Dr Hampshire is an historian at the Naval Historical Branch of the Ministry of Defence and is also a member of the Naval Staff’s analytical ‘Red Team’. Previously he lectured at the Joint Service Command and Staff College (KCL Defence Studies Department) and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Prior to this he worked at the United Kingdom National Archive, his last post there being Principal Records Specialist for Diplomatic, Colonial and Intelligence Records. He has a MA and PhD in War Studies from KCL and a BA in Modern History from the University of Oxford.

He is a member of the Council of the Navy Records Society and a member of the Research and Programmes Committee of the Society for Nautical Research.

Research Interests

• British Defence Policy since 1945
• The Royal Navy since 1945
• The Cold War at Sea
• Sea Power and Maritime Strategy

Dr Hampshire's work has primarily focused on two strands: British defence policy during the Cold War and after, and the Royal Navy and maritime strategy during the same period. After a number of years researching the Royal Navy in the later Cold War, he is now resuming work researching and analysing British defence reviews since 1957. He also has interests in, and has published articles and chapters on, intelligence history, end of empire and archives policy.

Publications

Books

• The Royal Navy in the Cold War Years, 1966-1990: Retreat and Revival (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press/Seaforth, 2024). https://www.usni.org/press/books/royal-navy-cold-war-years-1966-1990
• From East of Suez to the Eastern Atlantic: British Naval Policy 1964-70 (Farnham: Ashgate, 2013). https://www.routledge.com/From-East-of-Suez-to-the-Eastern-Atlantic-British-Naval-Policy-1964-70/Hampshire/p/book/9781138271340
• British Intelligence: Secret, Spies and Sources (London: National Archives, 2008, paperback 2009) – co-authored with Stephen Twigge and Graham Macklin.

Research articles

• ‘Battling the Big Clunking Fist: Gordon Brown’s Treasury, the first Comprehensive Spending Review and the Strategic Defence Review of 1997-98’ Contemporary British History, published online 27 January 2026. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13619462.2026.2622046
• ‘Staff Histories and Popular Histories: The Admiralty’s Accounts of the Second World War at Sea’, Diplomacy and Statecraft, Vol. 36, No. 3, 2025. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09592296.2025.2533026
• ‘The Rise of the Chinese Navy: Past, Present and Future’, The Naval Review, Vol. 108, No. 3, 2020. https://www.naval-review.com/journal-articles/the-rise-of-the-chinese-navy-past-present-future-1/?_gl=1*7lx5y2*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTgxNjY4NDQ2MS4xNzkzMDM0NjUz*_ga_EF0SNC8FQN*czE3OTMwMzQ2NTIkbzEkZzEkdDE3OTMwMzQ3MDgkajQkbDAkaDA.
• ‘From Malin Head to ‘Okean 75’: shadowing and intelligence collection operations by Royal Navy surface ships 1975-85’ Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 33, No. 5, 2018. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02684527.2018.1437949
• ‘Strategic and Budgetary Necessity, or Decision-making ‘Along the Grain’? The Royal Navy and the 1981 Defence Review’ Journal of Strategic Studies, Vol. 39, No. 7, 2016. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01402390.2016.1220365
• ‘Margaret Thatcher’s First U-Turn: Francis Pym and the Control of Defence Spending, 1979-81’ Contemporary British History, Vol. 29, No. 3, 2014. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13619462.2014.974566

Book chapters

• ‘”There is something wrong with our bloody missiles today”: British Naval Weapons Performance in the Falklands Conflict’ in ed. Louise Clare, The Falklands/Malvinas Conflict 45 Years On (Forthcoming, Abingdon: Routledge, 2027)
• ‘Russia as a Medium Maritime Power’ in ed. Goldrick et al, Maritime Strategy for Medium Powers in the 21st Century (Martlesham: Boydell, 2026). https://boydellandbrewer.com/book/maritime-strategy-for-medium-powers-in-the-twenty-first-century-9781837653287/?v=7885444af42e
• ‘Missing the Klondike Rush: Defence Sales and British Foreign Policy Towards China 1971-79’ in ed. John Fisher, Effie Pedaliu and Richard Smith, The Foreign Office, Commerce and British Foreign Policy in the Twentieth Century, (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2016). https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/978-1-137-46581-8

Policy Paper

• ‘The Chinese Navy: From Minnow to Shark’ Council on Geostrategy Explainer, 10 December 2022, co-authored with Kevin Rowlands. https://www.geostrategy.org.uk/all-research/the-chinese-navy-from-minnow-to-shark/

Dr Hampshire's PURE Profile.