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

Notorious broadcaster and journalist Jeremy Paxman discusses with Xander Drury his recent book 'Great Britain's Great War' as well as sharing his thoughts on his role as the 'Grand Inquisitor' and life after leaving Newsnight.

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.

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'.

The Pritzker Literature Award, which includes a medallion, citation, and $100,000 honorarium, recognizes and honours the contributions of a living author for a body of work dedicated to enriching the understanding of military history.

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

Max Hastings is one of the foremost chroniclers of the Second World War. Here he talks about Winston Churchill, our greatest war leader. Always forthright, Sir Max looks at the triumphs and the tragedies, the successes and the failures, whether it be the extraordinary rallying cry of 1940 or the impulsiveness that often drove a wedge between him and his generals and even Britain’s allies. He also touches on some of the lesser-known features of Churchill’s war leadership. This is an affectionate and vivid portrait, but also an unsparing one, in which he is willing to challenge some of the myths that surround our view of Britain’s wartime performance.

When I first heard the eulogy in 2006 for my great-uncle Hanns Alexander, I was amazed. Apparently, he had been served as a Nazi hunter in the British Army at the end of the Second World War. How was this possible? After all, he had grown up as a Jew in Berlin.

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'.

Our penultimate video exclusive from this year's festival as Xander Drury talks to writer Charlie Higson about his latest zombie-packed adventure in The Enemy series, his time on 'The Fast Show' and the key to writing thrilling historical fiction.

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.

the secrets behind its unprecedented success and the plans for next 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.

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

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.

Xander Drury catches up with Charles Moore on Day Three of the Chalke Valley History Festival 2013. As the authorized biographer of Margaret Thatcher, he discusses his approach to the first volume 'Not For Turning' and speculates her place in history.

Click the link below to listen to an interview with Stephen Alford following his talk on the influence of spies and espionage during the reign of Elizabeth I. Interviewer: Xander Drury.

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.

Click the link below to listen to a brief conversation with historian Laurence Rees, author of ‘The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler’. Interviewer: Xander Drury

Bob Stanford Tuck was every inch the fighter pilot as if ordered up from Central Casting; brave, good-looking, a crack shot and a superb aviator. The London boy who did not excel at school and nearly made the Merchant Navy his career, was to become the first Spitfire Ace in May 1940 in the skies above northern France.