Martyn Whittock

Freelance historian, columnist, commentator
Historian, Non-fiction writer
Available for:
Collaboration, Editing, Judging, Lecturing and teaching, Library visits, Media, Public speaking, School visits
Contact me via the SoA

About me

I am a freelance historian, columnist and commentator. I am a Lay Minister in the Church of England.

What I do!

I am the author, or co-author, of fifty-eight books, covering a wide range of historical and theological themes. In addition, as a commentator and columnist, I write for several print and online news platforms and am frequently interviewed on TV and radio news and discussion programmes exploring the impact of history on modern society and the complex interaction of faith and politics.

My USP (I believe) is the ability to make complex themes accessible and engaging for the general (ie non-academic) reader, listener and viewer. Although I strive to ensure that what I write and say will stand up to academic scrutiny!

Recent books:

My recent books, exploring how ‘deep stories’ influence later community identities, include:  Trump and the Puritans (2020), American Vikings. How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America (2023) and Vikings in the East. From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin (2025).

As the last two suggest, I have a particular interest in the Viking Age and its influence, being co-author of The Viking Blitzkrieg AD789-1098 (2013), 1016 and 1066. Why the Vikings Caused the Norman Conquest (2016), Norse Myths and Legends (2017 ) published in the USA as Tales of Valhalla, and The Vikings: From Odin to Christ (2018). 

However, I have written about a wide range of historical periods. These include A Brief History of the Third Reich (2011), Mayflower Lives (2019) and The Secret History of Soviet Russia’s Police State (2020).

I have also explored the history of the spread of Christianity from its original heartlands in the co-written Christ: The First 2000 Years (2016) and its companion volume: Jesus the Unauthorized Biography (2021). In addition – also exploring faith and history – are: the co-written Daughters of Eve (2021), The Story of the Cross (2021), and also The End Times, Again? (2021) and Apocalyptic Politics (2022).

I am an experienced (and, I am told, engaging) public speaker and lecturer.