Dr Sam Edwards SFHEA, FRHistS
Reader in History
My profile
Biography
Originally from the Waveney Valley in Suffolk, I’ve now lived in the North-West of England for over two decades. I’m told this makes me an honorary Northerner, an identity I try to live up to by using - probably wrongly - such terms as ‘aye’, ‘lass’, and ‘mill’ as frequently as possible (ie. ‘Aye lass’, that’s a very nice ‘mill’ over there….). When not reading World War II histories, Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett, or anything by Roger Deakin (poet of water, and of the woods), I can often be found hiking the hills with my spaniel Topsy, running the occasional ultra-marathon, or cycling through the Forest of Bowland. For reasons that I still don’t fully understand, these interests and idiosyncrasies are lovingly indulged by my partner Nicola and our daughter, Megan. On Fridays, I repay their indulgence by cooking enormous quantities of Bolognese whilst drinking red wine and dancing to classic 80s power-ballads. The latter, I’m told, is very bad, and borders on the distressing. I persist regardless.
Interests and expertise
I’m a historian of the United States, of transatlantic relations, and of twentieth century war commemoration whose research has been funded by the ESRC, the US-UK Fulbright Commission, the US Army Military History Institute, the American Philosophical Society, the USAF Academy, and the US Naval War College. My first book, Allies in Memory: World War II and the Politics of Transatlantic Commemoration, 1941-2001 (Cambridge, 2015) was shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society’s Gladstone Prize, and I’ve authored numerous peer reviewed articles and chapters as well as editing three volumes exploring various issues in international history.
I teach across the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including several units in 20th century American history, and I supervise several PhD students working on Anglo-American relations, the cultural history of war, and veterans’ studies.
A recognised expert on US-UK relations, I’ve provided commentary to BBC Television, BBC Radio, CNN, Sky News, and I write Op-Eds for The Independent. I’m a Fulbright Scholar (2010), a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2019, I was elected Visiting Research Fellow at the Rothermere American Institute (Oxford) and in 2022 I am Research Fellow in Residence at the Fred W. Smith Library for the Study of George Washington, Mount Vernon, Virginia. I am a Council Member of the Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, and a Managing Editor for the British Journal of Military History.
Projects
I am currently working on three major projects, all supported by external grants and fellowships:
1. The First Friendly Invasion: The American Expeditionary Force in Britain, 1917-1919: This project uncovers the social and cultural history of the First World War-era American military presence in Britain, a subject almost entirely overlooked and yet of real significance to 20th century Anglo-American relations. It has been supported by grants and fellowships from the American Philosophical Society, the British Association of American Studies, the US Army Military History Institute, and the US Naval War College.
2. Americans in the Service of the King: The RAF Eagle Squadrons in History and Memory: Supported by a grant from the USAF Academy Library, this project explores the ways in which the RAF Eagle squadrons - units composed of American volunteers - have been commemorated over the past 80 years.
3. Mount Vernon and Transatlantic Cultural Diplomacy, c. 1860-1951: This project examines the ways in which George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, Virginia, has been ‘used’ as a space for transatlantic cultural diplomacy (ie. the hosting of State Visits and other occasions involving international dignitaries). The project is supported by a residential research fellowship (2022) at the Fred W. Smith Library for the Study of George Washington, Mount Vernon.
Teaching
I teach across the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, particularly in 20th century American history, the history of 20th century conflict, and historical skills and methods.
I supervise several PhD students in the following areas (and would be happy to hear from those with proposals in similar fields):
Cultural history of modern war; Transatlantic cultural relations; Memory, Memorials and Commemoration; US-UK special relationship; veterans’ studies
Supervision
- Sarah Marden, ‘Rationale, Identity and Legacy: The Collection of Maurice, Fourth and Last Baron Egerton of Tatton Park (1874-1958)’. PhD, completed in 2017.
- Stephen Roberts, ‘The Wirral and the First World War’. PhD, completed in 2020
- Jake Shepherd, ‘The Alabama, the US Civil War,and Anglo-American Relations’. PhD.
- Adele Roberts, ‘Peterloo in Manchester Memory’. PhD.
- Simon Olsen, ‘Combat Trauma and British Veterans of Afghanistan’. PhD.
- Jonathan Harper, ‘Post-1945 Civilian Resettlement Units’. PhD.
- Corey Estensen, ‘Maurice Tatton and Anglo-American Naval Aviation’. PhD.
- Adrian Feerick, ‘A Difficult Homecoming: The Return of British Veterans after 1945’. PhD.
Research outputs
My work explores transatlantic relations (especially the US-UK special relationship), memory, commemoration, cultural diplomacy, and the cultural history of 20th century conflict. My first book - Allies in Memory: World War II and the Politics of Transatlantic Commemoration, c.1941-2001 (CUP, 2015) - was shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society’s Gladstone Prize, and I have published widely in various journals and edited collections.
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Edwards, S., Morris, M.B. (2018) The Legacy of Thomas Paine in the Transatlantic World. Routledge.
Dolski, M., Sayer, F. (2017) Histories on Screen: The Past and Present in Anglo-American Cinema and Television. Bloomsbury Academic.
Edwards, S. (2015) Allies in Memory. Cambridge University Press.
Dolski, M.R., Edwards, S., Buckley, J. (2014) D-Day in history and memory: The normandy landings in international remembrance and commemoration.
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Chapters in books
Edwards, S. (2020) '‘A great Englishman’ George Washington and Anglo-American memory diplomacy, c.1890–1925.' Culture matters: Anglo-American relations and the intangibles of ‘specialness’. Manchester University Press,
Edwards, S.R., Walling, A. (2018) 'Introduction.' Histories on Screen The Past and Present in Anglo-American Cinema and Television. Bloomsbury Publishing,
Edwards, S.R. (2018) 'The moving image as memory: Past and present on screen.' Histories on Screen The Past and Present in Anglo-American Cinema and Television. Bloomsbury Publishing,
Edwards, S.R. (2018) ''We will remember then': Television and British Memory of the First World War, 1964-2014.' Histories on Screen The Past and Present in Anglo-American Cinema and Television. Bloomsbury Publishing,
Edwards, S.R., Morris, M. (2017) 'Introduction: The use and abuse of Thomas Paine in the Transatlantic World.' The Legacy of Thomas Paine in the Transatlantic World.
Edwards, S.R. (2017) 'Monument Missions: Remembrance, Reconstruction and Transatlantic Memory in Post-War Europe, 1945-1962.' In Bélanger, S., Dickason, R. (ed.) War Memories: Commemoration, Recollections and Writings on War. McGill-Queen's University Press,
Edwards, S.R. (2017) 'He came from America didn't he? The Thetford statue controversy and the problem of Paine in transatlantic memory, c. 1909-1970.' The Legacy of Thomas Paine in the Transatlantic World.
Edwards, S.R. (2016) 'Twelve o'clock high and American Airpower, 1949-1967.' In Froula, A., Takacs, S. (ed.) American Militarism on the Small Screen. Routledge, pp. 46-62.
Edwards, S.R. (2016) 'The Architecture of a Myth: Constructing and Commemorating Churchill's Special Relationship, 1919-1969.' Churchill and the Anglo-American Special Relationship. Routledge,
Dolski, M.R., Edwards, S., Buckley, J. (2014) 'Introduction.' pp. 1-42.
Edwards, S.R. (2014) 'The Beginning of the End: D-Day in British Memory.' D-Day in History and Memory. pp. 85-130.
Edwards, S.R., Dolski, M., Buckley, J. (2014) 'Introduction.' D-Day in History and Memory The Normandy Landings in International Remembrance and Commemoration. University of North Texas Press,
Edwards, S.R. (2013) 'Constructing the special relationship: Anglo-American Heritage as a Teaching Tool.' Historical Insights: Teaching North American History Using Images and Material Culture. York: Higher Education Academy, pp. 9-15.
Edwards, S.R. (2010) 'Ruins, Relics and Restoration: The Afterlife of World War Two American Airfields in England, 1945-2005.' Militarized Landscapes: From Gettysburg to Salisbury Plan. London: Continum, pp. 210-228.
Edwards, S.R. (2009) 'War Memory and Popular Culture.' In Keren, M., Herwig, H.H. (ed.) War Memory and Popular Culture. McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub,
Edwards, S.R. (2006) 'Commemorating Air War: The Airfields of the US Eighth Air Force.' Perspectives on Conflict. Salford: European Studies Research Institute, pp. 117-141.
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Internet publications
Edwards, S.R. A Summer to Remember: 1914, 1944, and 'all that'. http://www.voicesofwarandpeace.org/portfolio/a-summer-to-remember/.
Edwards, S. (2022) What Queen Elizabeth's death means for the "special" US-UK bond. https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2022/09/20/what-queen-elizabeth-iis-death-means-special-us-uk-bond/.
Edwards, S. (2019) Trump will try to channel Ronald Reagan at the D-Day beaches but his miserable message will be a failure. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/donald-trump-d-day-75th-anniversary-ronald-reagan-speech-normandy-a8945641.html.
Edwards, S.R. (2018) George Washington's road from Lancashire to US President. https://www.lep.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/george-washington-s-road-from-lancashire-to-us-president-1-9234451.
Edwards, S. (2018) Why not wearing a red poppy is always a political act. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/remembrance-day-2018-poppy-royal-british-legion-armistice-wwi-history-nemanja-matic-a8625736.html.
Edwards, S.R. (2018) Independence Day: July 4 means something very different when it's celebrated in Britain. https://theconversation.com/independence-day-july-4-means-something-very-different-when-its-celebrated-in-britain-98023.
Edwards, S.R. (2017) SS-GB: Why the renewed obsession with alternative Nazi histories?. https://theconversation.com/ss-gb-why-the-renewed-obsession-with-alternative-nazi-histories-73157.
Edwards, S.R. (2017) The Love is Lost: why it's time to drop the romance from the special relationship. https://theconversation.com/the-love-is-lost-why-its-time-to-drop-the-romance-from-the-special-relationship-72025.
Edwards, S.R. (2016) Remembrance when we'd rather forget: the war dead of Japan and Germany. https://theconversation.com/remembrance-when-wed-rather-forget-the-war-dead-of-japan-and-germany-58831.
Edwards, S. (2013) Viewpoint: How Should We Remember a War?. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24610481.
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Journal articles
Edwards, S. '“A Daily Influence of American Thought”: The Second Air Division Memorial Library, Commemorative Diplomacy, and Anglo-American Relations, 1944-1975.' Journal of Cold War Studies,
Edwards, S. (2022) 'Towards a local history of interwar Anglo-American relations: commemorating the Pilgrim Fathers on the Humber, c.1918–1925.' Britain and the World, 15(2) pp. 142-167.
Edwards, S. (2022) '‘To imperishable memory’: Lancaster’s Crimean War monument, c.1855–1862.' Northern History, 59(2) pp. 239-260.
Edwards, S. (2022) 'Brutalised, Broken and Betrayed The Falklands Veteran in 1980s British Film.' International Journal of Military History and Historiography, 10(3) pp. 1-28.
Edwards, S. (2022) 'World War II Memory Weaponized.' Journal of Applied History, 4(1-2) pp. 46-57.
Edwards, S. (2021) '“The Great Crusade”: D-day in American culture c.1944–2001.' International Journal of Military History and Historiography, 41(2) pp. 247-276.
Edwards, S. (2020) 'Special relationships: romance, race, and the friendly invasion in film and television, 1941–1996.' Journal of Transatlantic Studies, 18(3) pp. 353-381.
Edwards, S. (2019) 'Warton, George Washington and the Lancashire Roots of the Anglo-American ‘Special Relationship’, c. 1880–1976.' Northern History, 55(2) pp. 206-234.
Edwards, S.R. (2018) 'An Empire of Memory: Overseas British War Cemeteries, 1917-1983.' International Journal of Military History and Historiography, 38(2) pp. 255-286.
Edwards, S. (2017) 'Book Review: The Battle of Britain, 1945-1965: The Air Ministry and the Few, Garry Campion.' War in History, 24(4) pp. 553-555.
Edwards, S. (2017) 'God and Uncle Sam: Religion and America’s Armed Forces in World War II, by Michael Snape.' The English Historical Review, 132(557) pp. 1023-1026.
Edwards, S. (2016) 'Book Review: D-Day Documents by Paul Winter.' War in History, 23(1) pp. 140-142.
Morris, M., Edwards, S. (2014) 'Citizen of the world: The use and abuse of thomas paine, people's history museum, Manchester, 29-30 november 2013.' History Workshop Journal, 77(1) pp. 342-345.
Edwards, S.R. (2013) 'From Here Lincoln Came: Anglo-saxonism, the special relationship, and the anglicisation of Abraham Lincoln, c. 1860-1970.' Journal of Transatlantic Studies, 11(1) pp. 22-46.
Press and media
I’ve provided expert media commentary on, amongst other things, Anglo-American relations, presidential visits to the UK, and D-Day commemorations (70th and 75th). Highlights:
- Television: various contributions to BBC Breakfast Television; BBC News Channel; CNN; Sky News.
- Radio: various contributions to BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Manchester, BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC Radio Merseyside
- Press: contributions to, and interviews with, BBC Online Magazine, CNN, The Independent, Metro, Manchester Evening News, Lancashire Evening Post, Eastern Daily Press, East Anglian Daily Times, Gravesend Echo