Can oral history challenge or alter the official past of a nation? History is often said to be written by the victors, but oral history has been strongly associated with the voices of the 'ordinary' citizens. Be it war, revolution or dictatorship, these accounts often offer different versions of the past. Alan Dein explores how this oral history can sometime collide with the official version committed to the history books - particularly in nations where the outcome is still bitterly contested.