Authors of History Podcast

On this episode of the Authors of History Podcast, I’m joined by historian and author Sam Wetherell.Sam is a historian of Britain and the world based at the University of York, where he teaches and writes about modern British history. His work explores cultural and urban history, race and the environment – and how the places we build shape the lives we lead.He is the author of two books. His first, Foundations: How the Built Environment Made Twentieth-Century Britain, was published by Princeton University Press in 2020.His latest, Liverpool: A story of Britain, was published by Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury in 2025 and has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2026 Wolfson History Prize, with the winner to be announced on 1 December 2026.Alongside his books, Sam writes The History Factory, a semi-regular Substack newsletter.Sam recommends that we should read The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal Remains by Thomas W. LaqueurSam recomends we should check out the independant book shop East Bristol Books (https://eastbristolbooks.co.uk/)

If you like this podcast please support it development by buying me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/authorsofhistorypodOn this episode of the Authors of History Podcast I talk to Sheffield historian, author and journalist Neil Anderson.Neil has written over 30 books, which spans numerous cultural and historical books focusing heavily on Sheffield's nightlife, music scene, and wartime history. Notable Books written by Neil include the "Dirty Stop Out's Guide" Series: Includes cultural guides spanning the original 1990s edition alongside decade-specific volumes for the 1950s, 1960s (King Mojo Edition), 1970s, and 1980s, as well as a dedicated volume on Working Men's Clubs. Works highlighting Sheffield's musical and social heritage including Take It to The Limit (the West Street rock 'n' roll venue story), Signing on for the Devil: Sheffield - Metal Capital of the 80s, No Siesta 'til Club Fiesta, The Story of Atkinsons of Sheffield, and Sheffield City Hall - 1932-2012. Neil has written books on the Sheffield Blitz & Wartime History: Publications covering the wartime era feature Sheffield's Date with Hitler: The Story of the Blitz, Defiant! Sheffield Blitz 75th - The Definitive Visual Guide, Defiant Voices - The Blitz Kids of Sheffield, and Sheffield Blitz - The Definitive Collection. Neil Anderson’s latest book is Sheffield's Date with Hitler: 85th Anniversary Collector's Edition, released in August 2026. The book is the culmination of 15 years of intensive local research into the Sheffield Blitz. Published as a strictly limited run of 250 hand-numbered and signed copies, this special anniversary edition was released via his publishing outlet, Dirty Stop Outs. The expanded archive edition includes German Military Intelligence Maps: Rare historical planning documents used during the attacks. Digital Video Archive: Over 4 hours of ultra-rare, digitised historical Blitz footage. Personal Memoirs: Newly uncovered primary accounts, including memories from the author's own grandmother. Neils books can be bought at https://dirtystopouts.com/Neil recommends that we all should read a book by historian Dominic SandbrookNeil recommends that we should check out the independent publishing house online called “Days like Tomorrow Books”. which can be found on facebook.

Please support the development of the podcast by buying me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/authorsofhistorypodIn this episode of the Authors of History Podcast, I’m joined by acclaimed writer, critic and journalist Antonia Senior.Her first work of non-fiction, Stalin’s Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire, has been praised by Kirkus as “outstanding” and “a darkly fascinating account of an infamous spy ring”.For the past 14 years, Antonia has been The Times’ historical fiction reviewer, bringing authority, insight and a sharp critical eye to the genre.Her writing and journalism have also appeared in The Guardian and The Spectator.From 2023 to March 2026, she created and hosted The Spymasters Podcast. Today, she co-hosts The History Book Buffs with Roger Moorhouse, reviewing the latest history titles and interviewing leading authors on subjects ranging from espionage to the wider forces that shape our past.She is also the author of three historical novels: two set during the English Civil War and one in 17th-century Scotland.Antonia lives in London with a dog and two cats—none of whom, thanks to her children, is called Dzerzhinsky.Antonia recommends that we read books by author Roger Moorhouse, a previous podcast guest.Antonia recommends we check out the independant book shop 'The Village Bookshop' in Dulwich https://www.village-books.co.uk/

Support this podcast at buy me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/authorsofhistorypodIn this episode of the Author of History Podcast, I’m joined by Giles Milton: internationally bestselling author, historian, and podcast host.Born in Buckinghamshire, Giles studied English at the University of Bristol.He is the author of 17 non-fiction books, along with three novels and four children’s books. His latest work, Empire at the Edge of the World: Endurance and Madness in the High Arctic, is published by John Murray on 24 September 2026. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages and serialised by the BBC and British newspapers.Giles also contributes to national and international publications. The Times has praised his ability “to take an event from history and make it come alive,” while The New York Times described his work as “an entertaining, richly informative look at the past.” His book Nathaniel’s Nutmeg is currently under option in America for a major TV series, and in March 2023 he launched the podcast Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets with producer Sarah Peters.Giles recommends that we read 'The Great Game' by Peter HopkirkGiles recommends we check out the independant book shop 'John Sandoe Books' an independant books shop in London sinve 1957 https://johnsandoe.com/

On this episode of the Authors of History Podcast I am joined by award winning historian and author Helen Castor.Helen Castor is a historian of the later middle ages and sixteenth century. She studied for her BA and PhD at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and was elected to a Research Fellowship at Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1993.Helen has presented programmes for BBC television, Channel 4 and BBC Radio, including Radio 4’s Making History, and documentaries based on She-Wolves and Joan of Arc for BBC Four and BBC Two.Her book Blood & Roses is a biography of the fifteenth-century Paston family, whose remarkable letters are the earliest surviving collection of private correspondence in the English language. Blood & Roses was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction in 2005, and was awarded the Beatrice White Prize (for outstanding scholarly work in the field of English Literature before 1590) by the English Association in 2006.Helen's next book, She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth, was widely selected as one of the books of the year for 2010. In 2014, her book Joan of Arc: A History, was selected as one of the books of the year in the Sunday Times, Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Mail on Sunday and the Evening Standard, and longlisted for the PEN America/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography in 2015.Her most recent book, The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV, was published in 2024 to great acclaim. It was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction in 2025, shortlisted for the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography in 2025, and named the Telegraph's Best Book of the Year for 2024 and shortlisted for the Wolfson History prize.In 2022 Helen was part of the judging for the Booker prize.Helen Castor excels at bringing complex medieval narratives to life, focusing on powerful women, social mobility, political intrigue, and the human stories behind major historical events like the Wars of the Roses and the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV. If you like the Authors of History Podcast and would like to support its continued development please by me a coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/authorsofhistorypod

On this episode of the Authors of History Podacast I am joined by Wolfson History Prize nominated historian and author Sara Lodge.Sara is Professor of nineteenth-century literature and culture at the University of St Andrews. She is the author of four books and many articles: she writes regularly for papers including the Scotsman, the Times Literary Supplement and the Wall Street Journal. She is also an experienced radio broadcaster, whose documentaries have appeared on RTE Lyric FM and other stations. Her latest book, The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective was featured on Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio London, in the Guardian, the Telegraph (which gave it five stars and dubbed it ‘a joy to read’), the Sunday Times (which called it ‘a revelation’) and the Scotsman (which picked it as one of the Scottish Books of the Year 2024). It has been shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize, Britain’s biggest prize for history writing. She’s now working on her next book, The Haunted Causeway: magic, pilgrimage and imagination on the paths to Britain’s tidal islands. She’s also hoping to turn her research on Victorian female detectives into a drama series.The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective (Yale University Press, 2024) is out in paperback in August 2025! Telegraph***** 'A new history of female detectives blends academic rigour with vivid and witty storytelling…it’s an ideal mixture and one that makes The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective a joy to read.' The Sunday Times ‘A revelation…move over, Sherlock!’ The Literary Review 'Lodge has marshalled the treasures of her research with enormous skill and style, producing a book of true importance, a bracing rethink of Victorian history that for the first time shows to what extent females, in life and in fiction, were going about police work undetected.' Brisbane Times  “[A] marvellous piece of scholarly detective work.”https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300277883/the-mysterious-case-of-the-victorian-female-detective/

On this very special episode of the Authors of History Podcast I talk to the newly announced winner of the 2025 Wolfson History Book Prize, author and historian Hannah Durkin.Hannah is a researcher in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Black Atlantic history and culture with specialist expertise in transatlantic slavery and its legacies. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Nottingham and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from Leeds Trinity University. Her research has been featured in the New York Times, London Times, NPR, the BBC, and many other news outlets throughout Africa, Europe, and North America. Hannah's 2025 award winning Wolfson History Book is:Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade (HarperCollins, 2024).This book tells the stories of the survivors of the Clotilda, the last slave ship to land on U.S. soil when it docked in Mobile Bay, Alabama in July 1860. The individual voices that this book brings together tell an exceptionally detailed and wide-ranging account of the transatlantic slave trade, slavery and freedom from the perspectives of its survivors. Survivors has been shortlisted for the 2025 Wolfson History Prize, the UK’s most prestigious history prize, and the 2024 Historical Writers’ Association Non-Fiction Crown Award. It was named as one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2024, one of the Washington Post’s “50 Notable Works of Nonfiction from 2024,” and a New Yorker recommended book of 2024.This episode was recorded before the winner was announced.

On this episode of the Authors of History podcast I am joined by Author, Historian and Podcaster Jane Gulliford Lowes.Jane is a writer, a historian, and podcaster from the northeast of England. She has been obsessed with history and especially World War II and the social history of the Northeast from an early age. She holds a degree in law and a master's degree in the Second World War studies. Jane was awarded the RAF Museum's Prestigious Academic Award in 2023 for her thesis on RAF Bomber Command Gardening Operations, which is also the subject of her latest book. The Invisible Campaign.Jane's first book The Horsekeeper's Daughter was published in 2017. It tells the true story of one of the hundreds of women who left the North East mining villages in the 1880s to travel alone to Australia, to start new lives. Her second book, Above Us The Stars: 10 Squadron Bomber Command - The Wireless Operator's Story, focuses on the experiences of a young Bomber Command aircrewman during World War 2, and of the family he left behind in the small mining town of Seaham Harbour.She has also published 2 ebooks, She Was Only A Coalminer's Daughter - Stories of a Seaham Childhood, and How to Write Your Family History - A Beginner's Guide, both exclusively available on Amazon Kindle.Jane is also a podcatser, the producer and co-host of the popular Bomber Command podcast, Nevermind the Dam Busters.