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Jonathan Fennell

Professor Jonathan Fennell

Professor of the History of War and Society

  • Director of Research at Defence Studies

Research interests

  • Conflict
  • History
  • International relations
  • Policy
  • Politics
  • Security

Biography

Professor Jonathan Fennell is Professor of the History of War and Society at King’s College London. After completing a Doctorate in Modern History at the University of Oxford, Jonathan worked in management consultancy in the City before joining the Defence Studies Department in 2009. Prior to this, he was awarded a joint honours History and Politics Degree at University College Dublin and studied History as an Erasmus Scholar at Université Lumière Lyon II. Jonathan now holds a joint position between the Defence Studies and War Studies Departments at King’s.

 

Jonathan’s research focuses on the history of Britain and the Commonwealth and the transnational history of the Second World War. He has written two books and is co-editor of a third. He has published articles in research journals and other media as well as contributing chapters to edited collections. His most recent monograph, Fighting the People’s War: The British and Commonwealth Armies and the Second World War (Cambridge University Press, 2019), won the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History 2020, and also the Society for Army Historical Research Templer Medal for the History of the British Army 2020. It was awarded the silver medal in the Military History Matters Book of the Year 2020 (a prize decided by public vote) and was third place in the British Army Military Book of the Year, 2020.

 

Jonathan is Director of Research at the Defence Studies Department, Co-Director of the Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War and Co-Founder and President of the international scholarly society, the Second World War Research Group.

Research

  • History
  • Conflict and socio-political change
  • War and public philosophy
  • Combat morale and motivation theory
  • Conflict and security
  • Policy and society
  • Politics
  • International relations

Jonathan’s current research project explores the causes, conduct and consequences of the Second World War. It sets out to develop a fresh account of the war, which bridges the gap between traditional military histories and the mainstream political, social, cultural, economic and environmental histories of the period. The outcome of this research will be published in a three-volume trilogy.

To pursue this aim, the project engages in a series of interlocking analytical approaches: it fully embraces a global, or transnational, ‘vista’ of the Second World War; it is integrative, not only in terms of military, global, social, economic, environmental and cultural history, but also with regards to marginalized histories; and it is committed to exploring the ‘culture of war’, the experiential. This new history aims to interrogate the personal alongside, and in the context of, the great complex events of the 1930s and 1940s. It will be a history of women and men of varied races, creeds and socio-economic backgrounds; one that links the home and battle fronts and places the dramatic political, economic, social, cultural and environmental changes of the second half of the Twentieth Century in a new context.

The trilogy will be published by Penguin Random House (Viking) in the UK, HarperCollins in the US, CITIC in China and Spectrum in the Netherlands.

Jonathan’s research has been supported by grants from the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Australian Army’s History Unit. He is currently PI on a Collaborative Doctoral Award funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council; the project, which is in collaboration with the Imperial War Museum, focuses on ‘Training in the British and Commonwealth Armies in the Second World War’.

Teaching

Teach modules on Modern British and Commonwealth History, The Second World War, War Studies, War and Society, International Relations and Ethics.

PhD Supervision

Professor Fennell is happy to supervise PhD students in the following broad subject areas:

  • The Second World War
  • War and Socio-Political Change
  • War and Public Philosophy
  • Twentieth Century British and Commonwealth History
  • Strategy
  • Morale and Motivation
  • Military Doctrine

Publications

Books

Book Chapters:

Articles:

Select Media Articles:

Visit Professor Jonathan Fennell's PURE profile here.

Research

SMHC newlogo 780x440
Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War

The centre promotes the scholarly history of war in all it's dimensions, trains research students and hosts research projects and conferences

war-1172111_1920
The Second World War Research Group

Second World War Research Group

Canada War Child 780x440
War & The State Research Network

This network aims to provide a new understanding of the relationship between war and the liberal democratic state.

News

Sir Michael Howard Annual Lecture explored the the history of counting in early modern and modern warfare

Dr Erica Charters delivered a fascinating insight into the political and social implications of metrics of counting morality in war in early modern and...

SMHC 2021 lecture

Dr Jonathan Fennell wins trilogy book deal with Penguin on the Second World War

Widely-acclaimed historian Dr Jonathan Fennell has landed a prestigious book deal on the Second World War.

J Fennell

Dr Jonathan Fennell awarded the 2020 Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History

The Royal United Services Institute have awarded the prize for Dr Fennell’s critically acclaimed book ‘Fighting the People’s War’

JFennell

Dr Fennell's critically acclaimed book wins Templer Medal

Critically acclaimed book 'Fighting the People's War' by Dr Jonathan Fennell

Book sleeve

DSD Academics provide new perspectives on Wellington and World War II

Dr Jonathan Fennell and Dr Huw Davies of the Defence Studies Department launch their new historical publications

SSSNewsItem

Al Murray produces podcast on Dr Jonathan Fennell's book

Fighting the People's War endorsed by celebrity historian

podcast

Events

12MarPapers in folders

The Lord Ironside papers: A celebration

This event will mark the acquisition of the diaries of Field Marshal Lord Ironside.

Please note: this event has passed.

28Marthe eastern front cover

The Eastern Front: A History of the First World War by Nick Lloyd

The Eastern Front: A History of the First World War by Nick Lloyd Book Launch.

Please note: this event has passed.

28OctBlitzWW2

Thinking about Radicalism and War Culture in the Context of the Second World War

A Defence Studies Department lunchtime seminar

Please note: this event has passed.

02JunSSSResConMilandPolHist

Past shocks and present day echoes

Military & Political History panel event for the School of Security Studies Research Conference.

Please note: this event has passed.

Research

SMHC newlogo 780x440
Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War

The centre promotes the scholarly history of war in all it's dimensions, trains research students and hosts research projects and conferences

war-1172111_1920
The Second World War Research Group

Second World War Research Group

Canada War Child 780x440
War & The State Research Network

This network aims to provide a new understanding of the relationship between war and the liberal democratic state.

News

Sir Michael Howard Annual Lecture explored the the history of counting in early modern and modern warfare

Dr Erica Charters delivered a fascinating insight into the political and social implications of metrics of counting morality in war in early modern and...

SMHC 2021 lecture

Dr Jonathan Fennell wins trilogy book deal with Penguin on the Second World War

Widely-acclaimed historian Dr Jonathan Fennell has landed a prestigious book deal on the Second World War.

J Fennell

Dr Jonathan Fennell awarded the 2020 Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History

The Royal United Services Institute have awarded the prize for Dr Fennell’s critically acclaimed book ‘Fighting the People’s War’

JFennell

Dr Fennell's critically acclaimed book wins Templer Medal

Critically acclaimed book 'Fighting the People's War' by Dr Jonathan Fennell

Book sleeve

DSD Academics provide new perspectives on Wellington and World War II

Dr Jonathan Fennell and Dr Huw Davies of the Defence Studies Department launch their new historical publications

SSSNewsItem

Al Murray produces podcast on Dr Jonathan Fennell's book

Fighting the People's War endorsed by celebrity historian

podcast

Events

12MarPapers in folders

The Lord Ironside papers: A celebration

This event will mark the acquisition of the diaries of Field Marshal Lord Ironside.

Please note: this event has passed.

28Marthe eastern front cover

The Eastern Front: A History of the First World War by Nick Lloyd

The Eastern Front: A History of the First World War by Nick Lloyd Book Launch.

Please note: this event has passed.

28OctBlitzWW2

Thinking about Radicalism and War Culture in the Context of the Second World War

A Defence Studies Department lunchtime seminar

Please note: this event has passed.

02JunSSSResConMilandPolHist

Past shocks and present day echoes

Military & Political History panel event for the School of Security Studies Research Conference.

Please note: this event has passed.