...
Vatican Spies unearths such intrigue, including evidence that the CIA bugged the 1963 Conclave: tinyurl.com/bdcb7a7k

Scottish nationalist pipers blew wartime grenade terror attack A new history of the bagpipes claims that anti-English sentiment drove some musicians to violence

A new history of the bagpipes claims that anti-English sentiment drove some musicians to violence
www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...
@hurstpublishers.bsky.social
The martial role of the bagpipes can be traced back to Culloden & beyond, when government & Jacobites adopted them as symbols of defiance.

Scottish nationalist pipers blew wartime grenade terror attack A new history of the bagpipes claims that anti-English sentiment drove some musicians to violence

A new history of the bagpipes claims that anti-English sentiment drove some musicians to violence
www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...
@hurstpublishers.bsky.social
The martial role of the bagpipes can be traced back to Culloden & beyond, when government & Jacobites adopted them as symbols of defiance.

Scottish pipers ‘staged terrorist acts during Second World War’ A new history of the bagpipes claims that anti-English sentiment drove some musicians to violence

Scottish pipers ‘staged terrorist acts during Second World War’

www.thetimes.com/article/da53...

Lt. Denis Tuohy died from torture 1921 #OnThisDay 1921 Lt. Denis Tuohy from Kenmare, Kerry died from wounds suffered in prison. Tuohy resigned from the RIC in 1918, joined the IRA & was Terence MacSwiney’s bodyguard. He became…

About my great uncle's death, on May Day, 1921.
theirishatwar.com/2020/05/01/l...

To know or not to know | TLS According to an ancient story, King Midas hunted in the forest for the wise Silenus, Dionysus’ companion. It took the king a while to capture the god of the forest, but eventually he did. He burnt to ...

IGNORANCE AND BLISS: On Wanting Not to Know
'The acuity of Lilla’s analyses in this book, the range of the topics he covers and the breadth of his historical knowledge are dazzling.' @hurstpublishers.bsky.social
www.the-tls.co.uk/philosophy/c...

Spiritual Women of the Wilderness While the Desert Fathers have long been an inspiration for Christian retreats, the Desert Mothers are now coming to the fore

While the Desert Fathers have long been an inspiration for Christian retreats, the Desert Mothers are now coming to the fore. @hurstpublishers.bsky.social
newlinesmag.com/essays/spiri...

Book review: The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism by Martyn Percy Michael Doe finds this picture of Anglicanism a disputable one

'a largely justifiable attack on what Percy calls the “monarchical” values that underlay the spread of the Church of England around the world, on the shirt tails of the British Empire' @hurstpublishers.bsky.social @churchtimes.bsky.social CRISIS OF COLONIAL
www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...