Who is your favourite TV historian?

[TheNightScentedStock]

Lucy Worsley is a good sport but, to my tooth, she is becoming a bit of a parody of herself; The Sun newspaper made flesh.

I had to turn off her Radio 4 programme, Ladykillers as she really seemed to be taking the mick with her remarks, drawling out the word, 'murder' and lots of 'oohs and ahhhs.'

I much prefer Tracy Borman and Susannah Lipscomb who show more sensitivity to the people they are talking about, without being po faced.

Helen Castor.

Lucy Worsley and Ruth Goodman for me. Starkey is arrogant, charmless, racist and misogynist. It warms the cockles of my heart when I see his books in the 50p bin at the charity shop.

Anyone except Alice Roberts and Ruth Goodman.

I was thrilled when Richard Holmes did one of the 'forgotten' aspects of the 20th century conflicts - I found out what my grandfather did; I have other late relatives that were in these type of situations.

Also, agree with Janina but yes, where is she? I like others that did the Ancient World - Richard Miles, Alastair Sooke. All faded out. The programme makers seem to go with the flavour of the times - it seems to be Alice Roberts, I find her good on her specific subject - bones - but I do not tune in for the rest.

I’ve recently got interested in history and love Dan Jones, Eleanor Janega, David Olusoga, Dan Snow, Kate lister and susannah lipscombe.

podcast wise I like Antony Delaney and Maddy Pelling on the after dark podcast as well as Kate lister

David Olusoga ( he could read the instructions for my washing machine and I’d be enraptured)
Bettany Hughes is lovely although I get distracted by her bosoms and Alice Roberts is another favourite.
Janina Ramirez, like her and the guy with the Polish? name…

I like these too and recently enjoyed Tom's book, Dominion-although it took me a long time to read.

Tracy Borman, an absolutely lovely person , also like, Dan Jones, Lucy Worsley and Suzanna Lipscomb.

Love Janina but cannot stand Alice Roberts, who has a very big opinion of herself and her agenda.

Plus, I don't think any other historian has ever felt the need to give an interview to a national newspaper in which they berate their own family.

They are amazing! So knowledgable and very entertaining.

Update on my earlier post ^ - Alastair Sooke has popped up, after 10 years (according to me), with a second series of China's Greatest Treasures. ^Why iPlayer can't make available the 1st series simultaneously, I wonder 🤔

It seems like a golden age for TV historians.

I also enjoy Alice Loxton. I loved her book about the Eleanor Crosses and watch her on YouTube

Yes! I do recall David Starkie speaking highly of her when they were on a panel concerning the re-burial of Richard 111.

Phillipa Gregory and Phillipa Langley were on the same panel. The presenter put their points to him -he wasn't in the studio- and he responded by saying,

"Nonsense. What do you expect from a romantic novelist and a loon from the Richard 111 society."

David Starkey Mary Beard
Juliet Barker Anthony Beevor
Max Hastings

I like Joann Fletcher on Egypt, plus Mary Beard is always excellent.

Ruth Goodman … mmm, she’s hard work.

Mary Beard, Janina Ramirez, Kate Lister, Ella Al‑Shamahi.

As PP mentioned I don’t really enjoy watching Alice Roberts - she really is her own biggest fan and it shines through, she’s also got some bizarre beliefs about sex and gender for someone with her qualifications. I watch a lot of YouTube history documentaries and if I doze off and one of hers comes on autoplay it wakes me up so I can turn her off! It’s a shame as she’s written some incredible books - I just wish she hadn’t narrated them herself 😬

Mary Beard and Simon Sebag etc. ..

I love The Rest is History podcast . So knowledgeable about so many things . I have started to listen to the very early broadcasts where they were hilariously trying to find a way to insert Duran Duran lyrics in their stories.

I've met Ruth Goodman a few times during my re enactment life. She once turned up with her daughter at an event we did. The outfit I use at the moment is made from fabric I bought from her years ago when she was running Goodman's linen emporium.

"What do you expect from a romantic novelist and a loon from the Richard 111 society."

Starkey was extremely rude to Philippa Langley in person when they were both together on a show around the time of the reburial. Yes she is a fruitcake (although she was right) but no need for rudeness.

Don't know what he was doing there anyway, since he's a Tudor specialist.

(Six degrees of separation - can anyone link Starkey with Blackadder?)

We absolutely love Dan Cruikshank in our house. I could listen to him talk about architecture all day, especially anything to do with Spitalfields.

When he's really excited about something he becomes so animated, drops his voice to a whisper, dances almost and gesticulates wildly. My DH refers to him as The Wainscoting Sprite.

Since the early 80s and the 'In Search of the Dark Ages' series, Michael Wood.

Another one who has disappeared, from TV, is Diarmaid MacCulloch - he did a series on the history of Christianity and is an expert on the Reformation.

I’m so glad someone else feels the same way as I do @TheNightScentedStock She makes me cringe a bit now she’s just a caricature of herself. Such a shame.

Joanne Fletcher, absolutely love her, cant believe I forgot her.

Yes thats a good way of describing Ruth Goodman, hard work.