Beginnings of Dan Snow

After graduating from Oxford University with a double first, Dan Snow began presenting military history programmes with his father, the veteran broadcaster Peter Snow. Their series, Battlefield Britain (2004), won a BAFTA award. The TV series told the story of eight decisive clashes in British history, from Boudicca to the Battle of Britain. The follow-up series examined eight key military encounters of the 20th century, including the battle of Stalingrad and the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, was televised in the summer of 2007.

Other Events

As well as history, Dan has covered many live events often with a military link, such as Trooping the Colour and commemorations of the Falklands conflict.  As well as current affairs programmes including Who Really Owns Britain and What Britain Earns, he is one of the BBC’s most popular factual broadcasters. During the course of his career, Dan has been gassed, set on fire, trained as a sniper, and contracted hypothermia. He also launched the first handheld video guides to London. He is the author of a number of books including On This Day in History, a compilation of significant, but often lesser-known, historical dates.

A deeper look

As well as looking at the history of almost any place, group or industry, Dan also considers the causes, consequences and evolution of innovation. He examines the circumstances of the industrial revolution, the factors that made Britain uniquely suited to encouraging developments (from patent law to natural resources). He also looks at examples such as the printing press and the railway. Both were first feared and unregulated. They spawned rapid changes in society and were eventually subject to strict government controls. By analysing history, Dan discusses the probable futures of everything from the tech giants to air pollution to the ethics of AI.

The great leaders

Considering other aspects of history Dan finds lessons in leadership from the likes of Alexander The Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon and Margaret Thatcher. He dissects the evolution of what people think of as leadership, and the qualities different circumstances call for, whether it’s inspiring devotion or strategic thinking. He compares current figures like Greta Thunberg to historical ones like Joan of Arc, and highlights how political and social division has always existed across the UK and beyond, from the Civil War to The General Strike. He also looks at the cyclical nature of Britain’s relationship with its neighbours which has seen the country expand into and influence Europe at certain points, but then throw up defensive walls and look inwards at others.

Corporate speaker & awards host

Dan Snow is a comprehensive corporate speaker, interesting and through. Plus an excellent awards-host.