Attending lectures will become a daily part of your life at university. Lectures are a great way to obtain and digest detailed knowledge from a specialist. At first lectures can be hard to digest due to their pace. A great way to embed yourself into the nature of lectures is to attend some before you go to university. The history department at JRCS has experimented with lectures but there are places that offer free lectures in London - they will be posted here so keep an eye out. Furthermore, YouTube is a great place to find online lectures.
The Gresham College is a great place to start when looking for online lectures. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures/?subject=history There are lectures to suit lots of different historical interests.
You can access free lectures here: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/lectures/raleigh-lectures-history
Yale University, via John Merriman, offers a free history course on Europe 1648-1945 here: https://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-202
So get yourself a pen and a pad of paper, watch, listen and record notes from these fantastic lectures!
Lectures on Ancient History - From Egypt to Rome, here are some highly rated lectures to get you started if you are interested in Ancient History. Ms Matin studied Ancient History at Kings College London and would be able to guide you if you had a particular interest.
When it comes to Roman history you need look any further than Mary Beard. Here she explains in more detail her book S.P.Q.R - the Senate and People of Rome. Beard is a extremely enthusiastic historian and she will get you interested with ease.
Tom Holland delivers a lecture on how attitudes towards religion changed during the Ancient World.
Toby Wilkinson explores life and culture in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and the Middle East
Bettany Hughes gives a lecture from Kings College London on the importance of Socrates, the Grandfather of Western philosophy
Lectures on Medieval and Renaissance history - Mr Hinchliffe has a particular interest in Renaissance history so please ask him for recommendations.
A heated debate about the true meanings of the Magna Carta, considered to be the foundation document of British democracy.
Professor Diarmaid MaCulloch explains the complexities of the Reformation that sent seismic waves through 16th century Europe.
Professor Freedman from Yale University examines the beginnings of the Islamic Empire in the 7th and 8th centuries.
Nancy Bisaha gives a lecture on the role of men and women in the Middle Ages in Europe.
Lectures on Early Modern and the Industrial age. Dr Longson has a particular interest in British Indian history so please ask him for guidance.
A detailed lecture by a leading scholar on Early Modern European history, John Merriman.
Professor Wrightson from Yale University gives a lecture on the lead up to the execution of Charles I and the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell.
Havard historian, Jill Lepore hosts a discussion on the 19th amendment to the US constitution that gave women the right to vote.
Professor Blight examines the legacy of the US Civil War.
Lectures based on modern history c1900-present. Mr Yeates has a particular interest in Russian history and Mrs Green in the Cold War so please ask them for guidance.
A classic TV lecture from one of the fathers of popular history in Britain, AJP Taylor, on the importance of railway timetables in the lead up to the First World War
Richard Overy is one of the greatest writers on the era of the Second World War. Here he gives an excellent lecture on the complexities of understanding the full impact of that war.
A lecture that explores the idea of the rise of Japan and fall of China at the turn of the 20th century.
Magaret MacMillan provides an insight into the main reasons for the outbreak of the First World War.
Lectures focusing on BAME history
David Olusoga gives a lecture on the impact of black migration to Britain and how we deal with these histories. See the reading list for the accompanying book
A TV debate involving David Olusoga that debates whether or not statues from the past should be removed or revered.
Miranda Kaufmann talks through some of the stories of black people in the Tudor era from her book Black Tudors.
Peter Cozzens talks through his book The Earth is Weeping and dispels some of the myths of the American West