IAIN MACGREGOR: Battle

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Historian and award-winning author Iain MacGregor joins us at the bookshop this October, to discuss his latest book, Battle: The Moments That Transformed Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine, with journalist and broadcater James Naughtie.

Battle is a sweeping journey across three thousand years of conflict that asks a deceptively simple question: why do some armies win while others fail? Drawing on famous battles from Hannibal's ambush at Lake Trasimene to the drone battles of Ukraine, Iain MacGregor uncovers the recurring forces that shape victory – leadership, morale, innovation, timing, numbers and deception.

Rich with dramatic stories, extraordinary characters and battlefield turning points, this talk reveals that while weapons have changed beyond recognition, the fundamental drivers of success in war have remained remarkably constant. It's not just a history of battles; it's a history of the ideas, decisions and human qualities that have repeatedly changed the course of the world.

About the book:
For centuries, battles have determined the fate of nations, toppled empires and reshaped civilisations.

In Battle, award-winning historian Iain MacGregor charts the key encounters that have shaped the evolution of warfare – from the clash of hoplite spears at Marathon and the storm of longbows at Agincourt, to the firestorms of Stalingrad and the drone warfare of modern Ukraine. Battle is far more than a chronicle of triumphs and defeats. MacGregor delves into the human and technological driving forces behind history’s most decisive clashes: the brilliance – and hubris – of leadership, the revolutionary impact of new weaponry, the fragile lifeline of supply, and, above all, the endurance of morale – the lifeblood of any army.

Famous commanders from Julius Caesar to Napoleon are seen afresh as MacGregor examines the units they led, the weapons they used and the tactics that brought them victory, illuminating both the genius and the folly that turned battlefields into crucibles of history. Panoramic in scope yet alive with vivid detail, Battle is an exhilarating ride through centuries of conflict and innovation. MacGregor provides both an authoritative study and a gripping narrative of how war has been fought – and how it has shaped the world in which we live today.

About the author and chair:
Iain MacGregor has worked in non-fiction publishing for thirty years, editing major historians such as Simon Schama, Max Hastings, Michael Wood and Richard Overy. Over the past decade he has established himself as an award-winning writer whose most recent book, The Hiroshima Men, was published in 2025 to much acclaim. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

James Naughtie, special correspondent for BBC News, is one of the country's best-known broadcasters. He presented Today on Radio 4 for 21 years, and has reported for the BBC from around the world for more than three decades. Alongside his journalism he has wide cultural interests, and has written and produced many documentaries on music and books, and presented concerts from across Europe for radio and television. On Radio 4, he has hosted every edition of Bookclub since it began in 1998.