Sir Antony James Beevor, (born 14 December 1946) is a British military historian. He has published several popular historical works on the Second World War and the Spanish Civil War.

Early life

Born in

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...

, Beevor was educated at two independent schools; Abberley Hall School in Worcestershire, followed by Winchester College in Hampshire. He then went to the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...

, where he studied under the military historian

John Keegan Sir John Desmond Patrick Keegan (15 May 1934 – 2 August 2012) was an English military historian, lecturer, author and journalist. He wrote many published works on the nature of combat between prehistory and the 21st century, covering land, ...

before receiving a commission in the

11th Hussars The 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army established in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 10th Royal Hussars (Pri ...

on 28 July 1967. Beevor served in England and Germany and was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 28 January 1969 before resigning his commission on 5 August 1970.

Career

Beevor has been a visiting professor at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at

Birkbeck, University of London , mottoeng = Advice comes over nightTranslation used by Birkbeck. , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £4.3 m (2014) , budget = £109 ...

, and at the

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

. His best-known works, the best-selling ''

Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...

'' (1998) and '' Berlin: The Downfall 1945'' (2002), recount the World War II battles between the Soviet Union and Germany. They have been praised for their vivid, compelling style, their treatment of the ordinary lives of combatants and civilians, and the use of newly disclosed documents from Soviet archives. His ''The Spanish Civil War'' (1982) was later re-written as ''

The Battle for Spain ''The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939'' is a 2006 history of the Spanish Civil War written by Antony Beevor and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (established 1949), often shortened to W&N or W ...

'' (2006), keeping the structure and some content from the earlier work, but using the updated narrative style of his ''Stalingrad'' book and also adding characters and new archival research from German and Russian sources. Beevor's book ''

The Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

'' (2012) is notable for its focus on the conditions and grief faced by women and civilians and for its coverage of the war in East Asia, which has been called "masterful". Beevor's expertise has been the subject of some commentary; his publications have been praised as revitalizing interest in World War II topics and have allowed readers to reevaluate events such as from a new perspective. He has also appeared as an expert in television documentaries related to World War II. Overall, his works have been translated into over 30 languages with over 6 million copies sold. In August 2015, Russia's Yekaterinburg region considered banning Beevor's books, accusing him of Nazi sympathies, citing his lack of Russian sources when writing about Russia, and claiming he had promoted false stereotypes introduced by Nazi Germany during World War II. Beevor responded by calling the banning "a government trying to impose its own version of history", comparing it to other "attempts to dictate a truth", such as denial of the Holocaust and the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through th ...

. In January 2018, Beevor's book about the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later r ...

was banned in Ukraine. Beevor told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: "I must say, this sounds absolutely astonishing. There's certainly nothing inherently anti-Ukrainian in the book at all."

Personal life

Beevor is descended from a long line of writers, being a son of

Kinta Beevor Kinta may refer to: * Kinta District, Malaysia * Kinta, Benin * Kinta, Oklahoma * Kinta River * Kinta Tamaoka is a Japanese professional wrestling referee and occasional wrestler, best known for working for Dragon Gate under the ring name . ...

(born Janet Carinthia Waterfield, 22 December 191129 August 1995), who was the daughter of

Lina Waterfield Caroline Lucie 'Lina' Waterfield OBE (16 August 1874 – 27 November 1964)The Observer'' and a descendant of

Lucie, Lady Duff-Gordon Lucie, Lady Duff-Gordon ( Austin; 24 June 1821 – 14 July 1869) was an English author and translator who wrote as Lucie Gordon. She is best known for her ''Letters from Egypt, 1863–1865'' (1865) and ''Last Letters from Egypt'' (1875), most ...

(author of a travelogue on Egypt). Kinta Beevor wrote ''A Tuscan Childhood''. Antony Beevor is married to biographer

Artemis Cooper Artemis Cooper, Lady Beevor FRSL (born Alice Clare Antonia Opportune Cooper; 22 April 1953) is a British writer, primarily of biographies. She is married to historian Sir Antony Beevor. Family life She is the only daughter of The 2nd Viscoun ...

; they have two children, Nella and Adam. Beevor resides in a town house in Fulham.

Honours

Beevor was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the

2017 New Year Honours The 2017 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours were awarded as part of the New Year celebrat ...

for "services in support of Armed Forces Professional Development". He is a ''Chevalier de l'

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose i ...

'', a member of

Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ( et, Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk, sometimes translated as the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of t ...

and a commander of the Belgian Order of the Crown. Beevor was elected an honorary Fellow of King's College London in July 2016. He was also awarded an Honorary D.Litt. from the

University of Bath (Virgil, Georgics II) , mottoeng = Learn the culture proper to each after its kind , established = 1886 (Merchant Venturers Technical College) 1960 (Bristol College of Science and Technology) 1966 (Bath University of Technology) 1971 (univ ...

in 2010,Honorary Graduates
''

'', 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012. and an honorary doctorate from the

, awarded in 2004. His book '' Crete: The Battle and the Resistance'' won the

Runciman Prize The Runciman Award is an annual literary award offered by the Anglo-Hellenic League for a work published in English dealing wholly or in part with Greece or Hellenism. The award is named in honour of the late Sir Steven Runciman and is currently s ...

, administered by the

Anglo-Hellenic League The Anglo-Hellenic League was founded in the aftermath of the 1912–13 Balkan Wars in order to counter anti-Greek propaganda in the United Kingdom. Dedicated to promoting Anglo-Greek understanding and friendship, the League has a long history of c ...

for stimulating interest in

Greek history The history of Greece encompasses the history of the territory of the modern nation-state of Greece as well as that of the Greek people and the areas they inhabited and ruled historically. The scope of Greek habitation and rule has varied throu ...

and culture. Beevor has been recognised with the 2014 Pritzker Military Museum & Library's Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. Tim O'Brien, the 2013 recipient, made the announcement on behalf of the selection committee. The award carried a purse of US$100,000. In July 2016, he was awarded the Medlicott Medal for services to history by the UK-based

Historical Association The Historical Association is a membership organisation of historians and scholars founded in 1906 and based in London. Its goals are to support "the study and enjoyment of history at all levels by creating an environment that promotes lifelong lea ...

. Beevor also sits on the Council of

the Society of Authors The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom trade union for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators, founded in 1884 to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. , it represents over 12,000 members and as ...

Awards

*''Crete: The Battle and the Resistance'' **

*''Stalingrad'' ** Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction ** Wolfson History Prize ** Hawthornden Prize for Literature *''Berlin: The Downfall 1945'' **

Longman Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in London, England, in 1724 and is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is also ...

History Today ''History Today'' is an illustrated history magazine. Published monthly in London since January 1951, it presents serious and authoritative history to as wide a public as possible. The magazine covers all periods and geographical regions and pub ...

Trustees' Award *'' The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939'' (Spanish Edition) **'' La Vanguardia'' Prize for Non-Fiction

Published works

Fiction

* ''Violent Brink''. London: John Murray, 1975. * ''For Reasons of State''. London: Jonathan Cape, 1980. * ''The Faustian Pact''. London: Jonathan Cape, 1983. * , ''The Enchantment of Christina von Retzen''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1989.

Nonfiction

* ''The Spanish Civil War''. London: Orbis, 1982. * ''Inside the British Army''. London:

Chatto and Windus Chatto & Windus is an imprint of Penguin Random House that was formerly an independent book publishing company founded in London in 1855 by John Camden Hotten. Following Hotten's death, the firm would reorganize under the names of his business ...

, 1990. * ''Crete: The Battle and the Resistance''. London: John Murray, 1991. * with

. ''Paris After the Liberation, 1944–1949''. London:

Penguin Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes , family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain t ...

, 1994. * ''

''. London:

Viking Press Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquire ...

, 1998. * '' Berlin: The Downfall 1945''. London: Penguin, 2002. (Published as ''The Fall of Berlin 1945'' in the U.S.) * ''The Mystery of Olga Chekhova''. London: Penguin, 2004. * '' The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006. * ''D-Day: The Battle for Normandy''. London: Penguin, 2009. * ''

''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2012. * ''Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble''. Viking, 2015. * ''Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges, 1944''. Viking, 2018. * '' Russia: Revolution and Civil War, 1917—1921''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2022.

Edited volumes

* ''A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army 1941–1945'' by

Vasily Grossman Vasily Semyonovich Grossman (russian: Васи́лий Семёнович Гро́ссман; 12 December (29 November, Julian calendar) 1905 – 14 September 1964) was a Soviet writer and journalist. Born to a Jewish family in Ukraine, then ...

Book contributions

* ''The British Army, Manpower and Society into the Twenty-First Century'', ed by

Hew Strachan Sir Hew Francis Anthony Strachan ( ), (born 1 September 1949) is a British military historian, well known for his leadership in scholarly studies of the British Army and the history of the First World War. He is currently professor of internatio ...

* '' What Ifs? of American History: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been'', by

Robert Cowley Robert Cowley is an American military historian, who writes on topics in American and European military history ranging from the Civil War through World War II. He has held several senior positions in book and magazine publishing and is the found ...

(Editor), Antony Beevor and

Caleb Carr Caleb Carr (born August 2, 1955) is an American military historian and author. Carr is the second of three sons born to Lucien Carr and Francesca Von Hartz. He authored '' The Alienist'', ''The Angel of Darkness'', ''The Lessons of Terror'', '' ...

. (2003)

References

External links

*
Antony Beevor Stalingrad Berlin - The Downfall 1945Antony Beevor discusses his book on the Spanish Civil War
* *
Interview
on ''The Second World War'' at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library on 21 June 2012
Sir Antony Beevor
on '' Desert Island Discs'',

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

, 19 February 2017 {{DEFAULTSORT:Beevor, Antony 1946 births 11th Hussars officers 20th-century British novelists 21st-century British writers 20th-century British historians 21st-century British historians Academics of Birkbeck, University of London British military historians British military writers Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Historians of World War II Knights Bachelor Living people People educated at Winchester College Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 3rd Class Historians of the Spanish Civil War Fellows of King's College London