A recording from Chalke Valley History Festival 2018, from a morning of exclusive talks and demonstrations looking at the story of the British Airborne Forces in #WW2. Here is former Commander of 3 Para in Afghanistan, Stuart Total in conversation with Fred Glover who was in 9th Para on 6th June 1944, tasked with jumping ahead of the main seaborne allied landing, Operation Neptune, to secure the left flank of the invasion and facilitate the seaborne landing.

The battle of Arnhem, the great airborne fight for the bridges in 1944, was a courageous strategic gamble that failed. In this talk at CVHF 2018, Britain’s best-selling historian Antony Beevor, using often overlooked sources from Allied and German archives, reconstructs the terrible reality of the fighting and questions whether this plan to end the war could ever have worked, or whether it was always doomed to become the last German victory

Audio from Chalke Valley History Festival 2018 with Christopher Lloyd. Christopher Lloyd is a world history author, educationalist and lecturer. He specializes in presenting giant sweeping narratives that aim to create a more natural, interconnected perspective on the past.

Here's James Holland chatting to Al Murray at #CVHF 2018

Coming Up At The Festival On Sunday With Saturday Highlights

We asked some of our Fesrival goers, living historians and speakers for their lesser-known facts..

Some of our 2018 speakers tell us why they think (some) women getting the vote in 1918 was such an important moment in history. #Votes100 #VotesForWomen

Coming up at CVHF on Saturday

VIDEO: Coming up on Friday..

Send us your best 'lesser-known' historical fact before midnight on Saturday 30 June and you could WIN a subscription to @HistoryHitTV!! Here's @James1940 with the details of this AND our Festival Photo Competition.. #AmazingHistory

VIDEO: CVHF 2018 Highlights - Wednesday

VIDEO: Coming up on Thursday at CVHF

WIN 6 of the hottest tickets in town! Our HISTRIONICS quiz show has THE most amazing line-up: Paul Whitehouse, Al Murray, Charlie Higson, Dan Snow and Helen Castor!!! Tell us your best ‘little-known historical fact on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #AmazingHistory to enter - you have until midnight tonight!

In case you missed it..

The re-enactors have pitched their encampments, primed and ready. The weather is looking good. We have an incredible line up of speakers and subjects for the weekend, covering politics, military, music and the arts. The food choices and emporium stalls are abundant. There really is something for everyone. It promises to be a weekend of #AmazingHistory.

Despite the slightly damp conditions here at the Chalke Valley History Festival site a few days ago, we have now shaken off our raincoats and the weather looks fair for the rest of week. We have been treated to a fantastic series of events and talks already, with so many inspiring debates and study mornings that it’s hard to choose our highlights at this stage. However, if we had to flag up some particular favourites, we’d probably single these ones out.

CVHF Thursday Round Up

Day 3 highlights with James Holland​ and a look ahead at exciting things to come on Day 4 at the Chalke Valley History Festival 2017! #AmazingHistory

Chalke Valley History Festival for Schools 2017 has now come to a close.. over 2000 students, 30+ talks, Living History demonstrations and plenty of laughs along the way. Here is a beautifully shot highlights film by the Bournemouth University film crew..

Festival Director James Holland rounds up the best of the action from Day 2 and looks ahead to Day 3 at the Chalke Valley History Festival 2017.

Dan talks to James about his current work, his love of sharing history knowledge via the internet and his career highlights.

Paul Beaver talks about what to expect at our Air Show this year..

Michael Morpurgo talks to us about writing historical novels and what inspired him to tell the amazing story of Henry Tandey, the most decorated soldier in World War One.

Paul Beaver, CVHF Air Show commentator talks about what we can expect this weekend at the Air Show.

Here's Will Topley, CVHF Artist in Residence who will be with us all week capturing the Festival atmosphere on canvas. Here he is painting some vintage Rolls Royces in the sunshine.

In the 70th Anniversary year of the D-Day landings in Normandy, we were very fortunate to have two veterans of that campaign talking about their experiences. Fred Glover was in 9 Para, and David Render served with the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry. Chairing the discussion was Stuart Tootal, former Commander of 3 Para in Afghanistan. This was a rare treat.

Audio from Jon Snow's talk at Chalke Valley History Festival on Sunday, 29th June.

Ahead of today's Intelligence Squared Debate, debating Scotland's upcoming referendum on the country's independence, CVHF has conducted an initial poll to see what our festival goers think about one the biggest constitutional issues in the United Kingdom's history.

Co-founder of Chalke Valley History Festival, James Heneage, looks ahead to the action-packed weekend at this year's festival, picking out some of the most eye-catching highlights from the extensive programme of speakers and Living History displays.

Acclaimed broadcaster, journalist and writer Charles Glass talks about all things Syria, reflecting with Xander Drury on how the conflict has descended into such global crisis whilst also affording some thoughts on what is still to come in the future.

As the action-packed weekend at this year's festival begins to come into sight, Helen Castor and BBC Radio 4's Making History are calling on YOU to join in the debate when Historiansʼ Question Time returns to the Chalke Valley History Festival this Sunday.

Auschwitz survivor Freddie Knoller shares with Xander Drury his amazing story of survival. Knoller fought in the French Resistance  before being betrayed after a failed love affair and was arrested by the Gestapo.  Tortured, he was eventually sent to Auschwitz but survived both that and the Death March of January 1945. Here Knoller reveals how it was his optimistic outlook that pulled him through such unprecedented toils.

Veteran war correspondent and reporter Kate Adie talks on Day One at CVHF 2014, discussing with Xander Drury her glittering career in journalism as well as her latest book 'Fighting on the Homefront: The Legacy of Women in World War One'.

Veteran war correspondent and reporter Kate Adie talks on Day One at CVHF 2014, discussing with Xander Drury her glittering career in journalism as well as her latest book 'Fighting on the Homefront: The Legacy of Women in World War One'.

Xander Drury interviews leading historian and broadcaster Dan Snow on the opening day of Chalke Valley History Festival 2014, speaking on what makes history such an important and special subject as well as sharing his thoughts on D-Day, the World Cup and Twitter.

Recording from Antony Beevor’s CVHF talk on Thursday, 27th June 2013. Antony Beevor’s monumental book, Stalingrad, has been one of the most read and highly praised accounts of the Second World War to have been written in the past twenty-five years. It was also the book that ignited our fascination with the war anew, published, as it was, nearly a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union and drawing on previously unseen Russian archives

The last video exclusive interview with actress Joanna Lumley at CVHF13, talking with Xander Drury about her involvement in this year's CVHF writing prize whilst also sharing how it was to work alongside Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio in her recent film 'The Wolf of Wall Street'.

An exclusive interview with Justin Pollard, historical advisor on everything from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' to 'The Tudors' as he discusses with John Fry his new history panel show 'Histrionics' and shares his delight at being involved in this year's festival.

Plus clips from the brilliant CVHF Air Show.

An exclusive interview with the award-winning actor Rupert Everett alongside the award-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard talking Oscar Wilde with Xander Drury on the last day of CVHF13.

It is already becoming something of a tradition for the Festival to lay on something slightly lighter-hearted on the Friday evening, and so this year CVHF came up with something entirely new: a brand new history quiz show, combining deep historical knowledge with razor-sharp wit.

An exclusive interview with Ian Hislop at CVHF13, discussing with Xander Drury his fascination with Britain's 'Stiff Upper Lip', his 23 years on 'Have I Got News For You' and his take on Boris Johnson's unstoppable rise.

An exclusive interview with eminent historian Michael Wood from Day Five of CVHF13, considering with Xander Drury the secrets behind his glittering career in broadcasting.

An exclusive interview with Scottish historian Neil Oliver at CVHF13, discussing his latest book on the Vikings, the appeal of Scottish history and his stance on Scottish independence.

Exclusively for the CVHF website, Mayor of London Boris Johnson afforded some time ahead of his talk at Chalke Valley History Festival 2013 discussing with Xander Drury

An exclusive interview with CVHF patron Antony Beevor ahead of his talk on Day Four of CVHF13, discussing with Xander Drury the unprecedented success of his best-selling book 'Stalingrad' and his ground-breaking approach to writing history.

Xander Drury interviews leading classicist Tom Holland at the Chalke Valley History Festival 2013, shedding light on his love for cricket, his thoughts on the fall of the Roman Empire and his excitement ahead of debating alongside Boris Johnson on Saturday.

Following his talk on the 'Cockleshell Heroes', Xander Drury caught up with Paddy Ashdown as he discusses his latest book and shares his thoughts on the 2015 General Election and the changes to the history curriculum.