Kate Wiles
@katemond.bsky.social
Medievalist, linguist, manuscript botherer ❧ Co-Editor of History Today ☞ LOST VOICES (Penguin/Stanford, forthcoming, one day) ❧ Posting in a personal capacity ❡
Pinned
Kate Wiles
@katemond.bsky.social
· Nov 10
Hello friends old and new! On the Bad Old Place I did history, language, bad jokes, magazine stuff. Expect largely exactly the same here. I am what I am.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Very sad news indeed.
It is with deep sadness that the Master and Fellows of St Peter’s College share news of the death of Professor Stephen Baxter, Fellow and Tutor in Medieval History. Our full tribute will be shared soon. https://ow.ly/cy8J50Y0yrB
January 21, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Very sad news indeed.
I've been reading about a 16th-century writer called Jan van der Noot and this is basically what the inside of my head has looked like all week.
For Penguin Awareness Day, a Typology of Pingu expressions.
Source: instagram.com/p/CKa390dD4TC/
Part of a 40th anniversary exhibition in Japan the other year.
Source: instagram.com/p/CKa390dD4TC/
Part of a 40th anniversary exhibition in Japan the other year.
January 20, 2026 at 10:49 AM
I've been reading about a 16th-century writer called Jan van der Noot and this is basically what the inside of my head has looked like all week.
Actually reported in the New York Times! Maybe the coolest thing I found.
January 16, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Actually reported in the New York Times! Maybe the coolest thing I found.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
This week is the 75th anniversary of History Today.
For 34 of those years David Baddiel has been a constant companion, as this issue’s Glossary proves.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary special and where to buy it, head to buff.ly/34DOsLE
For 34 of those years David Baddiel has been a constant companion, as this issue’s Glossary proves.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary special and where to buy it, head to buff.ly/34DOsLE
January 16, 2026 at 10:38 AM
This week is the 75th anniversary of History Today.
For 34 of those years David Baddiel has been a constant companion, as this issue’s Glossary proves.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary special and where to buy it, head to buff.ly/34DOsLE
For 34 of those years David Baddiel has been a constant companion, as this issue’s Glossary proves.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary special and where to buy it, head to buff.ly/34DOsLE
Reposted by Kate Wiles
This week is the 75th anniversary of History Today.
Past editors weren’t above the odd feud, as this issue’s Glossary proves.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary special and where to buy it, head to buff.ly/2bUa9kH
Past editors weren’t above the odd feud, as this issue’s Glossary proves.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary special and where to buy it, head to buff.ly/2bUa9kH
January 13, 2026 at 8:08 AM
This week is the 75th anniversary of History Today.
Past editors weren’t above the odd feud, as this issue’s Glossary proves.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary special and where to buy it, head to buff.ly/2bUa9kH
Past editors weren’t above the odd feud, as this issue’s Glossary proves.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary special and where to buy it, head to buff.ly/2bUa9kH
Reposted by Kate Wiles
History Today was first published 75 years ago this week to make sense of a world undergoing ‘bewilderingly swift’ change.
✍️ Our editors reflect on the story so far
www.historytoday.com/archive/75th...
✍️ Our editors reflect on the story so far
www.historytoday.com/archive/75th...
A 75th Anniversary Letter from the Editors
www.historytoday.com
January 14, 2026 at 11:05 AM
History Today was first published 75 years ago this week to make sense of a world undergoing ‘bewilderingly swift’ change.
✍️ Our editors reflect on the story so far
www.historytoday.com/archive/75th...
✍️ Our editors reflect on the story so far
www.historytoday.com/archive/75th...
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Happy birthday to @historytoday.com! I didn't know that the current cover design so strongly echoed the magazine's early years.
Judging a magazine by its cover with 75 years in pictures, as chosen by the team.
Starting, of course, at the beginning: the 1950s.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary issue of History Today and where to buy it, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
Starting, of course, at the beginning: the 1950s.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary issue of History Today and where to buy it, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
January 9, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Happy birthday to @historytoday.com! I didn't know that the current cover design so strongly echoed the magazine's early years.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
History Today was launched 75 years ago today.
The anniversary special is available now, featuring Cold War Yugoslavia, Oswald of Northumbria, Aurora Borealis, and a celebration of the magazine’s history.
To find out what else is inside, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
The anniversary special is available now, featuring Cold War Yugoslavia, Oswald of Northumbria, Aurora Borealis, and a celebration of the magazine’s history.
To find out what else is inside, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
January 12, 2026 at 12:04 PM
History Today was launched 75 years ago today.
The anniversary special is available now, featuring Cold War Yugoslavia, Oswald of Northumbria, Aurora Borealis, and a celebration of the magazine’s history.
To find out what else is inside, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
The anniversary special is available now, featuring Cold War Yugoslavia, Oswald of Northumbria, Aurora Borealis, and a celebration of the magazine’s history.
To find out what else is inside, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Barnabe Rich explaining that "bookes are like cheese"
January 6, 2026 at 12:56 PM
Barnabe Rich explaining that "bookes are like cheese"
Reposted by Kate Wiles
"Listen, one more thing. That missionary we sent to Ethiopia."
"The one preaching Anglicanism to the entire Horn of Africa?"
"Him, yes. I just wanted to check that we sent someone with, you know, a normal name."
"A normal name."
"Ah. Who did we send?"
"We sent the Reverend Ethelstan Cheese."
"The one preaching Anglicanism to the entire Horn of Africa?"
"Him, yes. I just wanted to check that we sent someone with, you know, a normal name."
"A normal name."
"Ah. Who did we send?"
"We sent the Reverend Ethelstan Cheese."
January 11, 2026 at 7:09 PM
"Listen, one more thing. That missionary we sent to Ethiopia."
"The one preaching Anglicanism to the entire Horn of Africa?"
"Him, yes. I just wanted to check that we sent someone with, you know, a normal name."
"A normal name."
"Ah. Who did we send?"
"We sent the Reverend Ethelstan Cheese."
"The one preaching Anglicanism to the entire Horn of Africa?"
"Him, yes. I just wanted to check that we sent someone with, you know, a normal name."
"A normal name."
"Ah. Who did we send?"
"We sent the Reverend Ethelstan Cheese."
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Judging a magazine by its cover with 75 years in pictures, as chosen by the team.
Starting, of course, at the beginning: the 1950s.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary issue of History Today and where to buy it, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
Starting, of course, at the beginning: the 1950s.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary issue of History Today and where to buy it, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
January 9, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Judging a magazine by its cover with 75 years in pictures, as chosen by the team.
Starting, of course, at the beginning: the 1950s.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary issue of History Today and where to buy it, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
Starting, of course, at the beginning: the 1950s.
To find out what else is in the 75th Anniversary issue of History Today and where to buy it, head to www.historytoday.com/magazine
Reposted by Kate Wiles
God I love the English translations of Asterix. And yes, they're the perfect example for why you need humans to actually understand the text and the purpose -- word-for-word translations simply do not work.
See: how the initial translation failed, until translators adapted creatively:
See: how the initial translation failed, until translators adapted creatively:
December 29, 2025 at 10:24 AM
God I love the English translations of Asterix. And yes, they're the perfect example for why you need humans to actually understand the text and the purpose -- word-for-word translations simply do not work.
See: how the initial translation failed, until translators adapted creatively:
See: how the initial translation failed, until translators adapted creatively:
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Everything is fine
When viewing the fake article in Google scholar on my university network, there is a link to access the article via my uni's library. That link sends me to a library page that makes fake article appear real... Turns out library page is made programmatically from info on Google scholar 🤦
December 21, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Everything is fine
History Today is 75! A massive achievement for an independent magazine and one we're very proud of. Here's to the next 75!
The 75th Anniversary issue of History Today is in stores from today.
Featuring: #ColdWar Yugoslavia, Oswald of Northumbria, the wreck of the San José, British Raj, #AuroraBorealis, and more.
Find out what else is inside and where to get it at www.historytoday.com/magazine
Featuring: #ColdWar Yugoslavia, Oswald of Northumbria, the wreck of the San José, British Raj, #AuroraBorealis, and more.
Find out what else is inside and where to get it at www.historytoday.com/magazine
December 19, 2025 at 4:04 PM
History Today is 75! A massive achievement for an independent magazine and one we're very proud of. Here's to the next 75!
Reposted by Kate Wiles
For your collective delectation this holiday season:
Quite possibly the silliest thing I've ever written (and definitely the most ridiculous graph I've ever made!)
loreandordure.com/2025/12/16/j...
Quite possibly the silliest thing I've ever written (and definitely the most ridiculous graph I've ever made!)
loreandordure.com/2025/12/16/j...
Jingle Bells (Batman Smells): an incomplete festive folk-rhyme taxonomy
Gather round the fire, everyone, and let me tell you a story. It has everything you could want in a Christmas blockbuster: superheroes and villains, a car crash, children singing, a mystery to solv…
loreandordure.com
December 16, 2025 at 5:06 PM
For your collective delectation this holiday season:
Quite possibly the silliest thing I've ever written (and definitely the most ridiculous graph I've ever made!)
loreandordure.com/2025/12/16/j...
Quite possibly the silliest thing I've ever written (and definitely the most ridiculous graph I've ever made!)
loreandordure.com/2025/12/16/j...
Reposted by Kate Wiles
“Have Yourself A Merriam Little Christmas”
Merriam, a career-oriented lexicographer from the city, returns to her small town for the holidays and meets Webster, a ruggedly handsome librarian, who shows her the true DEFINITION of Christmas.
Merriam, a career-oriented lexicographer from the city, returns to her small town for the holidays and meets Webster, a ruggedly handsome librarian, who shows her the true DEFINITION of Christmas.
December 2, 2025 at 7:18 PM
“Have Yourself A Merriam Little Christmas”
Merriam, a career-oriented lexicographer from the city, returns to her small town for the holidays and meets Webster, a ruggedly handsome librarian, who shows her the true DEFINITION of Christmas.
Merriam, a career-oriented lexicographer from the city, returns to her small town for the holidays and meets Webster, a ruggedly handsome librarian, who shows her the true DEFINITION of Christmas.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
A blast from my past - the Medieval Soldier database takes nearly 300,000 military service records from 1369-1453 and makes them available as a searchable database.
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
We built a database of 290,000 English medieval soldiers – here’s what it reveals
We created the database in order to challenge assumptions about the lack of professionalism of everyday soldiers.
theconversation.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:17 AM
A blast from my past - the Medieval Soldier database takes nearly 300,000 military service records from 1369-1453 and makes them available as a searchable database.
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
An invaluable resource for understanding medieval warfare, society and the English medieval state. Learn more in the link. 🗃️
Reposted by Kate Wiles
It’s December! And I have a piece in this month’s @historytoday.com on (you guessed it) Hortense Mancini’s life, and what I learned about her as I prepared the first ever edition of her letters, which is out with Iter Press later this month. (Lots of other great stuff in HT Dec issue too)
December 1, 2025 at 10:59 AM
It’s December! And I have a piece in this month’s @historytoday.com on (you guessed it) Hortense Mancini’s life, and what I learned about her as I prepared the first ever edition of her letters, which is out with Iter Press later this month. (Lots of other great stuff in HT Dec issue too)
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Reading letters from the Princess Liselotte of Palantine, the German sister-in-law of Louis XIV, and it's wild because she had this super informal writing style that almost sounds like modern texts
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
November 28, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reading letters from the Princess Liselotte of Palantine, the German sister-in-law of Louis XIV, and it's wild because she had this super informal writing style that almost sounds like modern texts
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Happy St Katherine's Day to all scholars, librarians, and Katherines. May you win an argument against an annoying man today, in the true spirit of Katherine herself.
November 25, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Happy St Katherine's Day to all scholars, librarians, and Katherines. May you win an argument against an annoying man today, in the true spirit of Katherine herself.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
If anyone's interested in History Today (the magazine, rather than *waves hands* The Events), they do a three month trial of print and digital for £5 (five pounds). Means you get the physical magazine AND can go wild with their archive.
Subscribe from only £5!
Buy a subscription to Britain’s leading serious history magazine and enjoy significant savings on the shop price.
www.historytoday.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:46 PM
If anyone's interested in History Today (the magazine, rather than *waves hands* The Events), they do a three month trial of print and digital for £5 (five pounds). Means you get the physical magazine AND can go wild with their archive.
Reposted by Kate Wiles
My book is £9.65 on Amazon UK over the next week in a 'Black Friday Week Sale', despite Black Friday being a shopping-binge day that follows another country's national holiday
Anyway, my book is available for cheaper, it's a decent book, and you may like to own it
www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Needs-hi...
Anyway, my book is available for cheaper, it's a decent book, and you may like to own it
www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Needs-hi...
November 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
My book is £9.65 on Amazon UK over the next week in a 'Black Friday Week Sale', despite Black Friday being a shopping-binge day that follows another country's national holiday
Anyway, my book is available for cheaper, it's a decent book, and you may like to own it
www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Needs-hi...
Anyway, my book is available for cheaper, it's a decent book, and you may like to own it
www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Needs-hi...
And also a linguist who can explain how translating unknown languages actually works.
(hint: you don't just start at the top and work through word-by-word)
(hint: you don't just start at the top and work through word-by-word)
the new stargate series should hire me as a feminist killjoy scifi worldbuilding consultant
November 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
And also a linguist who can explain how translating unknown languages actually works.
(hint: you don't just start at the top and work through word-by-word)
(hint: you don't just start at the top and work through word-by-word)
Reposted by Kate Wiles
Some high school students attended my “Living standards before the Black Death” lecture at @viuniversity.bsky.social yesterday. The lecture included a bit about coins, so I had an opportunity to show off some medieval silver pennies, including this one from King John’s reign (1199–1216).
November 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Some high school students attended my “Living standards before the Black Death” lecture at @viuniversity.bsky.social yesterday. The lecture included a bit about coins, so I had an opportunity to show off some medieval silver pennies, including this one from King John’s reign (1199–1216).