I ‘met’ Gavin via the relatively new social media site Bluesky and noticed that not only was he an interesting chap, but that he also seemed to have wargaming tastes not a million miles from my own. We got chatting and of course, I realised that I just had to get him on the show!
Gavin is, as he explains, both a military historian and a battlefield archaeologist and this career has brought him into contact with some well-known individuals such as Professor Alice Roberts and Professor Tony Pollard (who has, of course, appeared on this show). Born in Belfast but with a degree from the university of Wales in Lampeter, where he discovered that a surprising number of academics were also wargamers, he is now back in his native Northern Ireland but travels widely for his work.
No stranger to social media, Gavin has a popular YouTube channel called the “30 Second Historian” in which he gives brief insights into particular historical sites. He has also appeared on the BBC such as one Heroes of the Somme and has a host of academic credits to his name.
The show has had to be divided in two for technical reasons, as you’ll hear – Gavin’s connection to the recording studio, which had been somewhat shaky throughout the show, simply packed up after about an hour, though this was not noticed until I was halfway through the editing process! Therefore, this first part focuses primarily on his career and we had only just started to talk about his involvement in and passion for the hobby.
Never mind – we’ll schedule another time soon to try again, because we actually had a fascinating discussion which revealed that he and I have many interests and tastes in common. Besides, guests appear on the show primarily because they are wargamers who might just happen to have an interesting career path as well!
So, for the time being, enjoy part 1 of the show.
Henry
Gavin’s forthcoming book With Dreadful Slaughter
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