Creative Folkestone Book Festival: Iain MacGregor: How War Changed the World
Create a free account to applyBestselling historian Iain MacGregor traces 3,000 years of conflict, from Marathon and Bannockburn to Stalingrad and Kyiv, revealing how morale, leadership and innovation can turn battles - and nations - around. The talk is chaired by historian Martin Latham and is followed by a book signing.
Join bestselling historian Iain MacGregor for a wide-ranging talk on how conflict has shaped the course of history over 3,000 years. Drawing on his book Battle: The Moments That Transformed Warfare from Ancient Greece to Ukraine, he explores why armies keep fighting when defeat seems certain and how leaders can alter the fate of nations.
The event looks at the forces that influence victory and defeat, including morale, leadership, innovation, subterfuge, timing and numbers. Moving from ancient Greece to modern Ukraine, it traces dramatic turning points from Marathon and Bannockburn to the Spanish Armada, Stalingrad and Kyiv, showing how battles can transform not just wars but civilisation itself.
The talk is chaired by historian, author and bookseller Martin Latham, and is part of Folkestone Book Festival. It is followed by a book signing, and the festival is presented as an annual celebration of stories, ideas and conversation by the sea.
Iain MacGregor
16 November 2026, 18:00 – 19:00
Location
Tickets: £12 standard + £1.50 booking fee; £10 concession + £1.50 booking fee; £5 cost of living ticket + £1.50 booking fee. Concessionary rates apply to under 21s, full-time students, registered unemployed and registered disabled, with proof of status.
Comments
Loading comments...