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Edward Stourton celebrates great debates, with analysis by a panel of experts

Edward Stourton presents a series celebrating great debates, combining archive of rare discussions between key figures with analysis by a panel of experts

Head to Head: Series 2

Head to Head: Series 2: Episode 2: AJP Taylor and Hugh Trevor-Roper

Episode 2

Episode 2: AJP Taylor and Hugh Trevor-Roper

Series 2

AJP Taylor and Hugh Trevor-Roper

BBC Radio 4 - Head to Head, Series 2, AJP Taylor and Hugh Trevor-Roper

The 1961 clash between AJP Taylor and Hugh Trevor-Roper over the origins of WWII.

Edward Stourton and guests discuss the 1961 clash between historians AJP Taylor and Hugh Trevor-Roper over the origins of World War II.

Edward Stourton continues to revisit passionate broadcast debates of the 1960s and 70s exploring the ideas, the great minds behind them and echoes of the arguments in present-day politics.

This episode pitches AJP Taylor against Hugh Trevor-Roper, two big-name historians and the 'telly dons' of their time. 

It's 1961 and the fall-out of world war two is still fresh in the minds of the British people. Taylor had just published his provocative revision of the orthodox view of the causes of the war in 1939 - that Britain had scuppered a lunatic dictator's plans of world domination. Taylor argued instead that Hitler was a rational statesman who carried out the expected foreign policies of any German leader, and that a war against Britain and France was unintended. 

It caused outrage. 

Also on the table is the question of Munich - were tweaks to Germany's frontiers to save another world war morally right? The inflation of the term 'appeasement' has many contemporary connotations.

In the studio dissecting the debate is Adam Sisman, biographer of both AJP Taylor and Hugh Trevor-Roper, and Richard Evans, Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge.


Producer: Dominic Byrne
A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Edward Stourton presents a four-part series celebrating great debates

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Episode 2: AJP Taylor and Hugh Trevor-Roper

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