Historian & author who specialises in the early history of gunpowder weapons, castles and medieval warfare. New book published by @penswordbooks
Joined June 2014
- Tweets9.5K
- Following1.5K
- Followers3.2K
- Likes32.1K
Pinned Tweet
My new book has now been published by Pen & Sword! If you like castles, the Wars of the Roses, or medieval history in general, this may well be of interest to you #wotrs_castles pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Cast…
Really pleased that my latest article - The Armaments of the Calais Arsenal, 1347-1485 - has just been published in the Journal of Medieval History
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
The Witcher 3, one of the greatest games ever, turns 10 next year, with The Witcher 4 starring Ciri and finally getting a trailer, Hype is at an all-time high.
To celebrate this iconic game, Here are 10 mindblowing details from TW3 that you might have missed. A Thread 🧵
Checked proofs sent to the journal - I'm looking forward to seeing this in print soon! #medievalwarfare
Have become quite disillusioned with this place over the past few years. Hence why my 'output' has declined significantly.
If you want to stay in touch I've just joined another social media platform instead.
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Thanks to @nottslive for covering my research into Nottingham's oldest pubs, as included in Historic Building Mythbusting. Is it the Trip, the Sal or the Bell - read on...
nottinghampost.com/news/nott…
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Thinking about claims of pubs with Spanish Armada timbers. Of c120-40 vessels, 2 were captured in Channel (1 sunk, 1 reused @ Chatham), 5 lost @ Gravelines, 1 off Scotland, the rest off Ireland. Only 1 wrecked off Devon. Its timbers must be spread thin across all those pubs... 😉
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
'lively narrative, interspersed with wry asides, presents a plethora of rich vignettes of notable episodes and personalities that bring this exhilarating period to life... not a decade of inevitable failure, but an era of new ideas and possibilities' @TheTLS on my Republic
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Stonemason's graffito from @NTTattershall showing a working drawing of mid-fifteenth century window tracery. The stone containing the drawing was then used as part of a door arch in the great tower. The image then remained unknown for c 600 years before I spotted it in 2017 🧐
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Sans raison particulière mais toujours utile de le rappeler : au Moyen Âge, tout le monde sait que la terre est ronde ! On la représente ainsi, on l'enseigne, etc.
Ce n'est qu'au XVIIIe siècle qu'on invente l'idée de médiévaux idiots croyant à la terre plate... !
Tried out my new English longbow for the first time (since taking it home) today. Took a long time to 'train', I.e. warmup and stretch the wood, but was great fun once I got going to full draw. Even tried a bit of clout shooting for the first time.
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Henry Tudor Inn, Shrewsbury (formerly Trotting Horse & Lion Tap). With the earliest parts of this purpose-built inn dating to 1426 & 1430-31 this has a genuine and verifiable claim to be one of the oldest pubs in the country. Many others make such claims but few can back them up!
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Truly did not expect such an honour. I’m beyond grateful to @HistoriaHWA — and to the amazing team that let me make this book a reality! 🙏
(Also: this news hit as I was drinking my morning espresso; pleased to report that my wiped-down phone still works, so good job @Apple !)
Agincourt: Michael Livingston
This compelling, at times provocative study has redrawn the map concerning medieval England's greatest triumph. Complex history effortlessly conveyed in a conversational yet authoritative manner. A masterful work that thrills throughout
#HWACrowns24
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Royalists, MPs, soldiers, bewildered men and women: many wrote poems during the #Republic to explain an upside-down world. Here are six of the best, from John Milton to the little-known Hester Pulter 👇
To celebrate the publication of Republic, @amm_hunt discusses six poems from the Republican period on the Faber Journal.
faber.co.uk/journal/alice-hu…
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Medievalists! This Friday, 18 October, the legend that is David Carpenter will be speaking on his new Magna Carta research at the @ihr_history Late Medieval Seminar. Please do join us in person or online - all welcome! Booking via the link below:
The one and only David Carpenter @kcl_medieval @kingshistory shares his latest research on Magna Carta on 18 October @IHR_LateMed history.ac.uk/events/andrew-…
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
After so many centuries why have we still not managed to rename September, October, November and December as November, December, Undecember and Duodecember
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
If you're thinking of self-publishing (in print) for your academic micro-project, #LocalHistory, or seeking to make a lasting record of a conference, this is for you: the mechanics, ways to make your work look professional, how to get (and why), to get an ISBN, and more.
If you missed it, back in July we ran an online training session full of advice for people thing about academic #selfpublishing. You can find the session recording on the @CHPPC_IHR events’ archive history.ac.uk/podcasts/acade…
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
I'm looking for a few more dates on the Historic Building Mythbusting book tour, Jan-May 2025. All reasonable offers considered if logistically possible.
Even if you can't book anything yourself, a recommendation to an events organiser or a reshare would really help 🙂🤞
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
My first #HistoryWritersDay24. My debut history book, a biography of Anthony Woodville, brother-in-law of Edward IV was published in February. It was a dream of mine 9 years ago to write this book, so still can’t quite believe it’s out there.
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
Just a reminder that the autumn Historic Building Mythbusting tour dates are still in full flow! Shows in the East Mids, Marches, Home Counties, Somerset, Devon, Jersey, Bristol, London and Essex to come... plus even more gigs in 2025!
Full listings here:
triskeleheritage.triskelepub…
Dr Dan Spencer retweeted
The contrast between Roman military settlements in the Middle Republic and Seleucid and Ptolemaic military settlements remains really striking.
One system - Rome's - is designed to maximize military force, while the Hellenistic system seem as much about redistributing spoils. 1/