Antony Beevor is a historian for readers who want to understand both a campaign and the people caught inside it. His festival conversations took a biographical turn in 2026, following the influence of Rasputin on imperial Russia. Fans of his military histories had a different kind of historical life to explore.
Quick facts
Best known for
Stalingrad and narrative histories of the Second World War
Genre or subject
Military history and historical biography
Latest book
Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs (2026), Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Beevor’s writing includes historical non-fiction and novels. He moved from military service into writing, and his books have reached readers in many languages. His histories move between decisions made by those in command and the lives of people who have to endure the consequences. That is a strong reason to hear him if you are interested in how a historian turns a vast subject into a story you can follow.
His 1998 account of the battle for Stalingrad won the Samuel Johnson Prize, the Wolfson History Prize and the Hawthornden Prize. He has also edited and translated wartime writing with Lyubov Vinogradova. That collaboration sits alongside the narrative histories: a historian’s work can involve bringing another person’s words to readers as well as writing a new account.
His professional life includes fellowships of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Historical Society, lecturing and academic appointments. Weidenfeld & Nicolson published his latest historical biography in March 2026. It follows Rasputin and the decline of the Romanov dynasty, moving the focus from campaigns to an individual and the household around him.
Where to start with their books
Stalingrad
This is the close view of a battle: civilians and soldiers enduring a struggle in which both armies fought through a ruined city. It is a place to start if you want to see how Beevor connects military events with human experience.
The Second World War
For the wider canvas, this history connects fighting on different continents with the people caught between rival powers. Its opening and closing movements in Asia help a reader see the conflict beyond a single European campaign.
Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs
Choose the biography for the subject of his festival year. It follows the figure whose influence on the imperial household became inseparable from arguments about Russia’s collapsing dynasty, giving readers of his war histories a new historical setting.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
Hay’s description explored competing ways of understanding Rasputin’s influence. That made the conversation a chance to think about the relationship between an individual, an imperial household and the fall of a dynasty. For readers who normally choose battle history, the appeal was hearing the same historian tackle power and responsibility through biography.
If you are drawn to a historical personality, this was the kind of programme that could make a festival visit worthwhile: a sustained conversation about the person, with space to think about the wider society around them.
Where to see them next
No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.
Plan your trip
Pick the historical subject you most want to spend an hour thinking about, then choose your festival base. A companion who reads biography and one who prefers military history may come away with different questions; leave room afterwards to compare what caught your attention.
If you keep notes in your history books, bring one question about an interpretation that surprised you. A question about how the writer weighs competing accounts gives other listeners a way into the answer without needing everyone to know a long sequence of battles or family names.
The 2026 programmes featured Antony Beevor at Chalke History Festival, Hay Festival, Oxford Literary Festival, Stratford Literary Festival; follow those guides for event information and practical visit details.
Is a Beevor event only for military-history specialists?
Use the festival links on Antony Beevor’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
Which book should I read before attending?
For a conversation centred on the recent biography, choose that book if you want to arrive knowing its argument. If you are discovering the writer, the suggestions below show how his work ranges from one devastating battle to a history of the wider conflict.
Where should I buy tickets?
Use the festival links on Antony Beevor’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
