author interview Archives - Aspects of History

Fiction Book of the Month: Alan Bardos on Rising Tide

An interview with the author on the stories and historical background that shape the first in his Daniel Nichols Spy Thrillers series.

Alan Bardos

Alan, your novel Rising Tide is set during World War II, prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, whereas your earlier series focused on World War I. What inspired you to explore a new conflict in your writing? In my previous First World War series I looked at how waging...

AoH Book Club: Phil Craig on 1945: The Reckoning: War, Empire and the Struggle for a New World

A year on from publication, the historian explains to the Editor how the final months of the Second World War exposed tensions between Britain and the Allies’ wartime ideals and imperial ambitions.

Phil Craig

Great to have you in the interviewee’s chair for once, Phil. So 1945: The Reckoning has, a few months ago, celebrated its 1st birthday. It was the culmination of a kind of trilogy on Britain and the Second World War. What drew you to the final year of the war, and why...

‘A Man of Paradoxes’: Antony Beevor on Rasputin

To mark the release of Rasputin: And the Downfall of the Romanovs, Roger Moorhouse sat down with the author to discuss the truth behind the “mad monk” and his role in the collapse of the Russian Empire.

Roger Moorhouse

Antony, thank you so much for joining me. I very much enjoyed the book. I read it over the weekend, absolutely raced through it, as always. My first question, I suppose, is why Rasputin? What took you to that? I appreciate it's very much related to your previous book...

The Coming of the Railway – A Conversation with David Gwyn

The historian explains to Michael Mccomb how railways evolved from wooden structures into modern transport systems, altering industry, commerce and society across Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries.

David Gwyn

Welcome to Aspects of History, David. Could you provide our readers with an outline of your latest book, The Coming of the Railway: A New Global History 1750-1850? The book sets out to trace the transformation of a mechanical handling system into the main overland...

Assassins and Templars – Steve Tibble Interviewed

The historian sat down with author, Adam Staten, to discuss the myths, realities and enduring legend of the two medieval orders.

Steve Tibble

Welcome back to Aspects of History, Steve. How hard was it to dig through nearly a thousand years of myth building to get to the truth about what was really happening with the Assassins and the Templars? Thanks Adam. Great question. There's really two aspects to this....

Fiction Book of the Month: Jim Loughran on The Bratinsky Affair

A discussion of the people, places and history that inspired the author's debut, a thriller exploring exile, identity and the ties between Ireland and Russia.

Jim Loughran

Welcome back to Aspects of History, Jim. The Bratinsky Affair, our Fiction Book of the Month, combines murder mystery, espionage thriller, and historical fiction. What first inspired the book, and how did the story evolve from that earliest conception? Serendipity...

AoH Book Club: Steven Veerapen on The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I

In conversation with the Editor, the historian reflects on his mission to rescue England’s first Stuart king from centuries of caricature and revealing a politically astute monarch whose skills lay in image-making and peaceful governance.

Steven Veerapen

Hello Steven – thanks for talking to us a few years on from the publication of The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I, our Book Club pick for June. In the book, you set out to strip away the myths around the first Stuart King of England – what was the...

Empire’s Witness: An Interview with Philip James Day

In discussion with Gautam Hazarika, the author reflects on discovering the hidden wartime diary of his grandfather, Corporal Alwyn Day, a quiet and emotionally reserved veteran shaped by extraordinary experiences in World War II.

Philip James Day

Philip, welcome to Aspects of History. Congratulations on the upcoming release of Empire’s Witness: A Soldier’s Secret War Diary 1942–45. What were your memories of your grandfather, Corporal Day, prior to beginning this project, and how and why did his “quiet life...

Building Britannia: A Conversation with Steven Parissien

The historian explains his use of architecture and landmarks in telling the story of Britain’s social and political history to author Paul Strathern.

Steven Parissien

Welcome, Steven, to Aspects of History. What was it that first led you into the study of architecture and cultural history? Which came first? I was always fascinated by British history and British architecture from my earliest years, though I’m not sure why: no-one in...

Fiction Book of the Month: Paul Bernardi on Blood Feud

A gritty, atmospheric tale of vengeance where a long-dormant feud erupts into brutal conflict in the shadow of the Norman Conquest.

Paul Bernardi

As I understand it, Blood Feud is the first book in your second trilogy (Rebellion). Set the scene for us. That’s right. We begin in a small village (Acum or Acomb as it is today) in the far north of England, situated close to Hadrian’s Wall and the River Tyne. The...