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Peter Hart (born 10 January 1955, in Weardale, England) is a British military historian.

Biography

Hart grew up in Stanhope and Barton-under-Needwood. He attended school in Chesterfield, Derbyshire (1967–73) and Liverpool University (1973–76). He then undertook a post-graduate teaching course at Crewe & Alsager College (1976–77), and lastly a post-graduate librarianship at Liverpool Polytechnic (1979–80). He was an oral historian at the Sound Archive of the Imperial War Museum in London from 1981 to January 2020.^[1]^[2]

Works

Hart has written mainly on British participation in the First World War. His books include; The Somme, Jutland 1916, Bloody April on the air war in 1917, Passchendaele, Aces Falling (on the air war in 1918), 1918 A Very British Victory and Gallipoli. He is a regular contributor to Britain at War magazine.

Hart's books contain references to the eyewitness accounts of the participants, many of whom he has interviewed.^[a]

In recent years, Hart has been a frequent visitor to the Gallipoli peninsula, accompanying group tours of the battlefields.^[4] In so doing, he made the acquaintance of Australian historian Mat McLachlan.^[5]

After retiring from the Imperial War Museum, Hart launched the "Pete & Gary's Military History" podcast. The debut podcast was made available in February 2020. His friend Gary Bain serves as a Straight man foil to the irreverent Hart persona.^[6] The blend of historic analysis coupled with humour has its critics but reviews are generally favourable.^[7] The podcast is backed by McLachlan, and is a Living History production.^[b]

Hart's most recent book on Gallipoli was published by McLachlan's Living History production. In 2022, he published "Laugh or Cry".^[9]

Hart has also made contributions to the "History Hit" podcast series chaired by Dan Snow.^[10]^[11]

Hart has given talks at symposiums, alongside the likes of Taff Gillingham, Spencer Jones, Alexandra Churchill, Rob Thompson and Richard Van Emden. His expertise has seen him engaged by the Great War Group and regional associations of the Western Front Association to give presentations at their meetings.^[12]^[13]

Published works

Steel, Nigel; Hart, Peter (2002) [1994]. Defeat at Gallipoli. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-33-049058-0.
Steel, Nigel; Hart, Peter (2004). Jutland 1916: Death in the Grey Wastes. London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-35892-4.
Hart, Peter (2008). 1918: A Very British Victory. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-297-84652-9.
Hart, Peter (2011). Gallipoli. London: Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-84668-159-2.
Hart, Peter (2020). The Gallipoli Evacuation. Sydney: Living History. ISBN 978-0-6489-2260-5.
Hart, Peter (2000). Somme Success: Aerial Warfare on the Somme 1916. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-0-85-052741-4.
Hart, Peter (2006). Bloody April: Slaughter in the Skies over Arras, 1917. Orion Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-30-436719-1.
Hart, Peter (2008). Aces falling: war above the trenches, 1918. Orion Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-75-382407-8.
Hart, Peter (2010). 16th Durham Light Infantry in Italy 1943-1945. Voices from the Front. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84-884401-8.
Hart, Peter (2010). The South Notts Hussars: the Western Desert, 1940-1942. Voices from the Front. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84-884403-2.
Hart, Peter (2011). The 2nd Norfolk Regiment: From Le Paradis to Kohima. Voices from the Front. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84-884402-5.
Hart, Peter (2008). The Somme: the darkest hour on the Western Front. Pegasus Books. ISBN 978-1-60-598081-2.
Hart, Peter (2014). The Great War. London: Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-84-668247-6.
Hart, Peter (2015). Fire and movement: the British Expeditionary Force and the campaign of 1914. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-998927-0.
Hart, Peter (2017). Voices from the front: an oral history of the Great War. London: Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-78-125475-2.
Hart, Peter (2018). The Last Battle; Victory, Defeat, and the End of World War I. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-0872984.
Hart, Peter (2022). At close range: life and death in an artillery regiment, 1939–45. London: Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-78-816166-4.
Hart, Peter; Bain, Gary (2022). Laugh or Cry: The British Soldier on the Western Front, 1914-1918. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-39-906877-2.
Hart, Peter (2023). BURNING STEEL: a tank regiment at war, 1939–45. London: Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-78-816640-9.
Hart, Peter (2023). Footsloggers: an infantry battalion at war, 1939–45. London: Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-80-081070-9.

Notes and citations

Notes

^ 'Hart is the current master of an approach to military history developed by Martin Middlebrook and Lyn Macdonald. Direct quotations from participants establish "the face of battle," then combined with a narrative/analytical backdrop contextualizing the personal experiences. As an oral historian of Britain's Imperial War Museum, Hart has unrivalled access to relevant sources.' ^[3]
^ How does Pete and Gary's Military History get made? Join the two hosts as they lift the curtain on what goes into each week's episode. Peter Hart's Military History is a Living History production.^[8]

Citations

^ "Looking again at 1914 – an interview with military historian Peter Hart". Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi Blogs. New Zealand. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2024. Peter Hart has been Oral Historian at the Imperial War Museum since 1981. He has written several books about various aspects of the First World War, including Gallipoli and aerial warfare. His latest book is Fire and Movement, which takes a fresh look at the British Expeditionary Force in August 1914.
^ "Peter Hart". Biographies of Authors. 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2024 – via Tantor Media audiobooks. Peter Hart worked as the oral historian of the Imperial War Museum from 1981–2020. He is the author of several military history books on the First and Second World Wars.
^ "The Somme: The Darkest Hour on the Western Front". 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2024 – via Publishers Weekly ).
^ "Peter Hart". 18 May 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via Peter Hart Battlefield Tours. Peter established Peter Hart Battlefield tours in 2012 and has visited the peninsular well over 50 times.
^ "1918: The Last Battle – Interview with Peter Hart". Living History with Mat McLachlan. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via YouTube. Mat interviews Imperial War Museum historian Peter Hart about the closing days of the First World War, and the crucial role played by Australian, British and American troops in defeating the German Army.
^ "Reviews For Pete & Gary's Military History". Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via PodParadise. It's refreshing to find a podcast with very knowledgeable hosts, who also do not take themselves seriously
^ "Pete & Gary's Military History Customer Reviews". Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via podcasts.apple.com. Customer Reviews 4.6 out of 5; 110 Ratings
^ "BONUS: Behind the Scenes!". Pete & Gary's Military History. Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via podcasts.apple.com.
^ "Peter Hart". Biographies of contributing Authors. 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024 – via HistoryExtra – The official website for BBC History Magazine. Peter Hart is the former oral historian at the Imperial War Museum, London, and co-author of Laugh or Cry: The British Soldier on the Western Front, 1914–1918 (Pen & Sword Military, 2022)
^ "Gallipoli: the Endgame". The History Hit. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via acast. Dan and historian Peter Hart discuss how the Gallipoli garrison escaped to fight another day. Peter Hart was an oral historian at the Imperial War Museum for almost 40 years, during that time he interviewed thousands of veterans. An internationally acknowledged expert on Gallipoli, he is uniquely well placed to tell this remarkable story.
^ "The 1914 Christmas Truce (Part 1) Podcast". The History Hit. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via boomplay. This is part 1 of a two-part Christmas podcast that explores the truce with three distinguished historians, Peter Hart, Taff Gillingham and Rob Schaefer. We also hear extracts of letters and diaries from the men involved, including some broadcast here for the first time in English. This episode was first released on 23rd December 2020.
^ "Conference 2022 – Chester". Events. Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via The Great War Group. Join us for our annual get together. This year it takes place in Chester. [21 October 2022] Friday afternoon war walk option, evening keynotes with Vanda Wilcox, Richard Van Emden and social afterwards. Saturday all-day ticket with seminars and keynotes from Peter Hart, Alex Churchill & Nicolai Eberholst
^ "HMS Warspite in the Great War". Essex WFA events. Retrieved 29 March 2024 – via Western Front Association. We welcome Peter Hart back to Hornchurch for a talk on a naval theme on Wednesday 14th of February 2024. Peter will be telling the story of HMS Warspite in the First World War.