Historic battlefields.

Welcome changes at the National Archives

As a long term user of parts of the National Archive's Documents Online service, I'm surprised to report that I welcome the recent changes to its war diary service.

With changes to "improve service" such as barriers in the car park in mind, it was with a sinking feeling that I recently tried the system, but the experience was mostly good. Gone is the laborious [and expensive] break down of digitised diaries into monthly downloads, replaced with Brigade level groupings. This extra information may be unnecessary for those researching an individual's war service- but if your interest spreads to units and engagements it is superb. This repackaging does result in large files to download, but amazingly not large prices! Previously a download, likely to cover a month, cost £ 3.50, but a whole Brigade's [commonly 3 or 4 units] whole diary can often be purchased for the same price.

Signs of a credit crunch busting National Archives? Or the ground work for more fundamental changes?

And again

Thank you amazon- more head scratching before I decided their computer is just stupid. "Bloody Victory" as in William Philpott's recent book on the Somme 1916.

Il Divo [DVD] [2008] DVD ~ Toni Servillo (Jul 27, 2009) Average Customer Review: 3 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0) › See all 3 customer reviews...   (3) In stock RRP: £15.99 Price: £9.98 4 used & new from £7.99

I own it   Not interested   Rate this item  Recommended because you said you owned Bloody Victory (Fix this) And: Duckworth Lewis Method ~ Duckworth Lewis Method (Jul 6, 2009) Average Customer Review: 30 Reviews 5 star:  (26) 4 star:  (4) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) › See all 30 customer reviews...   (30) In stock Listen to samples Price: £8.98 11 used & new from £7.99 I own it   Not interested   Rate this item  Recommended because you said you owned Bloody Victory (Fix this)

PH Hood photo

 

Remembrance in the 21st century

As the 90th anniversary of the armstice approaches it it interesting to see the increasingly mutli-media approach to remembrance.

The National Archives, home to countless files and documents, seems to be embracing new[ish] media with a series of podcasts starting with the story of John Mills a Quartermaster.

The BBC building on its People's War project have their remembrance site linked into religon, aimed at schools it is still an interesting, and hopefully developing, site.

More to come I hope.

More amazon madness

I have finally lifted my head from my dissertation. It was submitted last Thursday, just before a quick battlefield tour to Ypres. Back to the normal way of things.

Earlier I decided to check on an order I'd placed with the online book retailers Amazon and found in my recommendations the following; [you need to check the reason for recommending the book and then be able to explain the logic]:

	The Official Highway Code by Department for Transport (Sep 28, 2007) Average Customer Review: 3 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0) See all 3 customer reviews...   (3) In stock RRP: £2.50 Price: £1.45 99 used & new from £0.01
I own it   Not interested   Rate it  Recommended because you purchased Leadership and Command (Fix this)

Harry Atkins

Medal index card for Harry E ATKINS, source ancestry.co.uk

Does Amazon know something I don't

I guess they do, but specifically what do they know about the following.

I log in and view their book recommendations, some good ones on there, but this one puzzles me.

10.		All The Lost Souls (Sep 17, 2007) Average Customer Review: (86) In stock Listen to samples Price: £5.98 56 used & new from £4.60
	I own it Not interested Saved Recommended because you purchased Haig: The Evolution of a Commander (Military Profiles) (Fix this) Please note I have checked not interested- sorry James- but this is promoted as I purchased a book on Haig. Could it be a bit of rhyming slang?

Search engine

The author of this site has developed a search engine which allows you to search the CWGC's database but using extra search terms. For example I've been sticking local place names into the keyword box and getting some interesting results.