Hester Vaizey discusses her latest book, Born in the GDR: Living in the Shadow of the Wall, which reveals the everyday lives of citizens of the former German Democratic Republic. The National Archives is again hosting a series of monthly talks to broaden awareness of historical records and their uses for writers. Each month, a high-profile author will talk about using original records in their writing. Hester Vaizey is a University Lecturer in Modern German History and a Fellow of Clare College,...
Dec 05, 2014•34 min
Paddy Ashdown discusses his new book, The Cruel Victory, which tells the long-neglected D-Day story of the Resistance uprising and subsequent massacre on the Vercors massif - the largest action by the French Resistance during the Second World War. Overlooked by English language histories, Ashdown sets the story in the context of D-Day, the muddle of politics and the many misjudgements of D-Day planners in both London and Algiers. Most importantly it also gives voice to the many fighters who foug...
Nov 28, 2014•47 min
In 1763 peace broke out between France and Britain, ending the Seven Years War. The defeated superpower France was left nursing its wounds, as well as thoughts of revenge. While King Louis XV's foreign minister sought to maintain the peace, the King's spy network, 'the King's Secret' (Secret du Roi) developed plans to invade England. These conflicting agendas were embodied in the Chevalier d'Eon, France's minister in London. A Georgian Edward Snowden. Shortly after his arrival the Chevalier bega...
Nov 21, 2014•46 min
The names of the First World War dead are there for all to see, on war memorials all over the country. Many individuals and groups are researching the stories behind the names, but what about delving even deeper? There is even more to be learned about the men and women who also served, and survived the War, as well as the families and communities left behind. Drawing on a wide variety of documents, in record offices, libraries and online, Audrey Collins shows how you can discover how a whole com...
Nov 18, 2014•1 hr 10 min
The First World War affected every sector of society, as the nation's resources were harnessed for the war effort. Like other employers, the civil service lost staff to the armed forces and had to replace them while they were away. It also had to deal with a greatly increased workload during wartime. Records in The National Archives describe how civil servants coped with these conditions: an eye-witness account of a Zeppelin raid, sugar ration coupons, and details of a scheme for gathering conke...
Nov 14, 2014•1 hr
In an era when Britain led the world in technological innovation, a host of lesser inventors were also hard at work. Registering designs for copyright was quicker and cheaper than the convoluted patenting process; anyone with what they thought was a good idea could register a design. All manner of bizarre curiosities and their careful drawings were lodged with the Designs Registry (now held by The National Archives). Julie Halls looks at the world of lesser-known Victorian inventions and the his...
Nov 07, 2014•45 min
Mark Dunton looks back at UK National events in 1974 in this illustrated podcast. Drawing on the public records he highlights some unusual or little known aspects about the events of that year. 1974 was a difficult year in modern British history - the two general elections, the economic situation, the collapse of the Court Line air travel business for package holidays, the disaster at the Flixborough chemical plant, and IRA bombings - but some popular culture references remind us of lighter mome...
Oct 31, 2014•43 min
Philippa Gregory in conversation with Caroline Kimbell, discussing how she uses original records and introducing her new novel, The King's Curse. Philippa Gregory was already an established historian and writer when she discovered her interest in the Tudor period and wrote the novel The Other Boleyn Girl which was made into a TV drama, and a film. Six novels later, she looks at the family that preceded the Tudors: the Plantagenets, a family of complex rivalries, loves, and hatreds. Find out more...
Oct 24, 2014•49 min
Professor Christopher Andrew, formerly official historian of MI5 and author of 'The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5', introduces key files from the release of Security Service files to The National Archives in October 2014.
Oct 24, 2014•18 min
Drawn from seven centuries of maps of places around the globe held in The National Archives, Maps: their untold stories offers a fascinating and unusual journey through the world of maps. Hear from the authors as they explain who made these maps, why they were made and what they tell us about the politics of the time. Mapmakers range from a native American and a Maori priest to Captain Cook and George Washington. Subject matter includes London before the Great Fire, a map of Czechoslovakia that ...
Oct 17, 2014•1 hr 2 min
When Google launched in 1998, a prime ingredient in their not-so-secret sauce was the question: if a user randomly clicked links where on the web might they end up? They called the answer PageRank. This involved treating the web as a network rather than a bunch of isolated documents containing keywords. The outcome was a new verb and the near destruction of their competitors. Could repeating and refining 'the Google trick' help cultural bodies with research, collection care or digitisation? One ...
Oct 10, 2014•36 min
This year marks the 170th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Police. This talk traces the history of the organisation through the stories of a few very ordinary British constables from the 1840s up to the First World War. Some sacrificed their careers by standing up for the rights of their colleagues, while others spent a lifetime fostering good relations with the local community. These were the men who helped mould the Force into the highly respected organisation which it became ...
Oct 03, 2014•41 min
In 1843 the established Church of Scotland suffered a large secession of members who formed the Free Church of Scotland. In the early years of its existence the new church had to overcome a shortage of buildings and clergy, as well as the hostility of many landowners. Their response included the use of a floating church, a floating manse and the building of a yacht dedicated to the task of taking ministers to remote islands. The lecture looks at this curious episode in Scottish history and how a...
Sep 19, 2014•31 min
In a time of shifting politics and world changing events, three men would emerge as masterful diplomats, ambassadors and advisors who possessed a shrewd political acumen. They each shared a complex and intriguing relationship with the other, while manipulating the powers around them in the game of diplomacy. Lauren Mackay explores the intersecting lives of Thomas Boleyn, Eustace Chapuys and Thomas Cromwell: the men behind the thrones. Lauren Mackay is a historian whose research focuses on courti...
Sep 15, 2014•35 min
Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, impatient with courtly ritual, gave Queen Anne grudging praise for her knowledge of protocol: 'She has the greatest memory that ever was, especially for such things as are all forms, & ceremonys, giving people their due Ranks at Processions & their proper Places at Balls, & having the right order at Installments & funerals.' The detailed records of court rituals held by The National Archives - including papers related to Anne's coronation, the state...
Sep 04, 2014•51 min
The workhouse was a major feature in the lives of the poor, whether or not they were ever inmates themselves. This webinar can help you to explore records in The National Archives, showing what life was like inside the workhouse, and how it was viewed by those outside. Paul Carter is The National Archives' principal specialist in modern domestic records. He has a particular interest in poor law records. A 'webinar' is an online seminar. This webinar took place on 11 June 2014.
Sep 03, 2014•38 min
Unit war diaries, trench maps and photographs are just some of the sources held in The National Archives. This webinar looks at how to find these records and how to use them. David Langrish graduated in War Studies from the University of Kent and is a member of the military records team. A 'webinar' is an online seminar. This webinar took place on 11 June 2014.
Sep 01, 2014•49 min
This webinar looks at passenger lists and other records for the popular destinations for migrants leaving the UK. Increasing numbers of these records have been digitised and are now available online. Mark Pearsall is a Family History Records Specialist at The National Archives, and co-authored Family History On The Move.
Sep 01, 2014•32 min
Medieval and early modern records can be very informative, although they are often harder to locate than those for more recent periods. This webinar provides an overview of sources in The National Archives and elsewhere. Nick Barratt is head of the Medieval and Early Modern team. He is also a writer and broadcaster on a range of historical subjects.
Aug 29, 2014•47 min
This webinar looks at how the army accounted for the money it spent on its personnel and what you can discover in the records in addition to financial costs. William Spencer is The National Archives' Principal Records Specialist in military history, and the author of a number of books on military records.
Aug 29, 2014•17 min
Florence Chandler was in her early 20s when she married much older James Maybrick, a Liverpool cotton broker, in 1881. Eight years later, tensions seethed. James was addicted to arsenic. Both were unfaithful. When James died suddenly, Florence was arrested for his murder. Was Florence victim or aggressor? Was she tried for her morality? Relying primarily on records from The National Archives, Kate Colquhoun re-examines the case dubbed by many as the greatest miscarriage of English justice and sh...
Aug 22, 2014•47 min
Closing remarks by Gill Bennett, former Chief Historian, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1995-2005. This talk was recorded live at the one-day conference, War and peace - diplomacy, espionage and the First World War, held on 28 June 2014 at The National Archives, Kew.
Aug 15, 2014•25 min
Big data is big news. Did you know an estimated 90 per cent of the world's data was created in the last two years (see www.ibm.com/big-data)? Insights gleaned from large datasets are increasingly driving business innovation and economic growth. Underpinning this 'big data revolution' is a powerful combination of low cost cloud computing, open source analytics software and new research methodologies. These are enabling us to move from simply storing large sets of data to extracting real value fro...
Aug 15, 2014•41 min
A Very British Murder is Lucy Worsley's account of a national obsession - a tale of dark deeds and guilty pleasures Lucy Worsley is Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity which opens up The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace to more than three million visitors a year. Before that, she worked for English Heritage and Glasgow Museums. As well as writing books about history, she presents history television programmes for the BBC. This talk was part...
Aug 08, 2014•47 min
Dr Bryan Glass, of Texas State University, examines the role of the Empire during the First World War. This talk was recorded live at the one-day conference, War and peace - diplomacy, espionage and the First World War, held on 28 June 2014 at The National Archives, Kew.
Aug 01, 2014•27 min
Dr Martin Farr, of Newcastle University, discusses propaganda and intelligence in the lead up to the First World War. This talk was recorded live at the one-day conference, War and peace - diplomacy, espionage and the First World War, held on 28 June 2014 at The National Archives, Kew.
Aug 01, 2014•43 min
Dr Stephen Twigge, of The National Archives, outlines the political landscape preceding the First World War - the July Crisis. This talk was recorded live at the one-day conference, War and peace - diplomacy, espionage and the First World War, held on 28 June 2014 at The National Archives, Kew.
Aug 01, 2014•26 min
Professor Alan Sharp, of the University of Ulster, examines diplomacy after the Paris Peace Conference. This talk was recorded live at the one-day conference, War and peace - diplomacy, espionage and the First World War, held on 28 June 2014 at The National Archives, Kew.
Aug 01, 2014•39 min
Dr Juliette Desplat, of The National Archives, gives an overview of the consequences of the First World War for the Middle East. This talk was recorded live at the one-day conference, War and peace - diplomacy, espionage and the First World War, held on 28 June 2014 at The National Archives, Kew.
Aug 01, 2014•25 min
Dr Richard Dunley, of The National Archives, discusses American involvement in the First World War, particularly the three-way dynamic of British-American-German relationships. This talk was recorded live at the one-day conference, War and peace - diplomacy, espionage and the First World War, held on 28 June 2014 at The National Archives, Kew.
Aug 01, 2014•26 min
