"Total war is giving me a lot of work to do," moaned Goebbels to his diary on May 12, 1943. The heart bleeds…

Churchill appoints Selwyn Lloyd to the FCO. "But I don't like foreigners," says Lloyd. "Even better," says Churchill.

Churchill appoints Selwyn Lloyd to FCO. "But I don't like foreigners" says Lloyd. "So much the better" says Churchill

Sometimes you get a CIA file which has been just a little too redacted:

Them Mitfords were trouble. This MI5 report shows Nancy tried to arrange a meeting between Oswald Mosley & de Gaulle:

More MI5 material on Oswald Mosley's desire to woo the Vatican to establish a 'Right Wing International':

Curio from a 1948 MI5 letter (written by Roger Hollis) showing that Oswald Mosley was currying favour with the Vatican

Curio from a 1948 MI5 letter (written by Roger Hollis) showing that Oswald Mosley was currying favour with the Vatican:

Wonderfully catty British Intelligence report on a former Nazi:

Love the way government departments coyly refer to MI6 as 'our friends'. Here's an example from 1953:

Historical curio for the likes of @jeremyduns – Foreign Office using BEA pilots as couriers in the 1950s:

The cookie warning box on the @thedailymash website is priceless:

Meanwhile, Jasper Gerard is issuing his own statement on Facebook: #Clegg #rennard #Libdems

Love this picture of Lord Rennard. Actually, I don't.

The detainees in the Allied National Prison in Werl in 1951 got a damn good diet. (Love the fact this is Top Secret.)

Great artwork for my talk on @RealGreatEscape for the @CVHISTORYFEST Sums up tone of the book, and looks very Munch!

My parents get a lot of red kites. I mean, a LOT.

My brother found a signed copy of one of my books yesterday…in a charity shop.

Those wanting naming & shaming, such as @allisonpearson, might wish to read this, from the Francis Report, pps 40-41

From August 1953. The idea of being strapped to a 1950s rocket and blasted 100,000 ft into the air terrifies me: