Nile Kenya

Richard Overy is a prominent British historian, born on December 23, 1947, in London, England. He is widely recognized for his extensive research and publications on the history of World War II and Nazi Germany. Overy was educated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree and later became a research fellow at Churchill College. He taught history at Cambridge from 1972 to 1979 before moving to King’s College London, where he became a professor of modern history in 1994. In 2004, he was appointed as an Honorary Research Professor at the University of Exeter.

Overy has authored over 25 books, including notable works such as Why the Allies Won (1995), The Dictators: Hitler’s Germany; Stalin’s Russia (2004), and The Bombing War: Europe 1939-1945 (2013), which won the Cundill Award for Historical Literature in 2014. His most recent book, Why War?, released in 2024, explores the persistent nature of warfare throughout human history from various interdisciplinary perspectives. Overy’s scholarship has been praised for its rigorous analysis and ability to challenge historical myths.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the British Academy and has received several awards for his contributions to military history. Overy has also served as an advisor for various historical documentaries and is known for his public engagement through media appearances. His work remains influential in the fields of modern history and military studies, making significant contributions to our understanding of World War II and its broader implications.