Welcome to History Hub
Content from Festival speakers past and present, including audio and video from previous talks.
Hidden Gems
James Holland, the Festival’s Programme Director and Co-Chair,…
The Gandhi-Smuts Agreement of January 1914
Chapter 18 from 'Empire: The British Imperial Experience from…
History In The Making: From Cold War Certainty To The Uncertainties Of Our Present Age
Audio from Jon Snow's talk at Chalke Valley History…
Warrior
Warrior was raring for it. It was March 1918 and he was looking…
Charlie Hebdo and a Rubicon Moment for Free Speech
The writers who protested a PEN award chose their side, but most…
The Trigger: The Journey That Led The World To War In 1914
Audio from Tim Butcher's talk at Chalke Valley History Festival…
Spare a thought for the Bomber Boys: The unknown air campaign of 1940
Whilst the troops at Dunkirk struggled to get away from the German…
War Horse and Private Peaceful: Writing about World War One
Audio from Michael Morpurgo's talk at Chalke Valley History Festival…
A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby And The Great Betrayal
Audio from Ben Macintyre's talk at Chalke Valley History Festival…
Catastrophe: Europe Goes to War, 1914
Audio from Max Hastings' CVHF talk on Saturday 28th June 2014.
Journalist,…
Journalist,…
The Hunter Who Became A Naturalist
A century ago, US president Theodore Roosevelt’s…
Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China
Audio from Jung Chang’s talk at Chalke Valley History…
The Dreyfus Affair
Audio from Robert Harris' talk at Chalke Valley HIstory Festival…
Dunkirk Ace – the first Spitfire pilot to win his spurs
Bob Stanford Tuck was every inch the fighter pilot as if ordered…
The Olden Days: The Power Of The Past In Britain
Audio from Ian Hislop's talk at Chalke Valley History…
Elizabeth’s Bedfellows: An Intimate History of the Queen’s Court
Audio from Dr Anna Whitelock's talk at CVHF on Monday 23 June…
Darling Monster: Letters from Lady Diana Cooper
Audio from John Julius Norwich's talk at the Chalke Valley Festival…
Warrior: The Amazing Story of a Real War Horse
In this video, Brough Scott recounts the story of Warrior, bred…
Fighting on the Home Front: The Legacy of Women in World War One
Audio from Kate Adie's talk at the Chalke Valley Festival on…
Coup D’état Oman
On the 23 July 1970, the Sultan of Oman was shot and deposed…
The Arc Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood
Recording from Dr Irving Finkel’s talk at CVHF on Monday, 23rd…
The Norman Conquest
Audio from Marc Morris' talk at the Chalke Valley Festival on…
The Battle to Include Women
From Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Myrlie Evers to Title IX, the…
Why is the Spitfire is such a British icon?
I’ve flown the Spitfire. It’s magic. The first time, it nearly…
Edward III and D-Day
Only twice in English history has a full-scale sea-borne invasion…
The Cockleshell Heroes And The Most Courageous Raid of WW2
Recording from Paddy Ashdown's talk at CVHF on Tuesday, 25th…
STALINGRAD: Hunting the Reality of War
Recording from Antony Beevor's CVHF talk on Thursday, 27th June…
Double Cross: The True Story Of The D-Day Spies
Recording from Ben Macintyre's talk, ‘Double Cross: The True…
Henry III
Recording from David Carpenter's talk 'Henry III' at CVHF on…
IQ2 Debate: Ancients v Moderns
Ancient History Matters More Than Modern History. A recording…
The Brother Gardeners: Botany, Empire and the Birth of an Obsession
A recording from Andrea Wulf's CVHF talk on Sunday, 30th…
Three Kings: How Alfred the Great & His Family Made England
Recording from Michael Wood's CVHF talk on Friday, 28th June…
People’s DNA: A People’s History
Recording from Alistair Moffat's talk 'People's DNA: A People's…
The Great Adventurer: Patrick Leigh Fermor
A recording from the talk 'The Great Adventurer: Patrick…
Hugh Trevor-Roper
Hugh Trevor-Roper was one of the most famous and admired British…
Anne Boleyn’s last secret
Why was the queen executed with a sword, rather than an axe?
With…
With…
The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler: Leading Millions Into The Abyss
Recording from Laurence Rees’ talk for CVHF, Monday, 24th June…
Live Theatre & Dead People
Recording from Tom Stoppard’s talk, ‘Live Theatre & Dead…
The Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan 1842
‘It’s easier to go in than to come out.’ Someone…
Leonardo Da Vinci & The Last Supper
Recording from Ross King’s talk, ‘Leonardo Da Vinci &…
Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain
Recording from the Horrible Histories, Barmy Britain show…
Shaped By War
Recording of Don McCullin in conversation with Tom Bradby, at…
But that’s another story..
I would never have guessed that an image in my head of a small,…
STIFF UPPER LIP: An Emotional History of Britain
Recording from Ian Hislop’s talk, ‘Stiff Upper Lip: An Emotional…
Histrionics Quiz Show 2013
Recording from the CVHF Histrionics Quiz Show, Friday, 28th June…
Dealing With the ‘Blackadder’ View of the First World War: The Need for an Inclusive, Bi-Partisan Centenary
The intervention of Education Secretary Michael Gove on the First…
THE INTERESTING BITS: The History You Might Have Missed
Recording from Justin Pollard’s talk, ‘The Interesting Bits:…
How wartime communities bought Spitfires
Wiltshire Moonraker and Sarum & South Wilts – how wartime…
Flying Legend: World Record Holding Test Pilot & War Ace
Recording from CVHF 2013: Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown in conversation…
James Holland interviews Geoffrey Wellum DFC
Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC (aged 93) is a British Battle…
St. Mildred’s, Isle of Wight
The following article by Bryan Beggs features two places, which…
He Dared the Undarable
A review of the book, Gabriele d’Annunzio: Poet, Seducer,…
Holiday Time Travel
For children as well as adults, a book can be a time machine,…
Churchill: Finest Years, 1940-1945
Recording from Max Hasting’s talk, ‘Churchill: Finest Years.…
War Memorial
Recording from Clive Aslet’s talk, ‘War Memorial’ for CVHF,…
The Borgias
Recording from Sarah Dunant’s talk, ‘The Borgias’ for CVHF,…
Delphi – A History of the Centre of the World
Part 1: Some are born great
The oracle neither conceals, nor…
The oracle neither conceals, nor…
All the World’s a Stage!
Introducing children a young as five to the complete plays of…
The Criminal Conversation of Mrs Norton
Recording from Diane Atkinson’s talk, ‘The Criminal Conversation…
The Fishing Fleet: Husband Hunting In The Raj
Recording from Anne De Courcy’s talk, ‘The Fishing Fleet:…
The Watchers: Spies & Espionage in the Reign of Elizabeth I
Recording from Stephen Alford’s talk, ‘The Watchers: Spies…
The Legacy of Rome: When Did the Roman Empire End?
Recording from Tom Holland’s talk, ‘The Legacy of Rome:…
The Vikings
Recording from Neil Oliver's talk, ‘The Vikings’, for CVHF,…
The Peninsular War
Recording from Peter Caddick Adam's talk, ‘The Peninsular War’,…
Who Killed Rasputin? The secret role of MI6
The frozen corpse was spotted in the Neva River on the last day…
The Power of Non-Fiction
ENGLAND, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. According to the latest Organisation…
Royal Enemy Aliens
When I first heard the eulogy in 2006 for my great-uncle Hanns…
PAVLOVA: Twentieth Century Ballerina
Recording from Jane Pritchard and Anya Sainsbury's talk, 'Pavlova:…
CRUEL CROSSING: Escaping Hitler Across The Pyrenees
Audio from Chalke Valley History Festival, Monday 24th June 2013.
They…
They…
The Lady In The Tower: The fall of Anne Boleyn
Recording from Anne Weir’s talk “The Lady in the tower: the…
The spy who loved
Recording from Claire Mulley's talk "The spy who loved: The Secrets…
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: Henry VIII’s medical history
HENRY VIII is arguably our most famous king whose reign of almost…
The Great Escape – Guy Walters
Recording from Guy Walters’s talk “The Great Escape’, for CVHF 2013, Saturday 29th June 2013. Listen now.
How (and how not) to remember Ghandi
Working in the archives in Delhi, I recently came across a …
History Hub
AUDIO – BELONGING: JEWS AND OTHERS12th December 2018 - 12:33 pm
AUDIO: THE COMPANY OF ARTISTS: THE ORIGINS OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY7th December 2018 - 11:35 am
WTF: WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WHY DID IT HAPPEN?5th December 2018 - 10:50 am
CHURCHILL: THE ORIGINS OF GREATNESS30th November 2018 - 10:07 am
BREXIT: IN THE LIGHT OF ITS PAST, IS BRITAIN READY?29th November 2018 - 6:51 am
