Sir Martin Gilbert.
Leading historian on
the 20th Century and
the official biographer
of Winston Churchill.
A celebration of Sir Martin’s life and his work, his passion, his philosophy, his favourite haunts, his humour and his humanity. A scholar and an historian who, through his 88 books, has shown there is such a thing as “true history”.
Sir Martin Gilbert's Best Sellers
Introducing Sir Martin Gilbert
Find out more about Sir Martin and his extraordinary life.
Early Life & Education
Sir Martin Gilbert was born in London in 1936 to Jewish parents, Peter and Miriam Gilbert whose own parents came as refugees from Czarist Russia.
Sir Martin on History
Sir Martin reflects on how the experiences of his life and his education shaped his interest in writing history, from an interview in the Claremont Review, published spring, 1983.
Awards & Honours
Explore Sir Martin Gilbert's academic journey and achievements. From his early education to his professorships and honorary degrees, discover the scholarly path of this renowned historian and biographer.
Book Collections
The Churchill Biography
All 8 volumes of Churchill's life; 23 volumes of documents, photo ©Hillsdale College
The Churchill Collection
Sir Martin at his desk under the watchful eye of Sir Jacob Epstein's maquette of Churchill.
First World War
Sir Martin and the author Ben Macintyre inspecting First World War armaments
Second World War
The Second World War was among the most destructive conflicts in human history
Holocaust
The systematic attempt to destroy all European Jewry – an attempt now known as the Holocaust.
Israel & Jewish History
Since the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in AD 70, the Jews, who were dispersed all
20th Century
Martin Gilbert was asked to continue writing the multi-volume biography of Winston Churchill.
The Atlas Collection
These nine pioneering atlases harness cartography to history.
It would be wrong to judge a historical figure solely by the standards of the present day. Every generation has its own morality. The historian is not primarily a judge who drags people from out of their environment and places them before a contemporary tribunal. His first aim is to see whether the people he studies acted for the good of their own society, as they envisaged that good. His second aim is to ask whether the ideas which he is examining are valid in terms of present values.
Blog & Blatt
3 min read
|
Blatt
The Withdrawal from Gaza, 2005
The 2005 Israeli withdrawal of settlements from Gaza and the West Bank, known as the “disengagement” and Iran’s first call for Israel to be “wiped off the map”
Posted on: May 1, 2026
2 min read
|
Blatt
… suffered from the constraints of historical fact
Historical fact and what might have or what could be happening and how it is reported.
Posted on: May 1, 2026
3 min read
|
Blog
Paths to War, December 1955 – October 1956.
The “Suez Crisis” of 1956 when Egyptian President Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal and military action to free it followed.
Posted on: May 1, 2026