Author Archives: historywithatwist

About historywithatwist

I am a journalist, author and book editor. I have published five novels - four (Tan, The Golden Grave, A Time of Traitors and Patriots' Blood) set during the Irish War of Independence and Civil War, and the fifth (High Crimes), a modern thriller. I'm a history enthusiast who loves a good yarn.

Dutch Courage: The femme fatales who lured Nazis to their deaths

Posted on October 13, 2021 by historywithatwist

Among the dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland, on North Holland’s west coast, the silvery-green leaves of sea buckthorn are buffeted by the Atlantic’s salty breezes and fearsome gales. You’ll find the shrub on coasts across Europe, and all the way to Mongolia … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Fires, factories and forgotten disasters

Posted on October 4, 2021 by historywithatwist

Quite what the citizens of Mannheim, Germany, made of the lumps of metal that hurtled through the air and landed in their environs on September 22, 1921, is anyone’s guess. The fact that the metal had been blown from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

We must not cancel the past

Posted on June 29, 2020 by historywithatwist

I am white. I have never known prejudice based on skin colour. I have had the odd moment where I was looked down on because of where I came from. I still recall in bemused detail the occasion I was in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 30 Comments

From The Bronze Buckaroo to Lil Naz X – the Black Cowboy Rides Again

Posted on October 3, 2019 by historywithatwist

There’s a lot of ‘identifying’ going on these days. People ‘identify’ as being black, white, Native American… they identify as gay, straight, binary, non-binary. The whole world seems busy discarding identities or finding new ones; in fact, there’s one big … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The Secret Disaster That Made D-Day the Success it Was

Posted on June 4, 2019 by historywithatwist

It was 1944, and the troops were waiting nervously for the barrage on the beach to end. Their stomachs heaved as their clumsy landing craft rode the swell. Nearby, the support vessels and destroyers watched as their orderly line headed … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments

The Dead Tramp Who Fooled Hitler

Posted on May 15, 2019 by historywithatwist

I posted a shorter version of this article some time ago; however, I’m re-posting now with extra information to highlight the fact that you can now view it as a video on my YouTube channel, History Twist. If you enjoy the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

My granny, the Easter Rising looter

Posted on May 6, 2019 by historywithatwist

I posted this article some time ago; however, I’m re-posting now to highlight the fact that you can now view it as a video on my YouTube channel, History Twist. If you enjoy the video, please hit the ‘Like’ button on … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

A Village-ful of Generals…

Posted on April 30, 2019 by historywithatwist

I posted a shorter version of this article some time ago; however, I’m re-posting now to highlight the fact that you can now view it as a video on my YouTube channel, History Twist. If you enjoy the video, please hit … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Dead Men Talking… How Those Doomed for Execution Met Their Fate

Posted on April 26, 2019 by historywithatwist

I posted a shorter version of this article some time ago; however, I’m re-posting now to highlight the fact that you can now view it as a video on my YouTube channel, History Twist. If you enjoy the video, please hit … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Fake news isn’t new: The lookalikes who went to war

Posted on April 23, 2019 by historywithatwist

I posted a shorter version of this article some time ago; however, I’m re-posting now with extra information to highlight the fact that you can now view it as a video on my YouTube channel, History Twist. If you enjoy … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments