How A Shocking Book Tells Stories So Well
THE AUDIENCE WAS SILENT THROUGHOUT, only stirring to hush some people from the venue who had started a whispered conversation at the back of the hall. When the time came for them to question the author, they slowly began to raise their hands. They seemed still to be trying...
New for November 2021: latest journalism, and upcoming in-person book events
AS MY PHYSICAL WORLD CONTRACTED in London’s lockdowns over the last eighteen months and more, so I sometimes found my intellectual and imaginative world seemed to contract, too. I never imagined I would miss commuting on the London underground, but I did miss the stimulation that came with movement...
Reporting The End Of Soviet Superpower: Moscow, Summer 1991
My article ‘This Story Has A Long Way To Run‘ in the current British Journalism Review reflects on my experience covering the end of the Soviet Union thirty years ago–and what has come since. I’ll be discussing this–and other ideas in my latest book Assignment Moscow: Reporting on Russia...
May 2021: elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
I am delighted to announce that I have been elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, in recognition of my ‘contribution to the discipline of History’. I am extremely grateful that my work has been honoured in this way. As a journalist reporting on international affairs, I was...
My latest work on the Middle East, in ‘History Today’
‘They are not a historic turning point in Arab-Israeli relations because they do not directly address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.’ In the context of the Abraham Accords, I wrote a new, short, piece on Israel-Palestine in the February issue of History Today. I was flattered to to appear in print alongside...
Assignment Moscow: ‘History Today’ podcast
I spoke recently to Paul Lay, Editor of History Today, for an episode of the magazine’s podcast. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts from the links below, and you can read History Today‘s review of Assignment Moscow here. You can buy the book direct...
War In The Suburbs: The Battle Of Turnham Green
CIVILIANS LIVING IN WAR ZONES quickly learn that certain places can be safe one week; deadly dangerous the next. Such lessons soon fade as generations pass, and those who come after–living in peacetime–are blessed not to have to remember how it was to live fearing daily for their lives....
Assignment Moscow: Upcoming Events
I have two upcoming talks on my new book, Assignment Moscow: Reporting on Russia From Lenin to Putin. Both will be taking place on Zoom. Please book a place and join the discussion! The first is organized by Pushkin House on Tuesday 27th October at 1800 GMT. Details here....
Reporting on World War II From the Soviet Union
I have just had a post published on the BBC History Research web page. You can read the post, which includes pictures from the BBC archives, here. Full text follows below. JOURNALISM AND HISTORY: the former is frequently called the first draft of the latter, but often drawing on...
Assignment Moscow at the Chiswick Book Festival 2020
The Chiswick Book festival 2020 took place almost entirely online–although I was one of the lucky local west London authors who was able to record a promo for their work in the Chiswick Playhouse (it was great to be in a theatre, however briefly). You can watch the video...