The History Book Buffs

Happy New Year from History Book Buffs! After our 21 Days of Christmas Book Gifts, we’re back with a special episode looking ahead to the most exciting history and historical fiction books coming out in 2026.From Soviet assassins and Baltic crusades to Cromwells, Bolsheviks, Weimar Germany and the Cambridge Five, this episode is packed with bookish fireworks. These are the titles we’re genuinely excited about as historians, writers, reviewers, and unapologetic history obsessives.📚 Books discussed include:The Death of Trotsky by Josh IrelandRasputin by Antony BeevorThe Black Cross: A History of the Baltic Crusades by Alexander PluszkowskiThe House of Cromwell by Miranda MalinsRed Dawn Over China by Frank DikötterWhite River Crossing by Ian McGuireWeimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe by Katja HoyerThe House of Boleyn by Tracy BormanStalin’s Apostles by Antonia Senior (out April 2026)We talk serious history, brilliant storytelling, fresh angles, and why these books matter now—from espionage and ideology to power, betrayal, and the human cost of history.If you love:✔️ narrative history✔️ Cold War & Soviet history✔️ Tudor, Civil War & medieval Europe✔️ historical fiction that actually knows its facts✔️ smart, opinionated book chat…this episode is for you.👉 Subscribe for more history book recommendations, deep dives, and author conversations👉 Available as a podcast wherever you get your podcasts👉 Let us know in the comments which 2026 history books you’re most excited about

Welcome back to History Book Buffs for Part 2 of our 21 Days of Christmas Books series — a bumper festive episode packed with brilliant history (and a couple of cracking novels). I’m Antonia Senior — writer and journalist — joined by my fellow book buff Roger Moorhouse, and together we’re sharing some of the very best titles we’ve read this year.In this episode we range from the Battle of Britain and the Blitz seen through German eyes, to the birth of modern British party politics, to spies getting uncomfortably close to Hitler’s inner circle — plus Baltic geopolitics, terrorism and revolution in the 1970s, and two brilliantly atmospheric works of fiction.Books featured in this episode:Eagle Days — Victoria TaylorThe Rage of Party — George OwersThe Spy and the Devil — Tim Willasey-WilseyThe Artist — Lucy SteedsBaltic — Oliver MoodyAppointment in Paris — Jane ThynneThe Revolutionists — Jason BurkeInside the Nazi Mind — Laurence ReesThe Holocaust (The Hitler Years series) — Frank McDonoughThe Spy in the Archives — Gordon Corera1945: The Reckoning — Phil CraigThank you for listening (and reading along) with us through 2025 — this is our last episode until January. We’ll be back in 2026 with more history books and more recommendations.

🎄 21 Days of Christmas Book Gifts – Round-Up of the First 10 Books 🎄In this special episode, we run through the first ten titles in our 21 Days of Christmas Book Gifts series — a curated collection of the very best in history, espionage, military narrative, and historical fiction. If you’re looking for the perfect present for the history lover in your life, or simply want a fast-paced guide to the standout books of the season, this round-up has you covered.We revisit each title, why it matters, and who it’s perfect for — from gripping World War II narratives to dazzling Tudor intrigue and brilliantly reimagined classics.📚 Featured BooksVictory 45 — James Holland & Al Murray’s vivid account of the final months of WWII.The Boleyn Traitor — Philippa Gregory’s tense Tudor power struggle brought to life.Tank — Mark Urban’s masterful deep-dive into armoured warfare.Sharpe’s Storm — Bernard Cornwell’s Napoleonic hero at his very best.Suetonius (trans. Tom Holland) — A fresh, sharp, and wildly readable take on the Twelve Caesars.Tunisgrad — Saul David’s gripping portrait of catastrophe and courage in North Africa.Wolfpack — Roger Moorhouse’s thrilling history of the U-boat hunters who helped win the war.The Pretender — Jo Harkin’s brilliant, witty, and genre-bending historical novel.The White Lady — Helen Fry’s powerful account of Belgian resistance and forgotten heroism.The Mission — Tim Weiner's compelling account of the CIA in the 21st Century.🎧 In This EpisodeFast, insightful rundowns of each bookWhy these titles make exceptional giftsThe wider historical themes tying them togetherRecommendations for readers who love: WWII history, Cold War intrigue, Tudor drama, classical biography, Napoleonic campaigns, and literary historical fictionIf you’re following along with the full 21-day series or simply need the ultimate history-lover’s gift guide, this episode is your festive cheat-sheet.

Eighty years ago, the world watched as the Nuremberg Trial opened in a ruined German city — the first time leaders of a defeated regime were prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace.In this episode of our series Days That Changed the World, we take you inside Courtroom 600 on the historic opening day of the Nuremberg Trials and uncover how this moment reshaped international law, justice after dictatorship, and the way the world confronts atrocity.We explore the atmosphere in the courtroom, the unprecedented media attention, the indictments against the Nazi leadership, and the reactions of the defendants as the evidence unfolded. From conspiracy charges to the final verdicts — including both acquittals and death sentences — this episode breaks down why Nuremberg remains a defining legal and moral turning point in modern history.If you’re interested in World War II, international justice, the origins of human rights law, or the drama behind major historical events, this episode is for you.Why the Nuremberg Trial became a pivotal moment in world historyHow it established the foundations of modern international criminal lawWhat the opening day felt like inside Courtroom 600Who the defendants were — and what they were charged withHow the world’s media covered the trialThe emotional reactions inside the courtroomThe final verdicts and their long-term consequences00:00 The Significance of Nuremberg01:58 The Context of the Trials04:43 The Opening Day of the Trials07:16 The Defendants and Their Backgrounds10:00 The Atmosphere in Nuremberg13:07 The Proceedings and Indictments15:36 The Reactions of the Defendants18:54 The Verdicts and Their Implications21:45 Reflections on Justice and Accountability

On 23 August 1939, two dictators who despised each other made a decision that reshaped the world. In this episode, we explore the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact — often known as the Nazi-Soviet Pact — and its profound impact on Europe and the outbreak of the Second World War.In the first of a new series on THE DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD, Roger Moorhouse and Antonia Senior discuss the tense negotiations in Moscow, the secret territorial agreements, and the shock felt across the political spectrum when Stalin and Hitler aligned their interests. Far from being a footnote, this moment led directly to the invasion of Poland and the dismemberment of Eastern Europe, sealing the fate of millions and altering global history.We also examine how this episode has been remembered — and misremembered — and why it remains crucial to understanding both Stalin’s strategic mindset and the origins of the war.Recommended readings are shared at the end of the conversation for those looking to dive deeper.Why the 1939 pact changed the course of historyStalin and Hitler’s unlikely diplomatic manoeuvringWhat the secret protocols really meant for Eastern EuropeReactions inside the international communist movementThe pact’s human and geopolitical consequencesWhere this moment fits in wider WWII historiographyRealpolitik and ideological betrayalThe invasion of Poland and division of Eastern EuropeHistorical memory and overlooked turning pointsThe scale of suffering unleashed by the agreement“Stalin is a very canny operator.”“The suffering is immense on both sides.”“It’s a day that changed the world.”