Every long journey begins with

It's May 2013 and for a variety of reasons - which I hope will become clear in future posts - I have decided to start blogging.  I am passionate about history and if I'm honest, I have a preference for modern history.  My cause celebre is the causes and events of the First World War.  In particular I have led school tours and private tours of the WW1 battlefields and cemeteries since February 1997.  In addition I have written a booklet for the pupils studying this topic for iGCSE.  I have also written booklets on the Interwar Years 1919-1939, The Challenge of German Nationalism 1789-1919, The Cold War 1945-1990 (for iGCSE), as well as a more advanced version for 6th formers taking the Superpower Relations 1944-1990s course and I am currently working on a booklet for Stalin's Russia 1924-1953 as well as Mao's China 1949-1976.