This month we begin coverage on the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, an event that changed the history of Western Europe permanently. We've got an article on the background, one on William the Conqueror, an overview of the whole Norman Conquest, a look at the Battle of Hastings, and quick snapshots on the battles of Fulford Gate and Val-ès-Dunes. Next month we'll tackle some of the lesser known events. We've also got a few quick pieces on Tsars and Red Guards.  

I have to give full credit to website Boing Boing for introducing me to Got Medieval's pop culture explanation of medieval manuscripts, because they used the headline 'Using Super Mario to explain the internal logic of Gothic manuscript illuminations.' I dream of being able to use a headline like that. But Carl Pyrdum's discussion of gravity in marginalia is fascinating whether you were a childhood gamer or not.

War Horse is proving hugely successful, but I have to admit I've never read it. In fact I don't remember reading any of the many children's books which mix animal and war, unless you count the battles in Watership Down. So I'm pleased to link to this piece from the Children's Books section of the Guardian in which Megan Rix lists her "top 10 wartime animal books." My niece may well be getting a few of these in the future...

Europeana 1914 - 1918 is a roadshow travelling Europe in an attempt to find new material on World War One. This BBC article explains how the experts who accompany the show have been shown a bible which still has the shrapnel it stopped and other items. But what's really made the news was a collector who came in with a postcard from one Adolf Hitler. Material relating to Hitler's early life is rare, and obviously vitally important, and so this find is interesting. Hitler wrote it to Karl Lanzhammer, a dispatch runner from Hitler's regiment, and it reveals a surprising desire to get back to the frontlines. The postcard has now been recorded and returned to the collector. So far 45,000 items have been recorded by Europeana, including precious firsthand accounts passed down through families.