Mike Bechthold 🇨🇦🇺🇦

Very pleased that my book, Flying to Victory: Raymond Collishaw and the Western Desert Campaign, 1940-1941, was selected for the RAF's Chief of the Air Staff Reading List. www.raf.mod.uk/what-we-do/c...

Nick Lloyd published a very moving tribute to Tim Cook on the one year anniversary of his passing 💔💔💔 nlloyd.substack.com/p/reflection...

Poster published during the Second World War by the US Office of War Infomation. catalog.archives.gov/id/515798?ob...

We've come a long way since the Turbot War of 1995!

Vimy and history remain relevant today! The Vimy colony to nation idea is a myth but works with the PM’s statement. He draws on our history to make his point (! !) but his use of the myth is couched in equivocal language that makes it clear he understands the problems of that view. Well done, sir!

The Bank of Canada unveiled our new $20 bill today. The CBC is highlighting that it's the first bill to feature King Charles, but for me the really great part is that Vimy Monument is on the back!

Whoops! 😂😂😂

Morning affirmations

Cue the batshit crazy response in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ....

This looks very promising! Brendan Fraser as Ike and Damien Lewis as Monty to tell the story of James Stagg, the RAF meteorologist who had to provide the weather report for Ike's D-Day go/no go decision. youtu.be/zdM4tdLQBg0?...

Symbolism matters. After his epic speech at Davos that earned a standing ovation, PM Carney is hosting a Cabinet planning retreat at the Québec Citadelle, a fortification built to defend against an American attack that never came. He's playing 3D chess when others can't figure out checkers.

Snow Leopard!

The Avro Arrow is a topic that continues to delight and inflame enthusiasts and scholars of Canada's Cold War Air Force. There is much scholarship on this topic out there, much bad, but one of the best historians on the topic is Russell Isinger. Highly recommended. www.crowdcast.io/c/vl-2026-is...

Congratulations to Paul Johnston on the publication of The RCAF in History and Memory: A Survey of the Historiography, 1909-2025! This is a really useful overview of all the important works that have been published on the various iterations of the RCAF. publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.9...

The @usni.org Press is running a sale right now, and if you use the code HOLIDAY at checkout, you will get 50% off! What better time than now to get your mitts on Airpower and the Normandy Campaign, edited by @mike-bechthold.bsky.social. The other contributors are ace. www.usni.org/press/books/...

This Saturday, the Guelph Museums is hosting a Liberation and Remembrance Symposium to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the War and the liberation of Europe. I'm speaking on the RCAF and other speakers include Roger Sarty, Geoff Hayes, and Alex Souchen. guelphmuseums.ca/event/libera...

Very touching tribute to Tim Cook by Pamela Wallin in the Senate of Canada. youtu.be/17wNnUfCdx0?...

What a petty snowflake

WORLD SERIES BOUND!!!

Excellent article on the current air war in Ukraine, Russia, and Western Europe by Peter Caddick-Adams. Provides essential context linking the Ukranainian drones strikes on Russia to the Transportation and Oil Plans of the Second World War. thecritic.co.uk/nato-must-st...

Target for Tonight - Toronto!

Great to see the book arriving in the UK!

Great to see! Welcome @jamesmscott.bsky.social!

NEED! 😍

RIP Ken Dryden 💔 One of my favourite players of all time.

Jazz for the win! #OscarPeterson

This looks fantastic!

This Saturday I'm speaking at the Military Heritage Day at the Chatham Kent Municipal Airport about Canada and the Liberation of the Netherlands. Also lots of warbirds, military vehicles, and other displays. Hope to see you there!

I've blogged about how the Israeli air force has reshaped the Middle East and what others might learn from them markurban.substack.com/p/israels-sl...

Chair of history department at U.S. Naval Academy resigns after order to remove paper from symposium “for reasons having nothing to do with scholarship.” [James Matheson, Baltimore Sun]

Trump on WW1: "Recently other countries celebrated the victory of World War I, France was celebrating, really. The only one that doesn't celebrate is the USA. And we're the ones that won the war. Without us, you'd all be speaking German right now. Maybe a little Japanese thrown in." Ignorant c*nt.

h/t @coldwarhost.bsky.social

h/t @coldwarhost.bsky.social

Canada will achieve NATO’s 2% target this year — half a decade ahead of schedule.   In an increasingly dangerous world, we will be ready to protect our people, our sovereignty, and our Allies.

This was released today - appropriate listening, as 81 years ago right now, those guys were landing in Normandy. youtu.be/ku7GZPQTD7Y?...

Sad to hear about the passing of Marc Garneau. He was the first Canadian to go into space and flew on three space shuttle missions. RIP.