Churchill, Science and Technology with Allen Packwood and Kevin Ruane
Explore Winston Churchill’s relationship with science and technology, and how technological advances influenced the Second World War in this special IWM In Conversation event at Churchill War Rooms.
Born 150 years ago in 1874, Churchill was witness to the huge advances in technology which took place in the first half of the 20th century. From jet aircraft taking to the skies and the dawning of the nuclear age, the Second World War drove forward technology at an incredible pace. On the anniversary of Operation 'Moonlight Sonata', the German bombing of Coventry, we are reminded of the advances in technology that brought forward the destructive power of war to an unprecedented level.
Join three experts at Churchill War Rooms this November to understand the impact of technology on Winston Churchill and the war. After the talk, take the time to meet the speakers, ask questions and explore Churchill War Rooms and the Churchill Museum after-hours.
About the Speakers
Allen Packwood
Allen Packwood is a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, and the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre. He is a qualified archivist and was co-curator of ‘Churchill and the Great Republic’, a Library of Congress exhibition and of ‘Churchill: The Power of Words’, a display at the Morgan Library in New York. His work as one of the foremost experts on Winston Churchill takes him around the world.
Kevin Ruane
A professor of modern history, Kevin Ruane specialises in modern history and has written extensively on the Cold War, the Nuclear Age, the Vietnam War, and the Anglo-American 'Special Relationship'.
Kevin’s book Churchill and the Bomb explores Churchill’s evolving views on nuclear weapons. From regarding the bomb as a weapon of war in the struggle with Nazi Germany to one of containment during the Cold War, before advocating for what would become known as 'mutually assured destruction' as the key to preventing the Cold War flaring into an apocalyptic nuclear war.
About your Host
James Bulgin
Dr James Bulgin is Head of Public History at IWM, and was previously Head of Content for the award-winning Holocaust Galleries.
In addition to his work on the Holocaust, James specialises in the nuclear threat during the Cold War. He is particularly interested in popular culture through the atomic age. He regularly appears in the media discussing different aspects of the Holocaust and 20th century history and has written on the subject for The Guardian and Radio Times. He presented the 2023 BBC documentary How the Holocaust Began and has also appeared in the BBC series Rise of the Nazis, for which he is a historical advisor, and D-Day: The Unheard Tapes.
About Your Ticket
As a charity, your IWM In Conversation ticket purchase helps IWM continue to tell stories for future generations.
Tickets cost just £20 per person (including IWM members) and include:
- Allen Packwood and Kevin Ruane’s talk, hosted by Kate Clements within the impressive surroundings of Churchill War Rooms
- A special Q&A, ask your own questions and join the conversation
- The talk culminates in a book signing and a personal meet and greet with Allen Packwood and Kevin Ruane
- Then enjoy exclusive after-hours entry to the Churchill War Rooms.
About the Venue
Following the talk, take the chance to explore Churchill War Rooms, which houses the underground nerve centre where the British government directed the Second World War, including the rooms where strategic decisions regarding the D-Day landings were made.
Walk the once top-secret corridors and follow in the footsteps of the men and women who worked here during Britain's darkest hours, see personal effects left untouched for decades, and explore the life of one of Britain's most formidable figures.
