Category Archives: Historiography

Left and Right? New claims about Soviet spy Anthony Blunt

Posted on April 30, 2024 by historyatkingston

In a fascinating and provocative article in the Sunday Times (April 28th), Rosamund Urwin discussed the possibility that Anthony Blunt, the ‘fourth man’ in the infamous ‘Cambridge Five’ Soviet spy ring, may have passed secrets to the Nazis in World … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, British history, European History, Extremism, Fascism, German History, Historiography, History of war, Nazism, Public History, Research, Russian History, Secret State, Soviet Union, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Subverting the Subversives: Did MI5 infiltrate the British entertainment industry?

Posted on April 25, 2024 by historyatkingston

Back in 2018 new claims were put forward that the British domestic Security Service, MI5, was not just involved with monitoring and collecting intelligence on political movements and individuals deemed as potential threats to the state in the post-war period, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, British politics, Gender History, Historiography, Media history, Public History, Secret State, The National Archives, Uncategorized, Women's history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

History as conspiracy theory: The case of David Icke and the ‘Protocols’

Posted on April 20, 2024 by historyatkingston

Just prior to the Covid-19 medical emergency and lockdown, I embarked on the delivery of a module on the role of conspiracy theory in history, and recently had the opportunity to run the module again. The course sought to address … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, French History, German History, Historiography, Media history, Middle East, Public History, Research, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exploring the Nazi Career of Otto Skorzeny, the ‘Devil’s Disciple’

Posted on March 31, 2024 by historyatkingston

Although studies of Otto Skorzeny, said to be Hitler’s ‘favourite commando’, tended to be limited and were often of highly questionable quality for much of the post-war period, this situation appears to have changed in more recent years. Some qualitatively … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-fascism, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Fascism, German History, Historiography, History of war, Nazism, Public History, Research, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dangerous Delusions: Trump and the politics of populism

Posted on March 5, 2024 by historyatkingston

Historians will have much to write about when they look back on current political affairs in America, and analysis of the rightwing brand of ‘populist’ politics will be a major aspect of this. When it comes to his desperate desire … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, British history, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Historiography, Media history, Public History, Research, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Amazons against the Nazis: Women’s Home Defence in Wartime Britain

Posted on February 21, 2024 by historyatkingston

At the height of invasion fears in the summer of 1940, the British government asked for civilian volunteers ‘to go on duty against airborne invasion’ and be ‘entrusted with certain vital duties’ for which a knowledge of firearms would be necessary. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-fascism, Archives, British history, Fascism, Gender History, German History, Historiography, History of war, Local History, London history, Museums, Nazism, Public History, Research, Women's history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Spy Who Lied: Another look at the Kim Philby story

Posted on January 28, 2024 by historyatkingston

A recent television drama series about the life of Kim Philby, the British Intelligence officer who engaged in treachery, attracted good reviews and enthusiastic viewers when it was screened, but contained few surprises for historians of the secret state. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, British history, European History, Historiography, Public History, Research, Russian History, Secret State, The National Archives, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Great War’s Christmas Truce of 1914: not unique?

Posted on December 24, 2023 by historyatkingston

Speaking in 1963 for a BBC series on the Great War, the late author Henry Williamson, whose best-known work probably remains Tarka the Otter, gave some fascinating details about what he witnessed in December, 1914, when he was serving as a … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Canadian History, European History, German History, Historiography, History of war, Media history, Public History, Research, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nesta Webster and her ideas: a case study in conspiracy theory

Posted on December 17, 2023 by historyatkingston

With the seeming surge in conspiracy theories during the recent coronavirus crisis, it is important to be aware of the dangerous history of such views, and understand the claims of some of the ‘classic’ advocates of these paranoid and distorted … Continue reading →

Posted in British Empire, British history, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Fascism, French History, Gender History, German History, Historiography, Media history, Public History, Research, Russian History, Uncategorized, Women's history, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment