James Holland Audiobooks

The Battle of Britain and Normandy '44, narrative history from a Second World War specialist

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Who is James Holland?

James Holland, born in 1970, is an English popular historian, author and broadcaster who has made the Second World War his life’s work. He writes both fiction and non-fiction on the conflict, has presented documentaries for television and radio, and reaches an enormous audience as co-host of the podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk alongside the comedian Al Murray.

He is also co-founder and co-chair of the annual Chalke Valley History Festival, which captures his broader mission: getting serious history out of the archive and in front of the public. In 2025 he was sanctioned by the Russian government in response to UK sanctions over the war in Ukraine – an odd sort of tribute, and a measure of the profile his work now commands.

James Holland in audiobooks

Holland’s brand of history is built for audio: narrative-driven, rich in human detail and paced like good fiction. Our catalogue features two of his major Second World War accounts, The Battle of Britain and Normandy ’44 – two hinges on which Britain’s war turned, told by a historian who never loses sight of the people inside the machines. These are long, immersive listens that reward commutes and road trips alike, and Holland’s gift for clarity means UK listeners never need a map on their knees to follow the action.