From Rorke's Drift to the Battle of Britain and Nelson to Neil Armstrong, these are men who understood - as Scott always did - that it was more important to die a hero than live a coward's life. “I’m a generalist,” he tells the Border Telegraph.. “I’ve got the attention span of a gnat. It was a period which accounts for more than ninety-nine per cent of humankind's presence on these islands. I would rather that it would just go away – or that it had never happened".

In February 2011, he presented A History of Ancient Britain on BBC Two. Oliver disagrees that this cyclical nature of human behaviour means we are not learning from historical mistakes.

Viewed from the air, even the most familiar landscapes take on a startling new life. The tales come thick and fast - of geography, commerce and the deeply human. It shows how a thriving Iron Age Britain became part of the Roman Empire, heralding an era of luxury for some and harsh subjugation for many; it reveals how Celtic communities survived north of Hadrian’s Wall and around the fringes of the island and examines how a new Romano-British culture emerged from the bitter struggle for Britannia.

As he talks, it becomes clear that he is not just a historian at all – he’s a sociologist, anthropologist, philosopher, entertainer, tutor and author, all rolled into one. And just what drove them to embark on such extraordinary voyages of discovery over 1000 years ago? In December 2018, he presented BBC4's 3 part docu-drama series Rise of the Clans. Through what is revealed by the artefacts of the past, Neil Oliver weaves the epic story - half -a-million years of human history up to the departure of the Roman Empire in the Fifth Century AD.

With stunning, BAFTA-winning cinematography and mesmerising narrative the series tells of battles and allegiances, political intrigue and religious conflict. New members get entered into our monthly draw to win £100 to spend in your local bookshop Plus lots lots more….

As they uncover artefacts abandoned in the heat and chaos of battle they closely follow the progress of each engagement and answer key historical questions, sometimes totally revising the accepted version of events. “To me, history was just part of trying to understand my family and the things that had happened to my family.”. The Western Isles and Shetland “I was aware, like many people are, that there’s a lot of unhappiness around, in the West, a lot of anger about things like Brexit, Scottish independence and climate change,” says the writer, “and I was in the habit of, in order to calm myself down and feel a bit better, thinking about older things. They stand as landmarks to a defining period in British history - and yet one which is in danger of slipping away from popular memory. Humanity recedes and the land itself takes centre stage.

Master of Shadows. VIKINGS will explore many of these questions for the first time in an epic story of one of the world's great empires of conquest.

Drawing on the latest discoveries that have only recently come to light, Neil Oliver goes on the trail of the real Vikings. Through what is revealed by the artefacts of the past, Neil Oliver weaves the epic story - half -a-million years of human history up to the departure of the Roman Empire in the Fifth Century AD. . There are 37,780 First World War memorials in Britain, listing names from all walks of life - estates, villages, places of work. Oliver says: “That applies to history, for me. Through his gripping new account of how this modest naval officer became Scott of the Antarctic, Neil Oliver vividly relates the awe-inspiring tales that inspired Britain's greatest hero.

There has been human habitation in Britain, regularly interrupted by Ice Ages, for the best part of a million years.

Oliver presented the three-part series Sacred Wonders of Britain for BBC Two and Coast Australia, aired in 2013–14.

“Ginger people! Oliver was a contributor to BBC One's The One Show in the summer of 2007. Format: Paperback / softback Release Date: 30/10/2018. In 2017, Neil Oliver co-presented BBC 4's 3-part history series Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney.

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