I am a historian of the Second World War and the aim of this site is to enable others to access some of the research I have carried out over the past few years,
and to encourage people to exchange ideas and views about a wide range of subjects relating to the conflict.
On this site you will find an oral history archive with transcriptions of many of the interviews
I have conducted with veterans of the war from many different countries, and there are also blogs, comment pieces, book reviews,
suggested reading, and also contributions from other leading historians in this field.
I hope you find it interesting.
James Holland
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James Delingpole
Antony Beevor
Sir Max Hastings
Geoffrey Wellum
Guy Walters
George MacDonald Fraser
Alex Bowlby
Evelyn WaughDecember 16, 2004
Spoke to Stephen Hastings today, who tells me he has cancer of the spine. ‘Yes, it’s a bit of bore,’ he said. ‘but there you go.’ He talked about heading out to Italy again and told me he has only a couple of minor changes for my North Africa book, but clearly he’s not going to get better in a hurry.
November 1, 2004
I’ve finally handed in my North Africa book. There’s still some way to go: revisions, maps to be sorted out, photographs etc etc, but it does mean that I can begin to get back to Italy once more. Feels like it’s been put to one side for a long while now.
Rome, May 22, 2004
Back to Rome again and made my way to Wolf’s apartment in the hills north of the Tiber. Wolf has German parents, was brought up in Canada, and has married an Italian. His uncle-in-law ended up as a general in the Carabinieri, but in the war led a number of Italians over a treacherous snow-covered mountain to escape German occupation. Like many young men, he neither wanted to be drafted into the Neo-Fascist Army or become a German labourer. Back home in the evening.
Cassino, May 21, 2004
Managed to catch my flight OK, and after landing back in Rome, drove down to Cassino once more, where I finally met Monty Soutar from New Zealand. He’s over here with a number of Kiwi veterans.
Piacenza, May 20, 2004
The party from last night reconvened and we headed off in cars into the mountains for a tour of their old Partisan haunts. It was an amazing day. Lunch was in a mountain trattoria run by another former partisan and seemed to be never ending – one course after another of incredible food, including nettle ravioli. I realised halfway through the afternoon that I was never going to catch my evening flight back to Rome, but rather than worrying about it, decided to go with the flow. And when we did eventually get back to Piacenza, it was easy enough to change. I’ve now got a very early start in the morning, but that’s all right. I’m so glad Stephen let me join him on this trip of his. It gave me a very clear picture of how the Partisans – in this part of Italy at least – operated. Stephen clearly loved every minute. He’s a terrific bon viveur and it’s really good to see someone in their mid eighties so spry and eager to enjoy himself.
