On this episode of the Authors of History Podcast I am joined by the author and historian Lucy Jane Santos

Lucy Jane Santos is a freelance historian and consultant, specialising in the late 19th and early 20th century uncovering the hidden stories of how science and technology have transformed daily life, especially when it comes to innovations in beauty practices.

Lucy has been a judge for the Historical Writers’ Association Non-Fiction Crown, the recipient of the Stephen Joseph Research Award and was the Non-Fiction Writer In Residence for the Stay-at-Home! International Literature Festival. She is a founder of the Art Deco Society UK and co-founder of the Cosmetic History and Makeup Studies Network. She also writes about our enduring fascination for Art Deco at The Deco Echo.

Lucy has appeared as a contributor on TV and radio, and her historical research has been featured by History Today, BBC History Revealed, Jezebel, LitHub, New York Post, Vogue, and on the BBC2 documentary, Makeup: A Glamorous History. Her most recent consultancy project was as historian for the Value of Beauty campaign, which aimed to raise awareness of the importance of the beauty and personal care value chain in Europe, organised by an alliance which includes L’Oréal and Beiersdorf.

Her debut, Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium was shortlisted for the 2021 BSHS Hughes Prize which recognises books that communicate the history of science in an engaging and accessible way to non-specialists. Her latest book, Chain Reactions: A Hopeful History of Uranium was shortlisted for the 2025 National Centre for Writing’s Book of the Year (History) Awards.

Lucy is currently working on Nobody’s Perfect: On the Set of Some Like It Hot, which will be released in 2026.

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On this episode of The Author of History Podcast I am joined by eminent Historian and author Dr Helen Fry.

Helen has authored and edited over 25 books covering the social history of the Second World War, including British Intelligence and the secret war, espionage and spies, and MI9 escape and evasion.

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She is the foremost authority on the 'secret listeners' who worked at special eavesdropping sites operated by British Intelligence during WWII. Her groundbreaking research and extensive media coverage have shed light on one of the greatest intelligence deceptions of the war: the bugging of Hitler’s generals at Trent Park in North London, and thousands of prisoners of war at Latimer House and Wilton Park in Buckinghamshire.

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Helen is the official biographer of MI6 spymaster, Colonel Thomas Joseph Kendrick. She has also extensively written about the 10,000 Germans who fought for Britain during WWII.

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Thanks to her expertise, Helen has appeared in a number of documentaries, including David Jason’s Secret Service (Channel 5), Spying on Hitler's Army (Channel 4), and Secrets of the Spies (Britbox). She has provided advisory services for TV and drama, something that she particularly enjoys. Helen has covered the major D-Day commemorations in live BBC broadcasts from Normandy, and she regularly appears in media interviews and podcasts.

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On this episode of Authors of History Podcast I am joined by historian and author Dr Sarah Louise Miller. I talk to her about her journey into history and becoming an author. She recommends an local Independant Books shop and a Author of History we all should read.

Sarah is a historian of war and conflict, with particular expertise in the Second World War. She is a specialist on WWII military history, with ten years of experience of studying air, maritime and land campaigns in this conflict. She has researched and written widely on air and sea power in the Second World War, as well as the intelligence, espionage and deception operations behind major battles and military operations, and the roles of women in the Allied military services and intelligence bodies.

Sarah has worked in both television and radio , with the BBC, ITV, Channel Four, Channel 5, Sky History, National Geographic and PBS. She has also worked with BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Oxford, BBC History Extra, Dan Snow’s History Hit podcast, the We Have Ways Podcast with Al Murray and James Holland, the Choiceology Podcast from Charles Schwab, and with various other podcasts and productions.

Sarah has written a number of books including:

Women Behind the few - The Womens Auxilary Air Force and British Intelligence During the Second Wortld War - Biteback publishing - March 2023

The Lancaster Story - Trues Tales of Britains Legendary Bomber - Michael O'Mara Press - May 2024 

Women in Allied Naval Intelligence in the Second World War - Bloomsbury Academic - November 2024

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On this episode of Authors of History Podcast, I talk to Jack Bowsher, historian, author and podcasters about his experince of becomeing an author and writing his first book 'Forgotten Armour - Tank Warfare in Burma' published in 2024. Jack talks about what drew him to writing about this specific part of World war 2 and his wider experiences of being a historian and author and how thats led into some fabulous oppportunities.

Jack gives some exciting insights into historical findings, his writing and future projects he is working on.

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On this episode of Authors of History Podcast, I talk to leading Canadian Historian, Author and TV Presenter David O'Keefe about his journey into history and to becoming an author. David talks about how his interest in World War 2 leads to him becoming a world renowned expert on the Operation Jubilee - The Dieppe Raids and the Canadian involvement in World War 2 and D-Day.

David gives some exciting insights into historical findings, his writing and future projects he is working on.

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