Talking History

In the second episode of our new ‘Fireside Chats’ feature, Dr. Kris Lovell of Coventry University discusses downfall of Neville Chamberlain and the rise of Winston Churchill, explaining how neither was as inevitable as we often think. Recommended reading: -Iain Macleod, 'Neville Chamberlain' (London, 1961). A sympathetic, if problematic, account of Chamberlain’s life written by a British Conservative minister that explores in detail Chamberlain’s early reforms. -Frank McDonough, 'Neville Chamberlain, Appeasement and the British Road to War' (Manchester, 1998). A classic account of Chamberlain and his political career. It presents a very different view of Chamberlain to Macleod. -Peter Neville, 'Neville Chamberlain: A Study in Failure?' (1992). Peter Neville’s book a short but enticing introduction to Chamberlain’s life and is particularly suited for A-Level students. At the end of each chapter, Neville offers a series of exercises designed to explain some of the issues Chamberlain faced. -Jonathan Schneer, 'Ministers at War: Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet' (London, 2015). With enviable style, Schneer produces a history of high politics that reads at times like a well-written political thriller and he brings to life many of the rich personalities that clashed so frequently during the war. Of course, Churchill’s own account of events is worth reading (even if it requires a slight pinch of salt). For his account see his 'The Second World War: Volume II: Their Finest Hour' (1951).

In the fourth episode of Talking History, regular host Jim Chisem examines a curious anecdote, popular among the far right, that Leon Trotsky coined the word ‘racist’, thus giving birth to the modern (and supposedly pernicious) concept of racism.

In the first episode of our new ‘Fireside Chats’ feature, Dr. Kris Lovell of Coventry University discusses the history and legacy of appeasement—a controversial and often misunderstood subject.

Host Jim Chisem speaks to Dr. David Clarke, Principal Research Fellow of the Journalism Subject Group at Sheffield Hallam University, curator of The National Archives UFO Project, and author of the critically acclaimed ‘How UFOs Conquered the World’. The pair discuss the history of the UFO phenomenon, the National Archives’ UFO files, and folklore in technological societies.

Host Jim Chisem is joined by two historians (Dr. Bleddyn Bowen and Dr. Cameron Hunter) and two scientists (Dr. Nigel Bannister and Professor John Bridges) to discuss the history and international politics of spaceflight—specifically, whether space is the final frontier of inter-state rivalry.