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Prof Richard Grayson

Positions held:
  • Executive Dean (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences), Humanities and Social Sciences Central
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  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Richard Grayson joined ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú in September 2026 from Oxford Brookes where he spent three years, first as Head of the School of Education, Humanities and Languages, then as a faculty Dean of Research, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation. Prior to that, he was at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he spent eighteen years, latterly as Head of History and Professor of 20th Century History, and where he also led in various university-wide roles.

    Richard's initial research was on inter-war British foreign policy, publishing two monographs in 1997 and 2001, on Austen Chamberlain's term of office as foreign secretary in 1924-29, and on the Liberal Party's attitude to international policy in 1919-39. At that time, he also published on the history of the Channel Tunnel project and how Mods and Rockers were viewed in relation to 'juvenile delinquency' in the 1960s. He continued to work on inter-war forign policy publishing articles on Leo Amery but since 2005, he has focused on Ireland's First World War and the Irish Revolution. His main works are his three monographs: Belfast Boys: How Unionists and Nationalists Fought and Died Together in the First World War (London: Continuum, 2009); Dublin’s Great Wars: The First World War, the Easter Rising and the Irish Revolution (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018); and Cork: The Irish Revolution, 1912-23 (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2026). He also edited At War with the 16th (Irish) Division, 1914-1918: The Staniforth Letters (Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2012) and The First World War Diary of Noël Drury, 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, from Gallipoli to Salonika, the Middle East and the Western Front (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press for the Army Records Society, 2022). With Fearghal McGarry, he co-edited Remembering 1916: The Easter Rising, the Somme and the Politics of Memory in Ireland (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016). During the First World War Centenary and wider Decade of Commemoration, he took part in many public history projects including being a co-investigator at the AHRC engagement centre led by Queen's University, Belfast.

    Richard was born and brought up in Hemel Hempstead, where he now lives. His BA in English and American History was at the University of East Anglia, followed by a DPhil in Modern History at the University of Oxford (The Queen’s College). After teaching at UEA, Oxford, Buckingham and the Open University, he worked outside academia in 1998-2004. He was the first Director of the Centre for Reform think tank (now the Education Policy Institute) in 1998-9, followed by being Director of Policy of the Liberal Democrats in 1999-2004 (and also being Charles Kennedy’s principal speechwriter in 1999-2001). During that time Richard carried out the research in the Netherlands, and co-authored (with Nick Clegg) the publication, which led to the introduction of the ‘pupil premium’ in schools in England, although after standing for Parliament in Hemel Hempstead in 2005 and 2010 he left the Liberal Democrats in 2013 and joined Labour.

    Outside academia, Richard runs the visually impaired cricket team for Hertfordshire, the Herts Comets. He is a season ticket holder for both Queens Park Rangers and the Northern Ireland men’s national team, and a member of the council of the National Trust.

    Web profiles

    Professional memberships

    • Fellow, Royal Historical Society

    ORCID

  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Grayson, Richard S. (2016) . British Journal for Military History 2 (2), pp. 160-185. ISSN 2057-0422.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2014) . British Journal for Military History 1 (1), pp. 48-65. ISSN 2057-0422.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2014) . War in History 21 (4), pp. 465-495. ISSN 0968-3445.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2014) . Nordic Irish Studies 13 (2), pp. 99-114. ISSN 1602-124X.
    • Grayson, Richard S. and Abbott, L. (2011) . Teaching History 145, pp. 4-12. ISSN 0040-0610.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2010) . Public Policy Research 17 (2), pp. 75-79. ISSN 1744-540X.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2010) . Irish Political Studies 25 (3), pp. 325-345. ISSN 0790-7184.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2007) . The Political Quarterly 78 (1), pp. 32-39. ISSN 0032-3179.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2006) . Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History 34 (4), pp. 505-527. ISSN 0308-6534.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2006) . Twentieth Century British History 17 (4), pp. 489-515. ISSN 0955-2359.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2005) . The Political Quarterly 76 (3), pp. 393-401. ISSN 0032-3179.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (1998) . Contemporary British History 12 (1), pp. 19-47. ISSN 1361-9462.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (1996) . Journal of Contemporary History 31 (1), pp. 125-144. ISSN 0022-0094.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (1996) . European History Quarterly 23 (3), pp. 415-436. ISSN 0265-6914.

    Book

    • Grayson, Richard S. (2026) . Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts Press. ISBN 9781801512060. (In Press)
    • Grayson, Richard S., ed. (2022) . Publications of the Army Records Society. 41, The Boydell Press for the Army Records Society. ISBN 9781838387716.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2018) . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107029255.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2016) . Oneworld Publications. ISBN 9781780748788.
    • Grayson, Richard S. and McGarry, F., eds. (2016) . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107145900.
    • Grayson, Richard S., ed. (2012) . Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 9781848846340.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2010) . Oneworld Publications. ISBN 9781851687688.
    • Grayson, Richard S. and Rutherford, J., eds. (2010) . Lawrence & Wishart.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2009) . Continuum. ISBN 9781847250087.
    • Grayson, Richard S. and Brack, D. and Howarth, D., eds. (2007) . Politico's. ISBN 9781842752180.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2001) . London, UK: Frank Cass. ISBN 9780714650920.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (1997) . London, UK: Frank Cass. ISBN 978-0714643199.

    Book section

    • Grayson, Richard S. (2025) . In: Donnelly, C. and Murphy, E. (eds.) Antrim: History and Society. County History and Society. Geography Publications. pp. 615-638. ISBN 9780906602621.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2024) . In: Parkinson, A.F. and Walker, B.M. (eds.) Ulster 1912-22: Change and Controversy and Conflict. Ulster Historical Foundation. pp. 42-59. ISBN 9781913993610.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2021) . In: Brown, A.L. and Delaney, D.E. and Frost, M. (eds.) Manpower and the Armies of the British Empire in the Two World Wars. Cornell University Press. pp. 28-42. ISBN 9781501755835.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2016) . In: Grayson, Richard S. and McGarry, F. (eds.) Remembering 1916: The Easter Rising, the Somme and the Politics of Memory in Ireland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 112-137. ISBN 9781107145900.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2012) . In: Lelourec, L. and O’Keeffe-Vigneron, G. (eds.) Ireland and Victims: Confronting the Past, Forging the Future. Reimagining Ireland. Peter Lang. pp. 43-57. ISBN 9783034307925.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2010) . In: Mulligan, W. and Simms, B. (eds.) The Primacy of Foreign Policy in British History, 1660–2000 How Strategic Concerns Shaped Modern Britain. Palgrave. pp. 277-290. ISBN 9780230574724.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2009) . In: Hickson, K. (ed.) The Political Thought of the Liberals and Liberal Democrats since 1945. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. pp. 48-64. ISBN 9780719079481.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2007) . In: Margo, J. (ed.) Beyond Liberty: Is the Future of Liberalism Progressive?. Institute for Public Policy Reseaerch. pp. 118-129. ISBN 9781860303081.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2007) . In: Grayson, Richard S. and Brack, D. and Howarth, D. (eds.) Reinventing the State: Social Liberalism for the 21st Century. London, UK: Politico's. pp. 269-286. ISBN 9781842752180.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2006) . In: Brack, D. (ed.) President Gore, and Other Things That Never Happened. Politico's. pp. 133-148. ISBN 9781842751725.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2003) . In: Brack, D. and Dale, I. (eds.) Prime Minister Portillo, and Other Things That Never Happened. Politico's. pp. 1-20. ISBN 9781842751114.
    • Grayson, Richard S. (2002) . In: Otte, T.G. (ed.) The Makers of British Foreign Policy: From Pitt to Thatcher. Palgrave. pp. 150-172. ISBN 9780333915790.

    Other

    • Clegg, N. and Grayson, Richard S. (2002) . Centre for European Reform.
    • Grayson, Richard S. and Bromley, N. and Sharp, M. and Liotta, J.A. and White, R. (1999) . Centre for Reform.
    • Grayson, Richard S. and Howson, J. (1998) . Centre for Reform.