Stephen England
@stephenengland.bsky.social
Writer, Novelist, Raconteur - International bestselling author of the #ShadowWarriors and #LionofGod thrillers
Pinned
Greetings, BlueSky. Who am I and why am I here? Short version: I'm an American thriller novelist with a lifelong interest in the culture and history of the Middle East, a former conservative who has been politically homeless for nearly a decade, and who prefers his social media with fewer Nazis.
The most awkward part of visiting a Commonwealth country like New Zealand comes when you politely ask someone if they speak English. . .
And they explain that they "bloody have been." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And they explain that they "bloody have been." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
November 6, 2025 at 8:41 AM
The most awkward part of visiting a Commonwealth country like New Zealand comes when you politely ask someone if they speak English. . .
And they explain that they "bloody have been." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And they explain that they "bloody have been." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I am looking for solid resources on the Knights Hospitaller covering their activities at Malta in the 16/17th centuries, particularly focusing on their corsair/anti-corsair operations. Does anyone have any recommended reading to suggest?
November 2, 2025 at 5:53 AM
I am looking for solid resources on the Knights Hospitaller covering their activities at Malta in the 16/17th centuries, particularly focusing on their corsair/anti-corsair operations. Does anyone have any recommended reading to suggest?
It's "reek," Vance. Not "wreak."
For further context, that's the name of a Game of Thrones character you resemble.
For further context, that's the name of a Game of Thrones character you resemble.
November 1, 2025 at 12:06 AM
It's "reek," Vance. Not "wreak."
For further context, that's the name of a Game of Thrones character you resemble.
For further context, that's the name of a Game of Thrones character you resemble.
"When valour preys on reason
It eats the sword it fights with."
~ William Shakespeare, "Antony & Cleopatra"
#poetrysky
It eats the sword it fights with."
~ William Shakespeare, "Antony & Cleopatra"
#poetrysky
October 31, 2025 at 6:54 PM
"When valour preys on reason
It eats the sword it fights with."
~ William Shakespeare, "Antony & Cleopatra"
#poetrysky
It eats the sword it fights with."
~ William Shakespeare, "Antony & Cleopatra"
#poetrysky
A year ago today, on the shores of Bosphorus, watching with the cats of Istanbul as the fishing fleet came back in with the dawn.
October 31, 2025 at 4:58 PM
A year ago today, on the shores of Bosphorus, watching with the cats of Istanbul as the fishing fleet came back in with the dawn.
Your daily reminder that 2025 was the we decided to speedrun "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"
October 30, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Your daily reminder that 2025 was the we decided to speedrun "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"
"Be not offended: I speak not as in absolute fear of you.
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds. . ."
~ William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
#poetrysky
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds. . ."
~ William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
#poetrysky
October 28, 2025 at 9:13 PM
"Be not offended: I speak not as in absolute fear of you.
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds. . ."
~ William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
#poetrysky
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds. . ."
~ William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
#poetrysky
Making my review debut on @spybrary.bsky.social today with my thoughts on David McCloskey's latest thriller. Brilliant read, I can't recommend it highly enough.
spybrary.com/the-persian-...
spybrary.com/the-persian-...
October 28, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Making my review debut on @spybrary.bsky.social today with my thoughts on David McCloskey's latest thriller. Brilliant read, I can't recommend it highly enough.
spybrary.com/the-persian-...
spybrary.com/the-persian-...
Reposted by Stephen England
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Stephen England
Another Russian ship has been added to the grain smuggling fleet, captured on camera and on satellite imagery, evading sanctions to deliver grain from occupied Crimea to Houthi-controlled Yemen. Follow its covert journey here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10...
Russia’s Grain Smuggling Fleet Continues Undeterred - bellingcat
Bellingcat has identified yet another Russian-flagged vessel exporting grain from occupied Crimea to Houthi-controlled Yemen.
www.bellingcat.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Another Russian ship has been added to the grain smuggling fleet, captured on camera and on satellite imagery, evading sanctions to deliver grain from occupied Crimea to Houthi-controlled Yemen. Follow its covert journey here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10...
Reposted by Stephen England
his coworker justin bronk reached roughly the same conclusion this summer too. drones will be a tool in future wars but future wars will not be drone wars
As usual for Jack Watling, this is a fabulously data & evidence-rich paper on what the Ukrainian battlefield looks like today. A pivotal role for drones & ground robots—but also for tanks, armour & artillery, each coming into its own at different moments in an assault www.rusi.org/explore-our-...
October 23, 2025 at 12:12 PM
his coworker justin bronk reached roughly the same conclusion this summer too. drones will be a tool in future wars but future wars will not be drone wars
Reposted by Stephen England
Many focusing on the hubristic blasphemy of “we’re saving God”—and fair enough—but also, Kaepernick?
All he did was exercise his 1A right to expression in a calm, quiet, unobtrusive way. And he last played Jan. 1, 2017!
How lacking in real problems that this was ever a grievance, let alone still.
All he did was exercise his 1A right to expression in a calm, quiet, unobtrusive way. And he last played Jan. 1, 2017!
How lacking in real problems that this was ever a grievance, let alone still.
Eric Trump: "We're saving Christianity. We've saving God. We've saving the family unit. We're saving this nation. I mean, DEI is out of the window, Benny. You no longer have Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem. You no longer have Budweiser going woke as hell. All of this is dead."
October 14, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Many focusing on the hubristic blasphemy of “we’re saving God”—and fair enough—but also, Kaepernick?
All he did was exercise his 1A right to expression in a calm, quiet, unobtrusive way. And he last played Jan. 1, 2017!
How lacking in real problems that this was ever a grievance, let alone still.
All he did was exercise his 1A right to expression in a calm, quiet, unobtrusive way. And he last played Jan. 1, 2017!
How lacking in real problems that this was ever a grievance, let alone still.
Reposted by Stephen England
Maybe this is simply a difference in the expected 'rate' of knew knowledge, but this take puzzles me, because there's quite a bit of new data and studies needing to be done that I can see pretty easily in Roman history.
Knowledge creation steady and clearly visible.
Knowledge creation steady and clearly visible.
October 13, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Maybe this is simply a difference in the expected 'rate' of knew knowledge, but this take puzzles me, because there's quite a bit of new data and studies needing to be done that I can see pretty easily in Roman history.
Knowledge creation steady and clearly visible.
Knowledge creation steady and clearly visible.
"You must contend with all your might against the foe; but it must be not with physical force but with that spiritual charity which is never overcome."
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
October 12, 2025 at 2:50 PM
"You must contend with all your might against the foe; but it must be not with physical force but with that spiritual charity which is never overcome."
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
Reposted by Stephen England
> It is 2025 BC. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
October 11, 2025 at 5:32 PM
> It is 2025 BC. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis
"Bring in the guilty. We need some to be guilty. They’re all guilty."
~ Albert Camus, "Caligula"
~ Albert Camus, "Caligula"
October 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM
"Bring in the guilty. We need some to be guilty. They’re all guilty."
~ Albert Camus, "Caligula"
~ Albert Camus, "Caligula"
Reposted by Stephen England
If you ever wanted to fight the opening month of a war between the US and China between you and a friend or for 200 people you can do so! Jaws of the Dragon is freely available for download, and I keep it periodically updated as forces change and I read more.
evandalessandro.com/jaws-of-the-...
evandalessandro.com/jaws-of-the-...
Jaws of the Dragon
Jaws of the Dragon is a brigade level wargame of a US-China war happening tomorrow.
evandalessandro.com
November 15, 2024 at 10:46 AM
If you ever wanted to fight the opening month of a war between the US and China between you and a friend or for 200 people you can do so! Jaws of the Dragon is freely available for download, and I keep it periodically updated as forces change and I read more.
evandalessandro.com/jaws-of-the-...
evandalessandro.com/jaws-of-the-...
Reposted by Stephen England
Since 2015, huge swathes of the media platforms people use as their windows into "reality" have been bought up by MAGA-aligned billionaires. Is it any wonder that the Trump admin has been fairly successful in getting millions of Americans to buy into his framing of "reality" while the Dems struggle?
October 5, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Since 2015, huge swathes of the media platforms people use as their windows into "reality" have been bought up by MAGA-aligned billionaires. Is it any wonder that the Trump admin has been fairly successful in getting millions of Americans to buy into his framing of "reality" while the Dems struggle?
"No man is happier than the Christian, for to him is promised the kingdom of heaven. No man struggles harder than he, for he goes daily in danger of his life. No man is stronger, for he overcomes the Devil. No man is weaker, for he is overcome by the flesh."
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
October 5, 2025 at 6:20 PM
"No man is happier than the Christian, for to him is promised the kingdom of heaven. No man struggles harder than he, for he goes daily in danger of his life. No man is stronger, for he overcomes the Devil. No man is weaker, for he is overcome by the flesh."
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
~ Jerome of Stridon, "Letters"
"Fears make devils of cherubins; they never see truly."
~ William Shakespeare, "Troilus & Cressida"
#poetrysky
~ William Shakespeare, "Troilus & Cressida"
#poetrysky
October 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM
"Fears make devils of cherubins; they never see truly."
~ William Shakespeare, "Troilus & Cressida"
#poetrysky
~ William Shakespeare, "Troilus & Cressida"
#poetrysky
Reposted by Stephen England
Farewell to the sublime Dame Patricia Routledge.
Keeping Up Appearances actor Patricia Routledge dies aged 96
The actor was best known for her role as the pretentious housewife Hyacinth Bucket, and for the series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
www.theguardian.com
October 3, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Farewell to the sublime Dame Patricia Routledge.
Reposted by Stephen England
Sorry we had to cancel your cancer treatment, but the Secretary of Defense had to fly all the generals in so he could call them fat.
October 1, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Sorry we had to cancel your cancer treatment, but the Secretary of Defense had to fly all the generals in so he could call them fat.
Sums up the whole year rather eloquently.
October 1, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Sums up the whole year rather eloquently.
Reposted by Stephen England
So “America First” is a $20 billion bailout of Argentina, US economic development of Gaza, and NATO-equivalent security guarantees for Qatar. Got it.
October 1, 2025 at 1:22 PM
So “America First” is a $20 billion bailout of Argentina, US economic development of Gaza, and NATO-equivalent security guarantees for Qatar. Got it.
Reposted by Stephen England
Sahel 🇲🇱🇧🇫🇳🇪 MAP: The situation in the Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Benin as of September 2025.
This map is a joint production by @warmapper.org and myself
This map is a joint production by @warmapper.org and myself
September 29, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Sahel 🇲🇱🇧🇫🇳🇪 MAP: The situation in the Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Benin as of September 2025.
This map is a joint production by @warmapper.org and myself
This map is a joint production by @warmapper.org and myself