Jonathan Healey
@jonathanhealey.bsky.social
Historian and Occasional Book-writer (https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/blazing-world-9781526621696/)
Works at Oxford University. New book, The Blood in Winter, out now!
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/blood-in-winter-9781526672292/
Works at Oxford University. New book, The Blood in Winter, out now!
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/blood-in-winter-9781526672292/
English Catholics in 1678:
November 10, 2025 at 10:52 PM
English Catholics in 1678:
Neither is Cromwell... what??
November 10, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Neither is Cromwell... what??
Spotted this out and about in Witney today. Official listing says c. 1730 but looks like the gable end preserves the outline of an even older house.
November 8, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Spotted this out and about in Witney today. Official listing says c. 1730 but looks like the gable end preserves the outline of an even older house.
Absolutely classic local newspaper clickbait this. The ‘incident’ is a broken-down vehicle in Witney.
November 3, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Absolutely classic local newspaper clickbait this. The ‘incident’ is a broken-down vehicle in Witney.
Just had to pay £22 for a 40 page pamphlet about the radical soldier William Thompson.
November 3, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Just had to pay £22 for a 40 page pamphlet about the radical soldier William Thompson.
EP Thompson has just given me a fine new excuse for every time I'm late for meetings:
October 21, 2025 at 2:02 PM
EP Thompson has just given me a fine new excuse for every time I'm late for meetings:
Luv a bit of 19th century Cock-er-ney, I do.
October 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Luv a bit of 19th century Cock-er-ney, I do.
This has been one of my records of the year. Kabeláč was a terrific composer - sort of like a neo-classical Suk perhaps? You can definitely hear the influence of Prokofiev but it’s also recognisably in the Czech idiom. Just great, exciting, menacing music.
October 16, 2025 at 10:35 AM
This has been one of my records of the year. Kabeláč was a terrific composer - sort of like a neo-classical Suk perhaps? You can definitely hear the influence of Prokofiev but it’s also recognisably in the Czech idiom. Just great, exciting, menacing music.
The perfect chapter title doesn’t exis…..
October 14, 2025 at 8:54 PM
The perfect chapter title doesn’t exis…..
I think the University-mandated answer is taking a walk, but I like to do all of these and that seems okay?
October 14, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I think the University-mandated answer is taking a walk, but I like to do all of these and that seems okay?
Doing my University mandated ergonomics training.
October 14, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Doing my University mandated ergonomics training.
Great to see the Church of England today arguing about what is and isn’t suitably decorous for the inside of a cathedral.
October 10, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Great to see the Church of England today arguing about what is and isn’t suitably decorous for the inside of a cathedral.
It was two OUP books.
October 10, 2025 at 10:14 AM
It was two OUP books.
Lovely bit of understatement here from the Wikipedia entry about Republic, which is still an album I'm very fond of.
October 9, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Lovely bit of understatement here from the Wikipedia entry about Republic, which is still an album I'm very fond of.
About to teach the first class for our wonderful MSc in English Local History at @oxlifelonglearning.bsky.social - including a discussion of some of my favourite local history sources, like this 1586 map of the Isle of Purbeck.
October 9, 2025 at 5:41 PM
About to teach the first class for our wonderful MSc in English Local History at @oxlifelonglearning.bsky.social - including a discussion of some of my favourite local history sources, like this 1586 map of the Isle of Purbeck.
As opposed to what, exactly?
October 9, 2025 at 8:35 AM
As opposed to what, exactly?
Totally on board with the sentiment here from our VC, but ‘raw smarts’ sounds like another phrase for ‘eggy pumps’.
October 8, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Totally on board with the sentiment here from our VC, but ‘raw smarts’ sounds like another phrase for ‘eggy pumps’.
'Proportionable share in all general rats.'
September 30, 2025 at 4:20 PM
'Proportionable share in all general rats.'
Am at one of the Inns of Court.
September 29, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Am at one of the Inns of Court.
Mark Kishlansky, revolutionary:
September 19, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Mark Kishlansky, revolutionary:
Amazing headline.
September 12, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Amazing headline.
New albums by Josh Ritter AND Kalevi Aho today? You’re spoiling me.
September 12, 2025 at 9:50 AM
New albums by Josh Ritter AND Kalevi Aho today? You’re spoiling me.
I do love a garbled idiom. 'Death nail'.
September 11, 2025 at 2:23 PM
I do love a garbled idiom. 'Death nail'.
September 10, 2025 at 8:17 PM