Alan Allport
@alanallport.bsky.social
Professor, historian, husband, dad, scouser, gobby. Author of Demobbed (2009), Browned Off & Bloody-Minded (2015), Britain at Bay (2020), Advance Britannia (2025). “Awesome but a bit boring” (RMP). Personal account.
Pinned
Alan Allport
@alanallport.bsky.social
· Jan 6
Why the British Were Afraid of Winning World War II
www.nytimes.com
#AdvanceBritannia is released in North America today. The NYT review says (ahem): “Elegant and unsparing … Allport is a fluid writer, a conjurer with the rare ability to sustain a gripping narrative without resorting to Vaseline-lensed sentimentality.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/b...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/b...
“Is there a technology that the left is excited about?”
February 18, 2026 at 5:24 PM
“Is there a technology that the left is excited about?”
Reposted by Alan Allport
A map, ca. 1942, of the "current status of U.S. Navy" in the Pacific War, w/ inset maps of military installations in Hawaii and the Philippines
February 18, 2026 at 6:04 AM
A map, ca. 1942, of the "current status of U.S. Navy" in the Pacific War, w/ inset maps of military installations in Hawaii and the Philippines
Are there any laws at all? Frankly it’s all a big mystery
BARTIROMO: Could the president just implement an executive order to get the SAVE Act across the finish line going into the midterms?
REP. MARK HARRIS: That's a great question. I don't know the answer to that, quite frankly.
REP. MARK HARRIS: That's a great question. I don't know the answer to that, quite frankly.
February 18, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Are there any laws at all? Frankly it’s all a big mystery
Reposted by Alan Allport
ITS NOT A YES OR NO QUESTION THATS THE WHOLE POINT OF STRATEGIC AMBIGUITY YOU DUMB FUCK
February 18, 2026 at 2:33 PM
ITS NOT A YES OR NO QUESTION THATS THE WHOLE POINT OF STRATEGIC AMBIGUITY YOU DUMB FUCK
Reposted by Alan Allport
Dude may I introduce you to the distinction between the productive forces and the social relations of production
February 18, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Dude may I introduce you to the distinction between the productive forces and the social relations of production
It’s all kicking off in Legoland
February 18, 2026 at 1:09 PM
It’s all kicking off in Legoland
Reposted by Alan Allport
Had to get some new passport photos done as part of my long term process of becoming Irish (thanks Brexit)
Won't share here, but this was the convo:
PHOTOG: Remember. Don't smile.
ME: <not smiling>
PHOTOG: Okay you look like a Reform Councillor caught with his hand in the jar. Maybe smile a bit.
Won't share here, but this was the convo:
PHOTOG: Remember. Don't smile.
ME: <not smiling>
PHOTOG: Okay you look like a Reform Councillor caught with his hand in the jar. Maybe smile a bit.
February 18, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Had to get some new passport photos done as part of my long term process of becoming Irish (thanks Brexit)
Won't share here, but this was the convo:
PHOTOG: Remember. Don't smile.
ME: <not smiling>
PHOTOG: Okay you look like a Reform Councillor caught with his hand in the jar. Maybe smile a bit.
Won't share here, but this was the convo:
PHOTOG: Remember. Don't smile.
ME: <not smiling>
PHOTOG: Okay you look like a Reform Councillor caught with his hand in the jar. Maybe smile a bit.
AOC = attractive young woman on the political left = making fun of her as ‘stupid’ is fun
Trump = rotting corpse of a man on the political right = ho hum, all is permitted
Trump = rotting corpse of a man on the political right = ho hum, all is permitted
The more I think about the DC press slagging AOC for a lack of FP depth while Donald Trump is President, twice, is making me angry enough to explode. The fuck is wrong with the journalists that they're like this
February 18, 2026 at 1:05 PM
AOC = attractive young woman on the political left = making fun of her as ‘stupid’ is fun
Trump = rotting corpse of a man on the political right = ho hum, all is permitted
Trump = rotting corpse of a man on the political right = ho hum, all is permitted
Reposted by Alan Allport
They do not want AOC to win and see this as an opportunity to knife her
Deplorable state of U.S. media on display here, deliberately misleading the public. You can literally type into Google the same question @aoc.bsky.social was asked and the AI will give you her same answer because "strategic ambiguity" has been official U.S. policy her whole life.
February 18, 2026 at 6:22 AM
They do not want AOC to win and see this as an opportunity to knife her
Reposted by Alan Allport
I feel that the fact that by 1918 much of the French Army on the Western Front consisted of forcibly-enlisted West Africans ought to be better known by military historians.
This 1917 report from Governor General Van Vollenhoven, a sceptic of mobilisation of West Africans in WWI, underlines mass migrations of West African populations across colonial borders to escape conscription. 20000 from Cote d'Ivoire to Gold Coast (Ghana), 15000 from Dahomey (Benin) to Nigeria etc
February 18, 2026 at 12:48 PM
I feel that the fact that by 1918 much of the French Army on the Western Front consisted of forcibly-enlisted West Africans ought to be better known by military historians.
Government by men, not by laws
Appalling: During Trump's effort to indict Dems for the video warning against carrying out illegal orders, one of their lawyers asked prosecutors to say what statute was allegedly violated, I'm told. They failed to name one. Then they tried to indict anyway.
New:
newrepublic.com/article/2066...
New:
newrepublic.com/article/2066...
February 18, 2026 at 12:56 PM
Government by men, not by laws
Reposted by Alan Allport
One of the things we don't have in this country is good data on abuse rates among the homeschooled population because that lack of data benefits the powerful who favor homeschooling.
71% of children leaving WV schools for homeschooling are chronically absent • West Virginia Watch
The majority of students in West Virginia who left public schools in the last three years were chronically absent.
westvirginiawatch.com
February 18, 2026 at 12:50 PM
One of the things we don't have in this country is good data on abuse rates among the homeschooled population because that lack of data benefits the powerful who favor homeschooling.
Reposted by Alan Allport
Keep an eye out for this, coming out in July 2026, edited by @andrewhuebner.bsky.social & Jennifer Keene.
www.cambridge.org/us/universit...
www.cambridge.org/us/universit...
The Cambridge History of War and Society in America | Cambridge University Press & Assessment
www.cambridge.org
February 18, 2026 at 12:39 PM
Keep an eye out for this, coming out in July 2026, edited by @andrewhuebner.bsky.social & Jennifer Keene.
www.cambridge.org/us/universit...
www.cambridge.org/us/universit...
Reposted by Alan Allport
"War and Society: A State of the Field Review," by William Michael Schmidli.
@smh-historians.bsky.social
www.shafr.org/assets/docs/...
@smh-historians.bsky.social
www.shafr.org/assets/docs/...
www.shafr.org
February 18, 2026 at 10:10 AM
"War and Society: A State of the Field Review," by William Michael Schmidli.
@smh-historians.bsky.social
www.shafr.org/assets/docs/...
@smh-historians.bsky.social
www.shafr.org/assets/docs/...
Reposted by Alan Allport
Saying "um, ah, well..." for thirty seconds and then changing the subject has been the literal policy of the united states as regards the defense of Taiwan for decades. The whole point is to avoid giving a straight answer. If you want to critique on FP at least read a Wikipedia first.
AOC’s Munich Stumble Is a Warning to the Left
It’s time for progressives to get more sophisticated about national security and foreign policy.
nymag.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:55 AM
Saying "um, ah, well..." for thirty seconds and then changing the subject has been the literal policy of the united states as regards the defense of Taiwan for decades. The whole point is to avoid giving a straight answer. If you want to critique on FP at least read a Wikipedia first.
Reposted by Alan Allport
We’re all way too bored on this website which is why I’m bringing back (tomorrow) the real reason we’re all here: litigating strategic bombing in World War II
Pre-litigating 2028 so that I'm ready when I'd disappointed
February 17, 2026 at 5:48 PM
We’re all way too bored on this website which is why I’m bringing back (tomorrow) the real reason we’re all here: litigating strategic bombing in World War II
Reposted by Alan Allport
Woke 2.0 means assigning anyone at DoD who says "Warfighter" - and not under active duress while doing so - to be a gate guard at Kwajalein.
February 17, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Woke 2.0 means assigning anyone at DoD who says "Warfighter" - and not under active duress while doing so - to be a gate guard at Kwajalein.
Reposted by Alan Allport
Rereading Taylor's Struggle for Mastery in Europe once again, as I do periodically, and what a brilliant fucking book.
Is the history right? This is almost beside the point. On the parts I've read most deeply on, he makes errors of fact and I find his judgment frequently suspect.
Is the history right? This is almost beside the point. On the parts I've read most deeply on, he makes errors of fact and I find his judgment frequently suspect.
February 18, 2026 at 12:57 AM
Rereading Taylor's Struggle for Mastery in Europe once again, as I do periodically, and what a brilliant fucking book.
Is the history right? This is almost beside the point. On the parts I've read most deeply on, he makes errors of fact and I find his judgment frequently suspect.
Is the history right? This is almost beside the point. On the parts I've read most deeply on, he makes errors of fact and I find his judgment frequently suspect.
Reposted by Alan Allport
The Guardsman was never found.
How is it possible that Kristi Noem still has this job. Imagine if you’re a family member or a shipmate of this guardsman.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
February 18, 2026 at 12:30 AM
The Guardsman was never found.
Reposted by Alan Allport
AIPAC is a shrill, partisan undertaking that is really now just a MAGA cell. Not only does it have no credibility, it is making it increasingly clear that many Dems (and others) will simply not vote for anyone who takes their money or does business with them. Which is fine by me.
Curious as to whether or not AIPAC genuinely thinks this line of attack will work
February 18, 2026 at 12:05 AM
AIPAC is a shrill, partisan undertaking that is really now just a MAGA cell. Not only does it have no credibility, it is making it increasingly clear that many Dems (and others) will simply not vote for anyone who takes their money or does business with them. Which is fine by me.
Reposted by Alan Allport
BREAKING: An immigration judge has *terminated* the Trump-Vance administration's efforts to deport Columbia pro-Palestine student protestor Mohsen Mahdawi.
Mohsen was first detained 10 months ago, when agents ambushed him at a citizenship interview.
Mohsen was first detained 10 months ago, when agents ambushed him at a citizenship interview.
February 17, 2026 at 9:14 PM
BREAKING: An immigration judge has *terminated* the Trump-Vance administration's efforts to deport Columbia pro-Palestine student protestor Mohsen Mahdawi.
Mohsen was first detained 10 months ago, when agents ambushed him at a citizenship interview.
Mohsen was first detained 10 months ago, when agents ambushed him at a citizenship interview.
Reposted by Alan Allport
I'm really hard-pressed to think of any other private citizen who has suffered a year of vindictive persecution from the highest levels US government like this - through absolutely no fault of his own, but so the government can prove it will break people who resist it
NEW: Judge Xinis continues her order preventing the government from re-detaining Killmar Abrego Garcia, finding "no 'good reason to believe' removal is likely in the reasonably foreseeable future." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 17, 2026 at 5:29 PM
I'm really hard-pressed to think of any other private citizen who has suffered a year of vindictive persecution from the highest levels US government like this - through absolutely no fault of his own, but so the government can prove it will break people who resist it
Reposted by Alan Allport
i bet she tells people she doesn’t ski
February 16, 2026 at 9:11 PM
i bet she tells people she doesn’t ski
Reposted by Alan Allport
"DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin to leave Trump administration" She wants to spend more time lying to her family. 😀
February 17, 2026 at 4:44 PM
"DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin to leave Trump administration" She wants to spend more time lying to her family. 😀
Well, “trip up and fly headlong onto the floor in front of the whole class” is one to check off my teaching bucket list as of this morning
a r2d2 robot is laying in the dirt next to a rock
ALT: a r2d2 robot is laying in the dirt next to a rock
media.tenor.com
February 17, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Well, “trip up and fly headlong onto the floor in front of the whole class” is one to check off my teaching bucket list as of this morning