Brett Holman

@airminded

Independent PhD historian (aviation, bombing; #WW1, #WW2; Britain, Australia; emotions, spectacle); books (Home Fires Burning (WW1 air raids on Britain; in progress), The Next War in the Air). Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. He/him. airminded.org

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Brett Holman@airminded· 15d

post a perfect album from the 90s

Stereolab, Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements.

Brett Holman@airminded· 22d

"more of an Airwolf fan"??? Nolan you are dead to me

In an interview with The Telegraph, Nolan briefly touched on social media and his lack of a smartphone. When asked about the rumors that were swirling before The Odyssey was confirmed, the filmmaker stated that he was "bewildered" by the report that he was rebooting Blue Thunder.
Interestingly, his response also included a reference to another helicopter-related piece of media he preferred to take on, saying, "I have absolutely no idea where it came from. And besides, I was always more of an Airwolf fan."

Brett Holman@airminded· 25d

More confident mounting of another Blériot XI, this one flown by Alfred Leblanc to win the Circuit de l'Est in Aug 1910

The image depicts a historical scene outside a building in a busy street in Paris, France. The focal point is a vintage aircraft, identified as a Blériot monoplane, which is suspended above the entrance of the building. The aircraft features a simple design with a large, flat wing and a small cockpit. Below, a crowd of people is assembled, dressed in early 20th-century attire, including hats and coats, with some individuals engaged in conversation. Prominently displayed on the building is a clock with a circular face, surrounded by various advertisements in French that include details about aviation and the aircraft overhead.

Brett Holman@airminded· 25d

A bit over half of Blériot's English Channel crosser, hanging from its new owner, the Parisian newspaper Le Matin, c Sep 1909

The image depicts a bustling street scene from a historical setting, featuring a large crowd of onlookers gathered in front of a prominent building. The architecture is ornate, showcasing multiple storeys with elaborate signage reading “Le Matin” and “SERVICE DIRECT AVEC NEW YORK”. A large clock is mounted on the side of the building. Above the street, a propeller aircraft is being installed, suspended by ropes from the roof. Various people in the crowd are dressed in early 20th-century attire, including suits and hats, with some individuals carrying bags or briefcases. The atmosphere conveys a sense of curiosity and excitement as the public watches the unusual spectacle. Trees partially obscure the view.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 12

Avenue Bookstore, Albert Park #HistBookChat

Mike Rapport, City of Light, City of Shadows: Paris in the Belle Époque.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 10

It’s 2026, where’s my flying cottage? Daily Sketch, 8 Mar 1912; Daily Dispatch (Manchester), 20 Dec 1911

Original caption: “Being collapsible the machine is independent of the huge hangar, a motor garage easily housing it. The [photograph shows] the machine… converted to a house by the simple process of removing the front propeller.”

HOUSE ON WINGS.
AEROPLANE WHICH CAN BE CONVERTED INTO COTTAGE.
INVENTOR'S NOVEL MACHINE.
"A bird in the air and a house on the ground," is the picturesque description applied to a flying machine invented by Mr. H. G. Turner, of Eldon Grove, Manchester.
The machine, a tri-monoplane, has features about it which, it is claimed, will render the aviator independent of hotel accommodation when on tour.
Having alighted in the country, say, only one or two minutes suffice to convert the planes into a tiny two-storey structure, in which he will have a couple of cabins at his disposal for sleeping and other purposes.
Four or five persons, it is held, could be accommodated in these cabins for the night. Cooking stoves, bedding of a light description, etc., can be carried.
The little habitation is brought about by the central planes of the tri-monoplane being made detachable, thus conducing, with the aid of a sheet of canvas to the boxing in of part of the central frame.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 9

It may be the day after but it's still a nice day for a stroll

Rubble, a burnt out car, a charred corpse, a staggering survivor, a couple casually walking through it all arm-in-arm.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 6

It's 109 years today since the 2nd daylight Gotha raid on London! Here's a *probably* authentic photo of the raiders

The image depicts a black and white aerial view of multiple small aeroplanes flying in a scattered formation against a cloudy sky. The aeroplanes are silhouetted against the light background, appearing as dark shapes that contrast with the softer, muted tones of the clouds. Their arrangement suggests a distant and somewhat chaotic movement, with some planes positioned close together while others are further apart. The texture of the clouds is fluffy and diffused.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 6

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 6

bot idea: every time somebody uses the phrase "our moon", it replies with this image

George H Leonard, Someone Else Is On Our Moon.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 5

Maybe slightly closer, even though it’s ostensibly focused on the British intelligence understanding of German rearmament it’s actually broader than that. Badly needs an update, it’s from 1985 (so well pre-Tooze)

Wesley K Wark, The Ultimate Enemy: British Intelligence and Nazi Germany 1933-1939.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 5

Nothing quite like that comes to mind; @alanallport.bsky.social may have ideas? This is good but covers USSR, USA and Italy too, so not going to be so detailed, and it’s more political than industrial

Joe Maiolo, Cry Havoc: The Arms Race and the Second World War 1931-1941.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 5

“There are thousands of fact-filled files out there begging to be downloaded. There are two popular ways to find and download them:” FTP and Gopher

FTP requires you to know the exact file name. Type: flp <address> and log in as <anonymous> with your e-mail address as the password. At the ftp prompt, type: cd <the/path/name>. To list the files in the directory, type: Is. To download, type: get <filename>.
Gopher is easier. Just type: gopher
<address> and follow the menus.
Also check out the Archie command when you don't have the exact file name.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jul 3

And let that be a lesson to you! The Young Soldier, 13 Oct 1917

Killed through Disobedience.–In this street three boys of a house opposite that on which the bomb fell were killed by the concussion. They persisted in standing at the open door in spite of their mothers' frequent appeals to them to 'Come in.’ Do as you are told at once.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 30

Kobo #HistBookChat

Carlo Ginzburg, The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller.

Keith Wrightson, Ralph Tailor’s Summer: A Scrivener, his City and the Plague.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 30

A fun map for my #ozha2026 talk tomorrow: some of the destinations of air raid refugees in Sep-Oct 1917

A map of southern England and Wales, with an explosion symbol on London, a cluster of red markers in Surrey and Berkshire, and a few blue markers to the north, south and west of London, as far away as Wales and Cornwall.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 29

I remembered something like this very vividly (but not quite correctly) from one of the Usborne books from the late 1970s. Turns out it was UFOs and it was bacon, not a razor blade. Don't think I ever tried it which is just as well as it would have been a waste of a good rasher

Pyramid Power
Some researchers believe that the pyramids of Egypt were built with the help of advanced UFO science. There is no evidence for this, but the pyramids do contain mysteries which science has yet to explain.
Experiments have been made with scale models of the 4,500 year old Great Pyramid of Cheops. Pieces of food placed inside dried out quickly and so were preserved instead of going mouldy. The plan shown here explains how you can make your own pyramid. When you have assembled it, try preserving a bacon rasher inside the pyramid and another in a shoe box. See whether the pyramid-shape preserves better than a box-shape.
Trace off this pattern, enlarge it if you wish, then transfer the tracing to stiff white card.

Fold along the dotted lines to make the stand
Glue or tape this flap to edge A
Stand should be directly under top of pyramid
Use a compass to align your pyramid base exactly North-South and mark its position so you can lift it up occasionally to look at the bacon.
Keep the bacon on top of the stand in the pyramid.
Cut out the card pattern along the solid lines. Fold on the dotted line.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 22

University of Hertfordshire Press #HistBookChat

Sarah J Wager, Place-Names and Landholding in Early Medieval England: The Meaning and Uses of Tūn.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 19

Fun with data! Do not use. From top to bottom this shows for each London Metropolitan Police division: population (1920), public air raid shelter capacity and occupation (both 19 May 1918), and tube air raid shelter occupation (undated but maybe late Oct/early Nov 1917)

The image is a line graph that displays four different data trends over a horizontal axis marked with letters from A to Y. The vertical axis is labeled with numerical values ranging from 0 to 1,200,000, indicating the measurement scale. The graph features four distinct lines, each represented by a different color. The dark blue line denotes "tube occupancy," showing relatively low values throughout the range. The light blue line represents "shelter capacity," demonstrating a slightly higher yet consistent pattern. A medium blue line indicates "shelter occupancy," which fluctuates slightly but remains below the other metrics. Lastly, the darkest line illustrates "population," which has notable peaks, particularly towards the right side of the graph, indicating sharp increases and spikes in population count.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 19

STEREOLAB • MELBOURNE • 2026

The image captures a performance at a theater. In the foreground, a large audience is visible, densely packed and engaged with the event. The stage is illuminated with vibrant red lights, creating a dramatic atmosphere. A band consisting of several musicians is seen performing on stage. There are microphones and instruments, including drums and a keyboard, contributing to the musical ambiance. The backdrop consists of dark curtains that add contrast to the colourful lighting. The ornate architecture of the theatre is visible at the top, featuring intricate designs in gold tones, framing the stage.

The image captures a vibrant live music performance at an ornate theatre. The scene is filled with an energetic audience that stretches across the foreground. The crowd is dense, with numerous heads visible, mostly in casual clothing. In the background, a band performs on a dimly lit stage, surrounded by colourful lighting that creates a lively atmosphere. The stage is adorned with a black curtain and illuminated by purple and white lights, which enhance the festive mood. Architectural details of the theatre, including decorative elements and statues, are visible on the sides, showcasing intricate designs and historical aesthetics. The ceiling features a vibrant blue hue, contrasting with the rich warm tones of the theatre’s decor.

The image depicts a live music performance in a vibrant concert hall. The stage is illuminated with multicoloured lights, including purple, red, and white, creating a dynamic atmosphere. Five musicians are positioned onstage, with two standing at the front playing guitars, one seated at a keyboard, and a drummer and a bass guitarist visible behind them. The backdrop consists of dark curtains, which enhance the dramatic lighting. In the foreground, a large crowd of concert-goers is seen, engaged in the performance. The ornate architecture of the concert venue is visible around the edges of the image, featuring intricate patterns and a richly decorated ceiling.

The image captures a live music performance on stage. In the foreground, a woman plays a trombone, wearing a blue jacket and black skirt. Her hair is tied back, and she appears focused on her performance. Behind her, another musicianis partially visible. Various musical equipment is placed around the stage, including a guitar leaning against a stand and amplifiers in the background. The setting is dimly lit, providing a dramatic contrast to the performers, with an audience visible in the lower part of the image, some holding phones to capture the moment. The atmosphere conveys an intimate concert vibe.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 14

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 14

Jeffreys Books, Malvern #HistBookChat

Mark Edele, Russia's War Against Ukraine: The Whole Story (updated ed); Emma Southon, Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire.

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 9

good point!

@dril tweet: "issuing correction on a previous post of mine, regarding the terror group ISIL. you do not, under any circumstances, "gotta hand it to them""

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 9

yeah I'll pay that

YOUR CLOSEST COUNTERPART
The Empiricist
C. 1689-1776 • ENGLAND & SCOTLAND • THE EVIDENCE OF THE SENSES
Locke, the Essay Concerning Human Understanding
The mind starts as a blank page, and everything written on it comes through the senses-so test your claims against what you can actually observe, and hold even your best conclusions loosely. Certainty is mostly a flattering illusion. Push the reasoning far enough and even cause and effect dissolve into habit. Better a little doubt, a little toleration, and a decent regard for what actually works.
REPRESENTATIVE FIGURES John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume

Brett Holman@airminded· Jun 1

Post a poster you used to have in your room, apartment, or house

The "I WANT TO BELIEVE" poster from The X-Files.

Brett Holman@airminded· May 31

Not a bad day for it

The image features a vast sky filled with soft, wispy clouds lightly illuminated against a blue backdrop. Three hot air balloons are silhouetted against the early morning sky. The balloons appear small and distant, scattered across the upper and middle portions of the image, with one on the far left, another near the centre, and one on the right. The clouds vary in density, adding texture and depth to the sky, which transitions from a deeper blue at the top to a lighter hue near the bottom.

Brett Holman@airminded· May 28

snap!

A hand holding a worn copy of Alan Dean Foster, Splinter of the Mind's Eye (1978).

Brett Holman@airminded· May 28

Actually he might have seen it! Or maybe talked to somebody who did. Or at least heard a rumour. This Hendon is not the one in London but in Sunderland, about 6 miles south of Jarrow. Didn’t reach the papers until 3 days later so his source must have been local. Nottingham Evening Post, 27 Aug 1918

A SHOWER OF FISH.
CURIOUS PHENOMENON IN
SUNDERLAND.
During a thunderstorm which took place at Sunderland last weekend, a "rain" of fish occurred in the Hendon district. The area covered included parts of several streets, within a radius of about 100 yards.
The fish lay from 20 to 30 to the square yard, and were of a kind known locally as
“sile,” being in shape like a small eel, and varying in length from two to three inches. They appeared to be all dead when they fell. It is supposed they had been drawn up from the sea in a waterspout.
The incident caused considerable comment in the neighbourhood. The spot where they fell is a few hundred yards from the sea shore.

Brett Holman@airminded· May 26

Pick a Bond villain from the pictures you have already on your phone

Brett Holman@airminded· May 25

Substations of Bayside: Well St, Brighton