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This site started as a blog on Practical Military History, a new approach to Military History. That was when I was doing my PhD. Since then it has evolved a bit, acting as a vehicle for my thoughts on re-enacting, from which I am recently retired, having started in 1973. Now I have moved away from both academe and re-enacting and into the world of historical fiction, so that will now be mostly what this is about. That doesn’t mean that there will never be anything about my research into British Light Dragoons during the Napoleonic Wars, nor the occasional rant about re-enacting. I certainly hope it will become a bit more active.

Just what I mean by Practical Military History is explained in the article of that title. Other articles and blogs  explore that approach to military history. Don’t expect ‘old military history’, narrative accounts, or ‘new military history’, studies of armies as institutions. However, I hope that what you find here will help with understanding what happens in battle.

There is also the odd piece about re-enacting. Frequently about the direction in which it seems to have gone, which I don’t entirely approve of, but, hey, after 45 years I have stopped, and feel free to say what I like.

Anyway, I am not changing the title of this site, after all, what is military historical fiction if not the practical application of military history?