Dan Jones (writer)
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Daniel Gwynne Jones (born 27 July 1981) is a British popular historian, novelist, television presenter, and journalist. He received his education from
Pembroke College, Cambridge Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has over 700 students and fellows. It is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from ...
.


Early life and education

Jones was born in
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
, England, in 1981 to Welsh parents. He was educated at The
Royal Latin School The Royal Latin School (RLS) is a co-educational grammar school in Buckingham, England. It has continually existed for over six hundred years; receiving a Royal Charter in this time and moving premises three times. In September 2011 the schoo ...
, a state grammar school in
Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of ...
, before attending Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he achieved a first-class degree in history in 2002.


Career


Historian

Jones's first history book was a popular narrative history of the English
Peasants' Revolt The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black ...
of 1381, titled ''Summer of Blood: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381'', which was published in 2009. His second book, '' The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England'', was published in 2012 in the United Kingdom and a year later in the United States, where it became a ''New York Times'' bestseller. The book, which covers the history of the
Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet ( /plænˈtædʒənət/ ''plan-TAJ-ə-nət'') was a royal house which originated from the French county of Anjou. The name Plantagenet is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses: the Angev ...
dynasty from
Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...
to
Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 â€“ ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...
, received positive reviews from critics. Jones's third book, ''The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors'' published in 2014, picks up where ''The Plantagenets'' leaves off and covers the period 1420–1541, from the death of
Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...
to the execution of
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
's cousin,
Margaret Pole Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury (14 August 1473 – 27 May 1541), was the only surviving daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence (a brother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III) and his wife Isabel Neville. As a result of Mar ...
. His fourth book, also published in 2014 is about
Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...
and is titled ''Magna Carta: The Making and Legacy of the Great Charter''. Jones returned to the Lancasters with his 2024 book, ''Henry V – The Astonishing Rise of England's Greatest Warrior King''. Jones's next book, ''The Templars, The Rise and the Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors'', was published in September 2017 about the
Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
. Jones also worked as a historical consultant on the 2018
History History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
historical drama ''
Knightfall Knightfall may refer to: Television * ''Knightfall'' (TV series), an American historical fiction drama television series * " Knight Fall", an episode of the sixth season of ''House'' * "Knightfall" (''Once Upon a Time''), an episode of the sevent ...
'', presenting the official podcast. In August 2018, he published ''The Colour of Time: A New History of the World, 1850–1960'' illustrated by
Marina Amaral Marina Amaral (born in 1994) is a Brazilian artist known for her colorizations of historical black and white photographs. Work A self-taught artist, she was an international relations student in college, but dropped out in April 2015 to pursue a ...
. He collaborated with Amaral again in 2020 for the book ''The World Aflame''. ''Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Land'' was published on 5 September 2019. It deals with the
Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...
from 1096 onwards. ''Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages'' was published by Head of Zeus in 2021. His first historical fiction debut began with his 2022 book ''Essex Dogs,'' which is part of a planned trilogy. It details the life of a platoon of archers and men-at-arms during the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
. In 2022, Jones started his own podcast through Somethin' Else and
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
called ''This Is History: A Dynasty to Die For'', recounting much of the content of his 2012 book, ''The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England''.


TV presenter

In 2014, Jones's book ''The Plantagenets'' was adapted for television as a four-part series on Channel 5 entitled '' Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty: The Plantagenets''. Jones has also made a twelve-part series for Channel 5, '' Secrets of Great British Castles''. In April 2016 he co-wrote and co-presented, with
Suzannah Lipscomb Suzannah Rebecca Gabriella Lipscomb (born 7 December 1978)
, Library of Congress Name Authority File
is a Britis ...
, ''
Henry VIII and His Six Wives ''Henry VIII and His Six Wives'' is a 1972 British historical drama film directed by Waris Hussein, adapted from the 1970 miniseries, '' The Six Wives of Henry VIII''. Keith Michell, who plays Henry VIII in the TV series, reprised his role. His ...
'', shown on Channel 5. In May 2017 he co-wrote and co-presented a three-part docu-drama, ''Elizabeth I'', with Suzannah Lipscomb. It was broadcast on Channel 5. In May and June 2017, Jones, with Suzannah Lipscomb and engineer Rob Bell, presented ''The Great Fire'', for Channel 5, a series in which the three presenters walked the actual route the
Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old London Wall, Roman city wall, while also extendi ...
fire took across the city. In June 2018 he presented a three-part series for Channel 5, ''Building Britain's Canals''. Jones has also made a four-part documentary series entitled ''Britain's Bloody Crown'' about the
Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...
. Over four weeks in March 2019, Jones presented ''London: 2,000 Years of History'' alongside Lipscomb and Bell.


Journalist

Jones is a journalist. He is a columnist at the ''London Evening Standard'', where he writes regularly about sport. He has written for ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'', ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...
'', ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'', ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' and ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'', ''
The Literary Review ''The Literary Review'' is an American literary magazine founded in 1957. Publication was suspended in 2022, and the website notes: "Given the extenuating circumstances and the impact of Covid-19 on institutions of higher education, we do not ...
'', the ''
New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
'', '' GQ'', ''
BBC History ''BBC History'' is a British magazine devoted to both British and world history, and aimed at readers of all levels of knowledge and interest. There are thirteen issues a year, one each month and a Christmas special. The magazine is published, ...
'' and ''
History Today ''History Today'' is a history magazine. Published monthly in London since January 1951, it presents authoritative history to as wide a public as possible. The magazine covers all periods and geographical regions and publishes articles of tradit ...
''.


Personal life

Jones lives in
Staines-upon-Thames Staines-upon-Thames, also known simply as Staines, is a market town in northwest Surrey, England, around west of central London. It is in the Borough of Spelthorne, at the confluence of the River Thames and River Colne, Hertfordshire, Colne. ...
with his wife, two daughters and son.


Publications

* ''Summer of Blood: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381'', London,
HarperPress HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the " Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. HarperCollins is ...
, 2009, . * '' The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England'', London, HarperPress, 2012, * ''The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors'', London,
Faber Faber may refer to: People * Faber (surname) Companies * Faber & Faber, publishing house in the United Kingdom * Faber-Castell, German manufacturer of writing instruments * Faber Music, British sheet music publisher * Eberhard Faber, German ...
, 2014, ; also published as: ''The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors'', New York,
Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9â ...
, 2014, * ''Magna Carta: The Making and Legacy of the Great Charter'', London,
Head of Zeus Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in ...
, 2014, ; also published as: ''Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty'', New York, Viking, 2014 * ''Realm Divided: A Year in the Life of Plantagenet England'', London,
Head of Zeus Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. Bloomsbury's head office is located on Bedford Square in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a US publishing office located in ...
, 2016, . * ''The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors'', London, Head of Zeus, 2017, . * ''The Colour of Time: A New History of the World, 1850–1960'', London, Apollo, 2018, . * ''Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Land'', London, Head of Zeus, 2019 * ''The World Aflame: The Long War, 1914–1945'', London, Apollo, 2020, . * ''Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages'', London, Head of Zeus, 2021, . * ''The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings'', London, Head of Zeus, 2021, . * ''Essex Dogs'', London, Head of Zeus, 2022, . * ''Wolves of Winter'', London, Head of Zeus, 2023 . *


Filmography


References


External links


Blog Dan Jones
Substack Substack is an American online platform that provides publishing, payment, analytics, and design infrastructure to support subscription-based content, including newsletters, podcasts, and video. It allows writers to send digital content directl ...
* * * *
Dan Jones
at
History Extra ''BBC History'' is a British magazine devoted to both British and world history, and aimed at readers of all levels of knowledge and interest. There are thirteen issues a year, one each month and a Christmas special. The magazine is published, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Dan 1981 births Living people 21st-century English historians Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge British male biographers British medievalists English biographers English historical novelists English male journalists English people of Welsh descent English podcasters English television presenters Historians of England Historians of the Knights Templar Historians of monarchy and royalty People educated at the Royal Latin School Writers from Reading, Berkshire