Prof. Ben Pohl
@benpohl.bsky.social
Professor of Medieval History, University of Bristol | Books with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Boydell & Brewer (×2), Schnell & Steiner, ARC Humanities Press | Manuscript Detective™ 🕵️♂️ 📜 📖
Pinned
Prof. Ben Pohl
@benpohl.bsky.social
· Sep 5
Have had quite a few notifications saying people (no idea who) have been sending me DMs on here. I can’t/won’t read them because of the UK’s age-verification process, so please email me instead. Thanks!
“Reeves said she would not duck the difficult choices ahead, even if they broke her pledge not to put up income tax, VAT or national insurance”—or you could just, I don’t know, oh yeah: 👏 tax 👏 the 👏 bloody 👏 rich! www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out tax rises as autumn budget looms
Chancellor says she needs to respond to challenges in speech intended to frame tough choices UK faces
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
“Reeves said she would not duck the difficult choices ahead, even if they broke her pledge not to put up income tax, VAT or national insurance”—or you could just, I don’t know, oh yeah: 👏 tax 👏 the 👏 bloody 👏 rich! www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
It frustrates me that fields such as history are increasingly becoming something of a free-for-all. Imagine the reverse, in which a bona fide history professor publishes a polemic book claiming to ‘lift the veil on secrets’ of, say, structural engineering. It’d be considered absurd, and rightly so.
November 1, 2025 at 7:48 AM
It frustrates me that fields such as history are increasingly becoming something of a free-for-all. Imagine the reverse, in which a bona fide history professor publishes a polemic book claiming to ‘lift the veil on secrets’ of, say, structural engineering. It’d be considered absurd, and rightly so.
A long but very worthwhile read
New on History for Atheists: my long awaited and rather long critical review of Alice Roberts' new book *Domination*:
historyforatheists.com/2025/10/revi...
historyforatheists.com/2025/10/revi...
November 1, 2025 at 6:13 AM
A long but very worthwhile read
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
No neede for expensyve consultinge firmes. Heere ys a planne for excellent higher education:
1) Hire manye facultye
2) Small class syzes
3) Emphasyze engagemente & delighte
4) Sustayne & cultivate a varietye of fieldes and disciplines, even currentlye unfashionable ones -- thys ys ed, not retail
1) Hire manye facultye
2) Small class syzes
3) Emphasyze engagemente & delighte
4) Sustayne & cultivate a varietye of fieldes and disciplines, even currentlye unfashionable ones -- thys ys ed, not retail
October 29, 2025 at 4:25 PM
No neede for expensyve consultinge firmes. Heere ys a planne for excellent higher education:
1) Hire manye facultye
2) Small class syzes
3) Emphasyze engagemente & delighte
4) Sustayne & cultivate a varietye of fieldes and disciplines, even currentlye unfashionable ones -- thys ys ed, not retail
1) Hire manye facultye
2) Small class syzes
3) Emphasyze engagemente & delighte
4) Sustayne & cultivate a varietye of fieldes and disciplines, even currentlye unfashionable ones -- thys ys ed, not retail
Sometimes the grass is in fact greener… apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Belgian AI scientists resist the use of AI in academia
Several AI scientists have published an open letter calling for a ban on AI use by students.
apache.be
October 25, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Sometimes the grass is in fact greener… apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
The German company that makes the mechanical ladder used in the Louvre heist has used the image to advertise, with the text 'When you need to move fast'
10/10 response, no notes
10/10 response, no notes
October 24, 2025 at 8:27 AM
The German company that makes the mechanical ladder used in the Louvre heist has used the image to advertise, with the text 'When you need to move fast'
10/10 response, no notes
10/10 response, no notes
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
“[B]oth Oxford’s Bodleian Library and the UL” is the academic equivalent of “We got country and western”—Oxbridge tunnel vision much? (FWIW, I much prefer the UL to the Bod myself, at the same time as being aware of other libraries’ existence 😉)
a man singing into a microphone with the words we got both kinds of music country and western below him
ALT: a man singing into a microphone with the words we got both kinds of music country and western below him
media.tenor.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:34 PM
“[B]oth Oxford’s Bodleian Library and the UL” is the academic equivalent of “We got country and western”—Oxbridge tunnel vision much? (FWIW, I much prefer the UL to the Bod myself, at the same time as being aware of other libraries’ existence 😉)
Objectively the best Medieval Summer School out there 😉 Please consider sharing and, even better, applying! 🙂
We are SO excited to announce that applications are now open for this year's Medieval Studies Summer School! 🎉 Please do pass this information on to anyone you think might be interested!
We'll be sharing some highlights of last year's programme over the next few weeks!
#medievalsky #skystorians
We'll be sharing some highlights of last year's programme over the next few weeks!
#medievalsky #skystorians
October 23, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Objectively the best Medieval Summer School out there 😉 Please consider sharing and, even better, applying! 🙂
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
Yesterday, the CMS were lucky enough to see a snapshot 🧑🔬📷 of Dr Alexander Zawacki's (@achillghost.bsky.social) work in his seminar on ‘Analysing Manuscripts with MSI’. Thank you for such a fascinating talk Alexander, and thanks also to @benpohl.bsky.social for chairing! #medievalsky #skystorians
October 17, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Yesterday, the CMS were lucky enough to see a snapshot 🧑🔬📷 of Dr Alexander Zawacki's (@achillghost.bsky.social) work in his seminar on ‘Analysing Manuscripts with MSI’. Thank you for such a fascinating talk Alexander, and thanks also to @benpohl.bsky.social for chairing! #medievalsky #skystorians
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
Is there anything better than a post-seminar discussion in the Highbury Vaults? Also proof, if it’s needed, that the CMS welcomes medievalists of all ages!
October 17, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Is there anything better than a post-seminar discussion in the Highbury Vaults? Also proof, if it’s needed, that the CMS welcomes medievalists of all ages!
Way to go, Cardiff! Hopefully other cities will follow suit (looking at you, Brizzle!)…
Cardiff will be the first UK city to introduce a surcharge for oversized SUVs and trucks, "while very large vehicles – those over 3,500kg – will be excluded from residential permits entirely."
Cardiff set to tackle SUV 'carspreading' in UK first
Cardiff Council is set to become the first local authority in the UK to introduce higher parking charges for SUVs and other heavy vehicles, in a move campaigners say will make city streets safer and f...
nation.cymru
October 16, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Way to go, Cardiff! Hopefully other cities will follow suit (looking at you, Brizzle!)…
Join us this Thursday in person or remotely!
This Thursday we have a very special CMS Seminar, which will be a crossover with the GW4 collaborative project 'Medieval Studies: Mobilising Digitial Humanities'. Very excitingly, it will also be online!
Contact harriet.soper@bristol.ac.uk to register for online attendance!
Contact harriet.soper@bristol.ac.uk to register for online attendance!
October 14, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Join us this Thursday in person or remotely!
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
A #Bristol Libraries event of #LegalHistory and #History interest tomorrow: bristol.events.mylibrary.digital/event?id=235...
Special Collections Sunday : Fugitives in the Archive
During the 18th century, British newspapers published advertisements for runaway enslaved people with rewards for their capture; for the hundreds of Black and Asian people brought to Britain through t...
bristol.events.mylibrary.digital
October 11, 2025 at 8:58 AM
A #Bristol Libraries event of #LegalHistory and #History interest tomorrow: bristol.events.mylibrary.digital/event?id=235...
This is as funny as it is accurate!
Fascinating: Germans love to complain about their trains never being on time. Deutsche Bahn plays for humor and sympathy by commissioning a YouTube sitcom (an Office on wheels).
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Boah, Bahn! - YouTube
BOAH, BAHN! Wir sitzen alle im selben Zug – eine Serie der Deutschen Bahn mit Anke Engelke.
www.youtube.com
October 10, 2025 at 2:19 PM
This is as funny as it is accurate!
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
‘Arm’s-length bodies such as the Office for Students (OfS) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are particularly “vulnerable to political interference”, a new report has warned.’ www.timeshighereducation.com/news/learn-l... @timeshighered.bsky.social
‘Learn lessons from US’ and stop political interference, UK told
OfS and UKRI seen as particularly vulnerable to meddling from government, with report authors calling for more safeguards to ensure independence
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 9, 2025 at 5:50 PM
‘Arm’s-length bodies such as the Office for Students (OfS) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are particularly “vulnerable to political interference”, a new report has warned.’ www.timeshighereducation.com/news/learn-l... @timeshighered.bsky.social
Truly excellent move by @manchesterup.bsky.social, as a result of which two of my own articles in BJRL are now Open Access, effective immediately: doi.org/10.7227/BJRL... and doi.org/10.7227/BJRL...
MUP and @thejohnrylands.bsky.social are thrilled to announce that Bulletin of the John Rylands Library is now fully #OpenAccess🔓
Throughout October, the Bulletin's Editorial Board are highlighting journal issues or articles of particular importance on the MUP blog.
Throughout October, the Bulletin's Editorial Board are highlighting journal issues or articles of particular importance on the MUP blog.
October 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Truly excellent move by @manchesterup.bsky.social, as a result of which two of my own articles in BJRL are now Open Access, effective immediately: doi.org/10.7227/BJRL... and doi.org/10.7227/BJRL...
Including one of the latest titles from our Bristol Studies in Medieval Culture series with @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social @bristolcms.bsky.social
We've updated our new books displays on the 1st and 2nd floors. There's a wide range of subjects spanning from the medieval to the 21st century.
If this interests you and you're not a member, membership to the library is open and free to everyone - www.history.ac.uk/library-digi...
If this interests you and you're not a member, membership to the library is open and free to everyone - www.history.ac.uk/library-digi...
October 7, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Including one of the latest titles from our Bristol Studies in Medieval Culture series with @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social @bristolcms.bsky.social
That’s a massive relief!
MLGB is back!! Delighted that Medieval Libraries of Great Britain @bodleian.ox.ac.uk is now back online. We are also working had on plans for the next phase of the resource, enhancing & adding data & functionality. HUGE thanks to my colleagues for their hard & clever work mlgb.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
October 7, 2025 at 10:53 AM
That’s a massive relief!
The latest but by no means the only example of an alarming trend in which the UK’s foremost academic publishers are haemorrhaging highly prestigious journals at a rate of knots…
October 7, 2025 at 8:23 AM
The latest but by no means the only example of an alarming trend in which the UK’s foremost academic publishers are haemorrhaging highly prestigious journals at a rate of knots…
It’s what we do best at @bristolcms.bsky.social: celebrating community and world-class research!
What an amazing CMS event! We were so excited to celebrate not only Kathleen and Melek’s wonderful new book, but a bumper crop of new books from CMS members Matt Lampitt, Leah Tether, Rachael Harkes, Marianne Ailes, Adrian Ailes, Ad Putter, and Ben Pohl! 🎉🥳 Congratulations once again to all!
October 5, 2025 at 7:04 PM
It’s what we do best at @bristolcms.bsky.social: celebrating community and world-class research!
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
Here’s the image by itself:
October 5, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Here’s the image by itself:
A depressingly well observed cartoon by Becky Barnicoat on the growth of fascism in Britain www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Becky Barnicoat on the growth of fascism in Britain – cartoon
The far right never seizes power. It’s always politely invited in by nice people
www.theguardian.com
October 5, 2025 at 8:47 AM
A depressingly well observed cartoon by Becky Barnicoat on the growth of fascism in Britain www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Took me a second or two to realise that KLM’s napkins show a pair of windmills, rather than a crudely sketched crucifixion scene!
October 5, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Took me a second or two to realise that KLM’s napkins show a pair of windmills, rather than a crudely sketched crucifixion scene!
Home is where a LIDL is!
October 3, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Home is where a LIDL is!
One happy @bristolcms.bsky.social family!
Start of term = time for a new CMS photo! We love getting the CMS family back together! #medievalsky #skystorians
October 2, 2025 at 6:42 PM
One happy @bristolcms.bsky.social family!