It's just two weeks until this years Chalke History Festival. Set in the beautiful downs just outside Salisbury, Chalke History Festival is the biggest of its kind in the UK, providing a full week of amazing history-related talks, demonstrations, and activities - with some delicious food and foot-tapping tunes thrown in for good measure. With 150 speakers appearing and so much on offer, it can be hard to decide what to see, so here's our handy guide of what not to miss.
Monday, 22 June
Colin Bell - Bloody Dangerous: The Last First-Hand Account of WW2
Legendary RAF hero Colin Bell is once again welcomed back to Chalke for what promises to be an unforgettable account of life in the RAF during the Second World War. A Flight-Lieutenant in the elite Pathfinder 608 Squadron, Bell flew 50 perilous Mosquito raids over Germany, including 13 to Berlin, navigating searchlights, radar-controlled anti-aircraft fire and enemy night fighters. One in three of his comrades never returned. From the Blitz streets of pre-war London to the freezing skies above the Reich, Bell’s vivid testimony offers a rare and deeply moving first-hand insight into courage, sacrifice and the reality of aerial warfare.
Tracy Borman - The House of Boleyn
What really happened behind the walls of Hever Castle and how did one family rise so spectacularly, only to fall so devastatingly? Join festival favourite Tracy Borman as she returns to Chalke to bring the world of the Boleyns vividly to life, from their ambitious beginnings at the court of Henry VIII to the heart of one of history's most infamous royal dramas. This is a story of power, loyalty and dangerous ambition, where family bonds are tested and fortunes can change in an instant. Through intrigue-filled corridors and moments of intense personal drama, discover the human side of a dynasty often reduced to myth. Rich in atmosphere and emotion, Borman offers a fresh perspective on the people behind the legend.
Anthony Scaramucci and James Holland - The Road to War: 1920sand '30s
In the 1930s, the fallout from the Wall Street Crash triggered a devastating global depression, fuelling instability across continents. Governments faltered, extremism surged, and democracy gave way to dictatorship; from Nazi Germany to militarist Japan, from political chaos in France to civil war in Spain. The path to global conflict was set. In this compelling conversation, James Holland and Anthony Scaramucci explore how these forces collided to spark the Second World War and how, in its aftermath, a new world order emerged that secured decades of peace and prosperity in the West.
James Holland will be making a number of appearances across the week, including with Al Murray discussing 'Hood Versus Bismarck' (Sunday, 28 June) and in conversation with Stephen Prince on the Second World War at sea (Thursday, 25 June).
Tuesday, 23 June
Anne Applebaum, Sarah Churchwell, et al - America 250: The Continuing Revolution I - What Next For American Democracy?
As the United States marks the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its founding, this discussion asks: 'What comes next for American democracy?' A panel of experts including Anne Applebaum, Jim Naughtie and Sarah Churchwell explore the enduring tensions at the heart of the American experiment, tracing the arc from the Revolution and the Constitution through the Civil War and Reconstruction to today's challenges. With democratic institutions under strain and political divisions deepening, they consider how the founding ideals of 1776 continue to shape, and complicate, the present moment. At a time when history feels uncomfortably close, this session sets the stage for understanding how the past informs today’s political reality.
The panel will be continuing the discussion later on the same day to consider 'Who Gets to Be an American?'
Tim Bouverie - Churchill and De Gaulle: Allies and Rivals
In June 1940, Winston Churchill elevated a little-known French general, Charles de Gaulle, to lead the Free French forces. It was a decision that would shape the course of the war, but also spark one of its most fraught alliances. In this talk, Tim Bouverie unpacks the intense, often turbulent relationship between these two formidable figures. Marked by clashing egos, political tension and deep mistrust, their partnership was as volatile as it was vital. How close did Britain and America come to abandoning de Gaulle altogether? And what does this uneasy alliance reveal about leadership in times of crisis? A gripping exploration of power, personality and the fragile bonds that helped define victory in the Second World War.
You can read our interview with Tim Bouverie, as we discuss his book Allies at War, here.
Charlotte Gauthier - The Cardinal's Spies: Wolsey, Henry VIII and the Race to Save Christendom
In August 1526, a triumphant Ottoman Empire crushed the Hungarian army at the Battle of Mohács, leaving Europe dangerously exposed. Who would act to save Christendom before the Ottomans launched a fresh campaign to expand their conquests? Enter Cardinal Wolsey, who hatched a plan to increase England's prestige by dealing with the crisis. Charlotte Gauthier brings the unknown story of the 1526-27 race to save Christendom to life through the eyes of Wolsey's network of spies. They tangled with a fascinating cast of characters including a Serbian tsar who claimed to be sent by God, a Venetian double-agent secretly in league with the Ottomans, an all-powerful Imperial chancellor who governed using astrology and two remarkable female rulers who knew how to wield power in an era dominated by men. Would the spies' mission - and Wolsey's plan - save Europe?
Wednesday, 24 June
Paul Cartledge and Tom Holland - Pericles: Statesman, Demagogue, Eccentric
What does it take to build a democracy... and hold onto power within it? Join renowned classicist Paul Cartledge in conversation with historian Tom Holland as they explore the life and legacy of one of ancient Greece’s most compelling figures: Pericles. A visionary leader of Athens at its height, Pericles helped shape democracy, empire and culture; overseeing monumental achievements like the Parthenon while mastering the art of persuasion in a fiercely competitive political world. But was he a principled statesman, a cunning operator, or something more complex? Blending politics, personality and power, this lively discussion delves into the man behind the legend, his relationships, reputation and enduring influence, offering a fresh perspective on leadership in the ancient world and beyond.
Tom Holland will also be participating in a panel discussion, along with some top players and commentators, on 'The Cricket Captains of England 1979-2025' (also Wednesday) and discussing the Beatles with Samira Ahmed and Ian Leslie (Saturday, 27 June).
Clare Jackson - The Mirror of Great Britain: A Life of James VI and I
Professor Clare Jackson tells the story of one of Britain's most fascinating and misunderstood monarchs, James VI and I. The first ruler to unite the Scottish and English crowns in 1603, James helped shape the idea of a British monarchy while navigating plots, religious conflict and political upheaval from the Ruthven Raid to the Gunpowder Plot. Intellectual, writer and controversialist, he was as absorbed by theology and witchcraft as by diplomacy and display. Drawing meticulously on James's own publications, manuscript musings, topical verse and private correspondence, this richly detailed talk offers a deeply researched and nuanced portrait of a highly unusual king.
You can read out interview with Clare Jackson here.
Steve Tibble and Jackson van Uden - Assassins and Templars: A Battle in Myth and Blood
Secretive fortresses. Sacred vows. The promise of death. But who were the Assassins and the Templars, and why do they still grip our imaginations? Returning to Chalke, historian Steve Tibble explores the extraordinary rise and fall of the medieval world's most legendary rival orders. One, a Shi'ite Muslim sect operating from mountain strongholds; the other, a Christian military order sworn to defend the Holy Land. Bitter enemies, yet uncannily alike in discipline, devotion and their ruthless mastery of fear. Outnumbered and under constant threat, both organisations survived by perfecting a chilling strategy: the calculated use of violence, whether in a thunderous cavalry charge or the silent strike of a dagger. Tibble separates myth from reality to reveal how these two movements reshaped the medieval world, and why their shadow still lingers today in popular culture, conspiracy theories and legend.
Jackson van Uden will also be in conversation with the History Magpie, Charlie Eve, about 'A Simple Question That Brings History to Life' (Sunday, 28 June).
Thursday, 25 June
Alice Loxton - Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen
What happens when you follow a medieval funeral procession, on foot, 700 years later? Chalke favourite Alice Loxton returns with another irresistible historical adventure. In 1290, the body of Eleanor of Castile was carried 200 miles from Lincoln to London, marked by the magnificent Eleanor Crosses commissioned by her grieving husband, Edward I. Retracing that solemn route step by step, Alice brings to life a formidable, often overlooked queen and the world she inhabited. Blending sharp insight, humour and vivid storytelling, this is history at its most human; a journey through landscape, memory and the making of England itself.
You can also see Alice Loxton in conversation with her history friends - some of the best and brightest up-and-coming talent - on Saturday, 27 June.
Roger Moorhouse - WW2 at Sea: Wolfpack - Inside Hitler's U-Boat War
Winston Churchill described German U-boats as the most frightening threat of World War II, responsible for sinking nearly 3,000 Allied ships. While often portrayed as a deadly, unseen menace to Allied sailors, less attention has been given to the harsh realities faced by U-boat crews themselves. These submariners endured extreme danger, claustrophobic conditions, and the highest casualty rate of any German force, with over 75 per cent killed. Drawing on the testimony of Hitler's submariners, Roger Moorhouse gives the U-boatmen back their voice, tracing their journey from early optimism to eventual defeat, highlighting not only courage but also fear, suffering, and ultimate failure.
You can read our interview with Roger Moorhouse here. To read our review of his new book on the U-boat war, Wolfpack, click here.
Hallie Rubenhold - Story of a Murder: The Wives, The Mistress and Dr Crippen
Happily sponsored by us! A vanished music hall star. A torso buried beneath the floor. How well do we really know the story of Dr Crippen? Award-winning historian Hallie Rubenhold revisits one of the most infamous murder cases of the twentieth century, and turns the spotlight where it has long been overdue. When Belle Elmore disappeared in 1910, it was her fierce and formidable friends of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who raised the alarm, setting in motion a transatlantic manhunt and a media frenzy. But beyond the sensational headlines lies a richer, darker, more human story. Who were the women at the heart of this case - the wife, the mistress, the friends - and how have their voices been distorted or silenced? Rubenhold peels back layers of myth to reveal a world of ambition, performance, deception and desire.
Friday, 26 June
Histrionics!
The brilliant annual comedy history panel show is back this year with another all-star line-up. Expect historical high jinks, merry mayhem and two teams playing the fool with more larks than the greatest of court jesters.
Ben Kane - Hannibal and the Second Punic War
Few figures from ancient history are as renowned as the general who led an army and war elephants over the Alps to invade the Roman Republic. Hannibal’s successes were unparalleled, culminating in the annihilation of a vast Roman army at Cannae in 216 BC. The conflict was not confined to Italy. On Sicily and in Spain a bitter war was also fought. Dr Ben Kane will weave the fascinating story of the second Punic war, bringing alive the momentous events which helped to shape western European history for centuries afterwards.
Click here to read our interview with Ben Kane.
Debbie Kilroy and Kate Vigurs - Members Behaving Badly: A History of Britain in 52 Parliamentary Rogues
I would be remiss not to mention myself!
Join us on a journey from 1603 to 1945 via 52 parliamentary villains. Award-winning historian Debbie Kilroy joins festival favourite Kate Vigurs to uncover the rogues, rakes and rule-breakers who have stalked the corridors of the House of Commons for centuries. From scandalous Restoration debauchery to financial trickery, corruption and political betrayal, this is British history told through the MPs who made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Expect outrageous characters, sharp insight and more than a few jaw-dropping moments; a lively, eye-opening reminder that power has always had its darker side.
You can see Kate Vigurs throughout the week as History's Maid (see below).
Michael Livingston and Dan Jones - 200 Years War: The Bloody Crowns of England and France
Following his very popular online Chalke Talk, Michael Livingston will be coming in person to Chalke History Festival for a fascinating discussion with Dan Jones. In this bold and revisionist exploration, Livingston stretches the familiar narrative into a sweeping 200-year struggle between England and France, and beyond. From the so-called Pirate War of 1292 to the dynastic marriages that reshaped Europe, this is a tale not simply of English ambition, but of France's fierce fight to define itself as a nation. With rival powers circling and crowns hanging in the balance, expect drama, intrigue and a fresh perspective on the longest military conflict in European history.
Saturday, 27 June
Amy Boyington and Peter Ross - Georgian Feasting
Step into the dazzling and delicious world of Georgian Britain with historians Amy Boyington and Peter Ross. This lively event brings Georgian dining to life, from glittering aristocratic feasts - where silver, porcelain, and candlelight staged a theatre of power - to the bustling streets of eighteenth-century London. Discover a city that ate from dawn to midnight: oyster rooms, coffee houses, and early street food, shaped by global influences and empire. Blending sensory storytelling with vivid history, Boyington and Ross reveal how food connected spectacle and survival, offering a rich, immersive taste of Georgian life across every social class.
Jonathan Freedland - The Traitors Circle: The Rebels Against the Nazis and the Spy Who Betrayed Them
Guardian columnist, broadcaster and best-selling author Jonathan Freedland tells the story of a remarkable group of German anti-Nazi dissenters. In Berlin, 1943, a circle of high-society rebels - countesses, diplomats, educators and intelligence officers - risked everything to resist Hitler, rescue Jews, and imagine a free Germany. Yet even among their trusted ranks, betrayal lurked: one spy would bring them to the attention of the Gestapo. Freedland brings to life their courage, ingenuity and peril, asking a question that resonates today: what does it take to stand up to tyranny when the world is aligned against you?
Frank McDonough and Paul McGann - The Hitler Years: Holocaust, 1933-45
How does a modern, cultured nation descend into industrialised genocide? Together with actor Paul McGann, leading historian of the Third Reich Frank McDonough delivers a forensic, year-by-year examination of the Holocaust and the final years of Nazi rule. Tracing the path from early persecution in the 1920s to the machinery of mass murder formalised after the Wannsee Conference, McDonough and McGann reveal how hatred moved from street violence to chilling state bureaucracy. They explore the impact of the Nuremberg Laws, the escalation of anti-Jewish policies, and the lived experiences of victims and survivors. Drawing on the latest research and powerful primary sources, this is a meticulous, unflinching account of one of history’s darkest chapters. Essential listening for anyone seeking to understand how such atrocities were conceived, enabled and carried out.
Read our interview with Frank McDonough here.
Lyndal Roper and Afua Hirsch - Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War
What drives ordinary people to rise up and risk everything? In this powerful conversation with Afua Hirsch, Lyndal Roper, one of the foremost scholars of early modern Europe, brings to life one of the most dramatic and devastating uprisings in European history. In the 1520s, tens of thousands of peasants across Germany took up arms, demanding justice, equality, and a new social order inspired by the radical ideas of the Reformation. For a brief moment, it seemed the old world might be overturned. Then came a brutal and bloody reckoning. Drawing on vivid first-hand accounts, Roper uncovers the hopes, beliefs, and fears that fuelled this extraordinary movement. Both gripping and deeply human, this is a story of courage and catastrophe; revealing how a fight for change can ignite, spread, and ultimately be crushed with shocking force.
Afua Hirsch will also be talking about 'The African Kingdom of Gold: Britain and the Asante Treasure' with Barnaby Phillips and Lindsey Hilsum (Friday, 26 June).
Sunday, 28 June
Charlie Higson - Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee: The Epically Short History of Our Kings and Queens
Are you ready to make sense of a thousand years of monarchs with a single rhyme? Join author, actor, writer and comedian Charlie Higson to find out who ruled when and whether they were any good at it. In what is guaranteed to be a fast-paced and wildly entertaining talk, festival favourite Higson hurtles through the story of Britain's kings and queens, from the chaos of 1066 to the complexities of today. Expect a cast of characters ranging from heroic to hopeless, with plenty of treachery, scandal, and questionable decision-making along the way. Who was brilliant, who was disastrous, and who probably shouldn't have been in charge at all? With sharp humour and surprising insight, come with us on a journey through the history of this bizarre and long-lasting institution.
Damien Lewis - SAS: Great Escapes and an Extraordinary Mission
At the height of the Second World War, by pure accident the SAS stumbled upon the world's first concentration camp found by the Allies. Unless it could be liberated, hundreds of inmates would be shipped into the heart of Nazi Germany, facing untold horrors. With audacity and lateral thinking to the fore, the SAS decided to hi-jack a train and to steam it over 100 kilometres behind enemy lines, to take the camp by complete surprise and rescue the inmates. Damien Lewis will reveal the story behind this incredible event - perhaps the greatest escape story of the war - as told in his new book, SAS The Great Train Raid.
Kate McCaffrey - The Tudor Book Club
Famed rivals Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Thomas Cromwell were connected by an unlikely common thread: a shared prayerbook. Each owned a copy of the same Book of Hours - a window into devotion, taste, and influence in Tudor England. Join Castle Historian and Assistant Curator at Hever Castle, Kate McCaffrey as she takes you inside the intimate world of Henry VIII's court. Explore how these powerful figures used books to forge hidden networks, subtle alliances, and quiet rivalries. Discover how devotion, diplomacy, and personal taste intersected in the growing 'Tudor Book Club' and how these treasured pages reveal a world of power, intrigue, and human connection beneath the pomp and politics of the royal court.
Kate McCaffrey will also be in discussion with Estelle Paranque, Gabby Storey and Shalina Patel about 'Where Power Lies: Intimacy and Intrigue at Court' on the same day.
Tony Robinson - The House of Wolf
Actor, presenter and historical expert Tony Robinson is returning to Chalke this year with a thrilling journey into the turbulent world of early medieval Britain and beyond. From the intrigue of Rome to the fractured royal court of Wessex and the violence of Viking raids, this is a story of ambition, betrayal, and survival. As kingdoms falter and rivals circle, unlikely figures - priests, princes, and outsiders - find themselves at the heart of a struggle that could reshape the future of England. Packed with drama, dark humour, and vivid storytelling, Robinson brings this dangerous, unpredictable world to life; where loyalties shift, enemies close in, and the path to power is anything but certain.
Throughout the week
History's Maid
History's Maid is a live historical interpretation company created by Dr Kate Vigurs (see above, Friday, 26 June). Throughout the week, she'll be revealing the extraordinary stories of trailblazing women across history, from war correspondents, to resisters and secret agents, to suffragettes.
The History Maker
The History Maker tells the amazing, true story of one pilot and his navigator, explaining in his own words the raid on Taranto and his extraordinary escape in a catastrophically damaged aircraft. Based on private interviews with Lieutenant Commander John Wellham D.S.C., Pilot of Swordfish E5H of 824 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, this is his personal account of the daring British raid on Taranto harbour.
Wizzo's Rip-Roaring History
Wizzo’s Rip-Roaring History is an old-time circus sideshow where the stars are the props and extraordinary stories. Abs ‘Wizzo’ Wisdom brings his excitement for history front and centre to you! Think Heath Robinson meets Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and throw in a generous helping of audience participation and Crystal Maze eccentricity. Colourful? Yes. Educational? Certainly. Rip-roaring? Absolutely!
Foreign Field
Paul Bavill, Rory Ware and Kyle Glover are three hugely talented costumed historical interpreters who will be demonstrating martial skills, dark crimes and hidden heroics in a mix of history that stretches from the Middle Ages to the Second World War. From 15th-century armoured combat to the artful techniques of Victorian self-defence, don’t miss their unique blend of action, education, and comedy.
Chalke History Festival runs from Monday, 22 June until Sunday, 28 June, at Bury Lane, Broad Chalke, Near Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 5DP.
For more details about the festival, please visit the Chalke History Festival website.
Follow all the news on X at @ChalkeFestival, on Instagram at @chalkehistoryfestival and on Facebook.
