The study of Contemporary British History goes back to the 1960s, and was consolidated with the establishment of the Institute of Contemporary British History in 1985 by (Sir) Anthony Seldon and (Lord) Peter Hennessy. The Institute moved to King’s College London in 2010, and the new King’s Contemporary British History builds on this by creating a larger and more diverse enterprise, building on that distinguished tradition.
Our board members are: Andrew Blick, Ruth Craggs, David Edgerton, Aimée Fox, Christina Goulter, George Legg, Joe Maiolo, Richard Vinen, Patrick Wright FBA.
For more information on our members, please see the people tab below.
Activities
King's Contemporary British History: New publications
Some of the new books from KCBH members out recently and in the near future.
King's Contemporary British History 2021: Majorities and Minorities in Contemporary Britain
This is the fourth annual conference of King’s Contemporary British History (KCBH). This year our theme is Majorities and Minorities—the ways in which they have been formed, contested, changed, understood and characterised. Our expectation is that a discussion of minorities and majorities—intellectual, political, religious and military as well as social, sexual, and racial—and the way in which they have interacted with each other will open up new possibilities for thinking about contemporary British history as well as our practices as contemporary British historians. The Conference is also being held alongside the Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture which this year is being given by Kennetta Hammond Perry at 15.00 7July. Those who register for the KCBH conference will also be automatically registered for the Pimlott lecture.
The UK through Comparative and Transnational Perspectives: KCBH Conference 2018
This is the second annual conference of King’s Contemporary British History (KCBH). We ran a new kind of conference – designed to generate engaged discussion. Our aim was to examine the United Kingdom in a comparative and transnational perspective and question the place of the nation in the wider world as we prepare to leave the European Union.
Contemporary British History Now: KCBH Conference 2017
What is Contemporary British History Now? This conference launched King’s Contemporary British History (KCBH), a cross-departmental interdisciplinary research initiative at King’s College London, which will seek to set new agendas in the field.
Study
Contemporary British History MA
Our MA in Contemporary British History offers you the chance to study twentieth-century British history at an advanced level in an outstanding research environment, located in central London. You can choose from a breadth of options taught by well-known experts in the field. Our course is wide-ranging and includes British economic, social, cultural, political, military, imperial, and diplomatic history, as well as the history of British science, technology and medicine.
For more information about the MA:
- contact Dr Conor Morrissey at conor.morrissey@kcl.ac.uk
- see our online prospectus for Contemporary British History MA
Doctoral Study
There are many opportunities for doctoral study in Contemporary and Modern British History at King’s. There are multiple supervisors with a wide range of expertise.
For more information about Doctoral study:
- contact Professor David Edgerton at david.edgerton@kcl.ac.uk
- see our online prospectus for History Research
Provisional List of Current PhDs:
- Amelia Allsop, ‘A Borrowed Place: Jewish Refugees in Hong Kong, 1938 – 1953’
- Mads Bomholt-Nielsen, ‘‘As Bad as the Congo’? – British Perceptions of Colonial Rule and Violence in Anglo-German Southern Africa, 1896-1918′
- Thomas Bottelier, ”For the Future Peace of the World’: The International Organisation of the Second World War, 1935-1945′
- Michelle Clement, ‘Reforming Britain’s Public Services: An Analysis of Sir Michael Barber’s Tenure of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, 2001-2005’
- Pete Docking, ‘The role of constitutional conferences and commissions in the decolonisation of British imperial Africa 1960-1964’
- George Evans, ‘British Militarism in Ireland’
- Jacob Fairless Nicholson, ‘Learning anti-racism: a cultural historical geography of anti-racist education in London, 1960-1990’
- Richard Farrimond, ‘Birdie – ‘Soul of Anzac’: The Military and Public Career of Field Marshal Lord Birdwood’
- John Griffith-Jones, ‘Postal Services under Colonial Rule: A Case Study of East Africa, 1875-1963’
- Esther Harper, ‘Racehorse training, nutrition, management and health in England between 1880 and 1920’
- Andrew Harrison, ‘British foreign policy and Yugoslavia in a time of detente and non-alignment, 1968-1980’
- Tom Hurst, ‘The Speechmaking of Margaret Thatcher, 1979-1990’
- John Ingram, ‘‘No Haussmanns or Emperors Here’:
Reforming the Anglo-American City in Philadelphia and London’ - Tom Kelsey, ‘The Power of White Elephants in British Politics: A case-study of Concorde and the nuclear power industry’
- Naomi Lloyd-Jones, ‘Deconstructing Westminster: a four nations history of the Irish Home Rule crisis, c.1886-93’
- Barnaby Moores, ‘Solidarity, mobilisation, and initiative: the causes and conduct of the 1972 miners’ strike’
- Brian O’Keeffe, ‘”Frontier Encounters”: Class, Gender and Youth Work in East London, 1918-1984’
- Mitya Pearson, ‘The Formation and Development of the Green Party, 1973-1979’
- Rosemary Rich, ‘Conscientious Objection in the Second World War’
- James W.E. Smith, ‘The Influence of Naval Thinking and Maritime Strategy in Britain post 1964’
- Ted Young, ‘A comparative study of the quantity production of air-cooled radial aircraft engines in Britain and the United States during World War II’
List of Recent PhDs:
- Kim Brice O’Donnell, ‘The use of dogs by the British armed forces and civil defence in the Second World War’
- Peter Brooke, ‘Duncan Sandys and decolonisation’
- Julie Hipperson, ‘Veterinary training and work from a female perspective, c.1919-2000’
- Michael Humphries, ‘The politics and patriotism of Reginald Brett, 2nd viscount Esher (1852-1930)’
- Thomas Leahy, ‘Agents of influence? Reassessing the influence of informers and agents on Provisional I.R.A. military strategy and British counter-insurgency strategy, 1969-98’
- Anna Maguire, ‘First World War: The Experience of Troops from New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies’
- Margaret Scull, ‘Religion from Rome, Politics from Home? The Catholic Church and the Northern Irish Troubles, 1968-94’
- Ben Taylor, ‘A history of the development of the British techno-surveillance state in the context of British policing, 1950-2000’
Activities
King's Contemporary British History: New publications
Some of the new books from KCBH members out recently and in the near future.
King's Contemporary British History 2021: Majorities and Minorities in Contemporary Britain
This is the fourth annual conference of King’s Contemporary British History (KCBH). This year our theme is Majorities and Minorities—the ways in which they have been formed, contested, changed, understood and characterised. Our expectation is that a discussion of minorities and majorities—intellectual, political, religious and military as well as social, sexual, and racial—and the way in which they have interacted with each other will open up new possibilities for thinking about contemporary British history as well as our practices as contemporary British historians. The Conference is also being held alongside the Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture which this year is being given by Kennetta Hammond Perry at 15.00 7July. Those who register for the KCBH conference will also be automatically registered for the Pimlott lecture.
The UK through Comparative and Transnational Perspectives: KCBH Conference 2018
This is the second annual conference of King’s Contemporary British History (KCBH). We ran a new kind of conference – designed to generate engaged discussion. Our aim was to examine the United Kingdom in a comparative and transnational perspective and question the place of the nation in the wider world as we prepare to leave the European Union.
Contemporary British History Now: KCBH Conference 2017
What is Contemporary British History Now? This conference launched King’s Contemporary British History (KCBH), a cross-departmental interdisciplinary research initiative at King’s College London, which will seek to set new agendas in the field.
Study
Contemporary British History MA
Our MA in Contemporary British History offers you the chance to study twentieth-century British history at an advanced level in an outstanding research environment, located in central London. You can choose from a breadth of options taught by well-known experts in the field. Our course is wide-ranging and includes British economic, social, cultural, political, military, imperial, and diplomatic history, as well as the history of British science, technology and medicine.
For more information about the MA:
- contact Dr Conor Morrissey at conor.morrissey@kcl.ac.uk
- see our online prospectus for Contemporary British History MA
Doctoral Study
There are many opportunities for doctoral study in Contemporary and Modern British History at King’s. There are multiple supervisors with a wide range of expertise.
For more information about Doctoral study:
- contact Professor David Edgerton at david.edgerton@kcl.ac.uk
- see our online prospectus for History Research
Provisional List of Current PhDs:
- Amelia Allsop, ‘A Borrowed Place: Jewish Refugees in Hong Kong, 1938 – 1953’
- Mads Bomholt-Nielsen, ‘‘As Bad as the Congo’? – British Perceptions of Colonial Rule and Violence in Anglo-German Southern Africa, 1896-1918′
- Thomas Bottelier, ”For the Future Peace of the World’: The International Organisation of the Second World War, 1935-1945′
- Michelle Clement, ‘Reforming Britain’s Public Services: An Analysis of Sir Michael Barber’s Tenure of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, 2001-2005’
- Pete Docking, ‘The role of constitutional conferences and commissions in the decolonisation of British imperial Africa 1960-1964’
- George Evans, ‘British Militarism in Ireland’
- Jacob Fairless Nicholson, ‘Learning anti-racism: a cultural historical geography of anti-racist education in London, 1960-1990’
- Richard Farrimond, ‘Birdie – ‘Soul of Anzac’: The Military and Public Career of Field Marshal Lord Birdwood’
- John Griffith-Jones, ‘Postal Services under Colonial Rule: A Case Study of East Africa, 1875-1963’
- Esther Harper, ‘Racehorse training, nutrition, management and health in England between 1880 and 1920’
- Andrew Harrison, ‘British foreign policy and Yugoslavia in a time of detente and non-alignment, 1968-1980’
- Tom Hurst, ‘The Speechmaking of Margaret Thatcher, 1979-1990’
- John Ingram, ‘‘No Haussmanns or Emperors Here’:
Reforming the Anglo-American City in Philadelphia and London’ - Tom Kelsey, ‘The Power of White Elephants in British Politics: A case-study of Concorde and the nuclear power industry’
- Naomi Lloyd-Jones, ‘Deconstructing Westminster: a four nations history of the Irish Home Rule crisis, c.1886-93’
- Barnaby Moores, ‘Solidarity, mobilisation, and initiative: the causes and conduct of the 1972 miners’ strike’
- Brian O’Keeffe, ‘”Frontier Encounters”: Class, Gender and Youth Work in East London, 1918-1984’
- Mitya Pearson, ‘The Formation and Development of the Green Party, 1973-1979’
- Rosemary Rich, ‘Conscientious Objection in the Second World War’
- James W.E. Smith, ‘The Influence of Naval Thinking and Maritime Strategy in Britain post 1964’
- Ted Young, ‘A comparative study of the quantity production of air-cooled radial aircraft engines in Britain and the United States during World War II’
List of Recent PhDs:
- Kim Brice O’Donnell, ‘The use of dogs by the British armed forces and civil defence in the Second World War’
- Peter Brooke, ‘Duncan Sandys and decolonisation’
- Julie Hipperson, ‘Veterinary training and work from a female perspective, c.1919-2000’
- Michael Humphries, ‘The politics and patriotism of Reginald Brett, 2nd viscount Esher (1852-1930)’
- Thomas Leahy, ‘Agents of influence? Reassessing the influence of informers and agents on Provisional I.R.A. military strategy and British counter-insurgency strategy, 1969-98’
- Anna Maguire, ‘First World War: The Experience of Troops from New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies’
- Margaret Scull, ‘Religion from Rome, Politics from Home? The Catholic Church and the Northern Irish Troubles, 1968-94’
- Ben Taylor, ‘A history of the development of the British techno-surveillance state in the context of British policing, 1950-2000’