Talks for book clubs, historical and special interest groups
All of these talks can be adjusted to last from 20 to 60 minutes and are supported by a wide range of illustrations, photographs and original documents. Some also have video available and can be delivered virtually if required.
They are presented in an engaging style, perfectly tailored to the different interests of a wide variety of groups and audiences.
Talks based on Operation Aerial: Churchill’s Second Miracle of Deliverance
One of the last great untold stories from WW2
Some of the aspects that can be featured in a talk:
• After Dunkirk: the BEF cut in two
• Breton Redoubt and Canadian reinforcements
• Operation Cycle and Cherbourg evacuation
• Operation Aerial and the Biscay evacuations
• Highland Division surrenders at St Valery
• St Malo and the Little Ships of Jersey
• St Nazaire and the Lancastria disaster
• Eccentric British aristocrat and Heavy Water
• Nurses, medical services and the hospital ships
• Evacuations continue after the Fall of France
These can be combined and blended into talks tailored for difference audiences.
Fleeing Hitler – The Civilian stories
• “Go South” – the exodus to the Atlantic ports
• Who were the 20,000? Brits, Jews, politicians, press
• Their stories from 10 year old girl to the world’s richest man
• SS Madura’s famous passengers
• Secret mission to rescue Mme de Gaulle
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Talks based on Fighting for the Empire, the story of an Irish doctor’s adventures through Imperial campaigns and two World Wars
The Kelly Story
• From Galway to Empire
• Ireland, India, NW Frontier, Persia, Tibet
• WW1: Egypt, Aden and Mesopotamia
• Marriage and family
• WW2: Ship’s surgeon
Tibet Mission through the eyes of a Medical Officer
• The 1904 Mission: purpose and politics
• The characters: Macdonald, Younghusband, Waddell
• The challenges: Himalayas, cold, altitude
• Mission creep
• Massacre at Guru: treating the Tibetans
• Attacked in Lhasa
• Letters from the frontline
Ship’s Surgeon between the wars and WW2
• Passenger lines to South America – first “radio doctor”
• Voyage of the Dammed
• Volunteers for Royal Navy, aged 69
• France 1940: Bordeaux and the SS Madura
• Troopships to North Africa
• Atlantic convoys
More on Fighting for the Empire
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General interest talks about researching and writing using examples from book writing and from journalism
Turning family history into historical biography
• Creating a narrative
• Building the context
• Making personal interest into general interest
• Planning the structure and focusing your writing
• Publishing options: pitching to publishers and self-publishing
Researching historical stories, people and events
• Kelly book across four continents and 20 countries
• Sources: conventional and unconventional
• Military sources
• Local sources
• Foreign records
• Identifying the gaps
Download a list of talks Book talks revised
Contact David Worsfold on 01277 221445, 07885 348982 or david@worsfoldmedia.com to discuss your group’s specific requirements in terms of topics, style of talk and possible dates.
David Worsfold 