Who we are

‘The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.’ L.P. Hartley

Studying history involves adventure. The historian must move from their own space and time into another, where people behave in unfamiliar ways and according to conventions that can be difficult to discern. To be a historian is to embrace the challenge of understanding a different world, meeting it on its own terms, studying it closely, tracing continuities and explaining change, finding points of vantage to make sense of the whole.

At Southampton, we are committed to the mission of exploring the past. As world-class researchers, we are all actively engaged in the generation of new knowledge about human societies across global space, from the era of Greek antiquity to the recent “war on terror”. As your teachers, we will provide you with orientation, the skills needed to navigate these worlds and regular guidance along the way, to the point that – by the end of your time with us – you will be able, with confidence, to pioneer your own trails. Through adventures we find out a good deal about ourselves. Through encounters with the past, our own present society comes more crisply into focus. We are excited to contribute to your development as independent learners, citizens, and historians. 

Historical Periods

Find out which members of staff specialise in a specific historical period.

Ancient

Subjects include Rome and its empire, the Greek world, the origins of Christianity
Dr Annelies Cazemier, Professor Sarah Pearce, Dr Louise Revell, Dr Helen Spurling, Dr Lena Wahlgren-Smith

Medieval

Subjects include The Crusades, the Angevin empire, The Hundred Years War
Dr Rémy Ambühl, Professor Peter Clarke, Professor Anne Curry, Dr Nicholas Karn, Dr Andy King, Dr Nicholas Kingwell, Dr Craig Lambert, Dr Lena Wahlgren-Smith, Professor Chris Woolgar

Early Modern

Subjects include Henry VII and The Tudors, the English civil wars, the East India company
Dr Julie Gammon, Professor Maria Hayward, Dr John McAleer, Professor Christer Petley, Professor Mark Stoyle

Modern

Subjects include The British empire, the Russian Revolution, Nazi Germany and Vichy France
Dr David Cox, Professor David Brown, Dr Eve Colpus, Dr Jonathan Conlin, Professor Mark Cornwall, Dr Hormoz Ebrahimnejad, Dr Elisabeth Forster, Dr George Gilbert, Professor Neil Gregor, Professor Tony Kushner, Dr Claire Le Foll, Dr John McAleer, Dr Pritipuspa Mishra, Dr Christopher Prior, Professor Joachim Schlör, Dr Joan Tumblety, Professor Chris Woolgar

Contemporary

Subjects include the Cold war, the Holocaust, the War on Terror
Dr Elisabeth Forster, Dr Alexander Ferguson, Dr Chris Fuller, Professor Kendrick Oliver, Professor Adrian Smith, Professor Ian Talbot, Dr Charlotte Riley, Dr Eleanor Quince

Places

Find out which geographical areas are covered by our research staff

Britain and Ireland

Professor David Brown, Dr Eve Colpus, Dr Jonathan Conlin, Professor Anne Curry, Dr Julie Gammon, Professor Maria Hayward, Dr Nicholas Karn, Dr Andy King, Dr Craig Lambert, Professor Tony Kushner, Dr John McAleer, Dr Christopher Prior, Dr Louise Revell, Dr Charlotte Riley, Professor Mark Stoyle, Professor Adrian Smith, Dr Lena Wahlgren-Smith, Professor Chris Woolgar

Europe

Dr Rémy Ambühl, Dr Annelies Cazemier, Professor Peter Clarke, Professor Anne Curry, Dr Nicholas Karn, Dr Andy King, Professor Mark Cornwall, Professor Neil Gregor, Dr Claire Le Foll, Professor Sarah Pearce, Dr Louise Revell, Professor Joachim Schlör, Dr Joan Tumblety, Dr Lena Wahlgren-Smith

Asia

Dr Annelies Cazemier, Dr Hormoz, Ebrahimnejad, Dr Elisabeth Forster, Dr Pritipuspa Mishra, Professor Sarah Pearce, Dr Helen Spurling, Professor Ian Talbot, Dr Lena Wahlgren-Smith

Africa

Dr Annelies Cazemier, Professor Sarah Pearce, Dr Christopher Prior, Dr Helen Spurling,

The Americas and Caribbean

Dr Chris Fuller, Professor Kendrick Oliver, Professor Christer Petley, Professor Adrian Smith

History research

History is closely associated with four research centres based in Humanities:

• Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/Non-Jewish Relations
• Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Culture
• Centre for Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies
• Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies
• Centre for Nineteeth-Century Research