Chalke Talk

EAST-WEST STREET: BACK TO THE 1930’s?

Acclaimed international human rights lawyer and winner of the 2016 Baillie Gifford Prize, Philippe Sands, traces the origins of the terms ‘genocide’ and ‘crimes against humanity,’ a journey that took him on a very personal quest to uncover the tragic fate of the Jewish communities in Lviv and the area around it in what is now western Ukraine. It is a truly remarkable story.

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THE BATTLE OF ISANDLWANA

The Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 was one of the most devastating defeats suffered by Britain at the hands of local inhabitants. The incredible Douglas Rattray explains the battle from both sides, highlighting the courage of the desperate British soldiers and the gallantry of the proud Zulu warriors. Our Eurocentric understanding of this titanic clash has, for years, been that of a British blunder but was it, in fact, a great Zulu victory?

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OUR BOYS: THE STORY OF A FALKLANDS PARATROOPER

Helen Parr brings to life the human experiences of the paratroopers who fought in the Falklands, and examines the long aftermath of that short and symbolic war. She looks at the social and cultural history of a regiment with an aggressive reputation, while intertwining the personal story of her uncle who was killed during the conflict.

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IN THE MOUTH OF THE WOLF: BROTHER, FATHER, TEACHER, SPY

Michael Morpurgo, one of Britain’s best-loved writers of children’s books, tells the incredible, true story of his uncles during World War II. The tale follows two brothers; Francis was a pacifist and conscientious objector, while Pieter signed up to fight. What happened next changed the course of Francis’s life forever, and threw him into the mouth of the wolf. 

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THE CAUSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

In this talk for secondary school pupils, Professor Frank McDonough examines the causes of WWII. He looks at long-term factors such as the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations and the depression following the Wall Street Crash, before turning to Hitler. He was an exceptional individual who had laid out his expansionist intentions as early as 1925 in Mein Kampf. Hitler built up German armaments while successfully gambling against the weakness of his opponents.

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THE REFORMATION

In the 500th anniversary year of the Reformation, Professor Peter Marshall talks about this seminal event, which engulfed Europe and was one of the most highly-charged, bloody and transformative periods in our collective history. Ever since, it has also remained one of the most contested. 

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I OBJECT: SATIRE AND SUBVERSION, A HISTORY OF DISSENT

Today dissent is relatively easy and commonplace. Our voices can be heard in protest, shared across social media and told through satire. But dissent is not a new phenomenon. Ian Hislop considers objects that ordinary people have created, adapted and used to mock and attack the status quo in societies as varied as Egypt in the 11th century BC, 16th century England and 20th century Afghanistan.

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A NEW WAY OF SEEING: THE HISTORY OF ART

Cultural critic Kelly Grovier questions whether greatness can be attributed to a single indispensable detail, such as a spectral sixth finger that ghosts Mona Lisa’s hand and the unfinished pearl in Vermeer’s most famous painting. He combs the most revered paintings and sculptures in art history for overlooked details that, once spotted and explored, alter forever the way that we see and connect with these milestones of creativity.

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THE LAST CAVALIER: PRINCE RUPERT OF THE RHINE

Described as ‘half man, half devil’ by the Parliamentarians, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Charles I’s nephew and commander of the Royalist forces in exile, was truly a man of two halves. Although nicknamed Prince Robber and renowned as a brutal general, dashing cavalier and Royalist pirate, Charles Spencer reveals the hidden side of Prince Rupert. He was a scientist, classical scholar and respected statesman too: a true Renaissance prince.

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