John Sadler - Military Historian

Douglas John Sadler
BA(Hons), M.Phil., FRHistS FSA (Scotl.)

My main specialism is in military history, I am an accomplished, author, lecturer, battlefield tour guide, heritage professional and historical interpreter.

Time Bandits is recruiting. We're looking for like minded individuals regardless of age, sex, colour etc who have a passion for history and like getting paid to indulge themselves. We cover all periods from Bronze Age to Cold War, across a wide range of locations. We thrive on fresh challenges. Training and kit are provided. If you are interested in historic combat, gunplay, clothing, textiles, medicine, food technology, equestrian, vehicles or craft based skills, then we'd love to meet you.

At present we're focusing on World War Two so if the forties appeal, do get in touch!

Our historic murder mysteries always go down well and we've performed these at the Keep, at DLI Museum and Segedunum. We're always looking to hear both from people who might want a booking and from those who'd like to take part!

On Friday last, we set up our exhibition in newcastle Central Library for this years Holocaust Memorial Day, level 2, and this will be on till 29th February, do take a look if you get the chance!

This next term I'm offering,'War to the Death - Barbarossa and the Eastern Front 1941 - 1945' at Ridley Two from 16th January at 19.00 hours (seven weeks). Then, again at Ridley and at 10.30 on Saturday 04 February I'm offering a lecture on Waterloo. At 12.30 at the Arts Centre on 09 February at 12.30, I'm offering a lecture on Sir Douglas Haig. Then,at 10.30 on 08 March I'm doing 'Stalingrad' also at the Arts Centre and then also From late January, I'm doing another ten week WWII course at Blyth, Tuesdays from 13.00 - 15.00 pm.

This spring I'm offering a series of lectures in Northumberland Libraries, for details see under 'Time Bandits'.

A few weeks back Rosie I did a further interview for 'the Journal' on our current joint opus, 'the Little Book of Newcastle'.

We've formed a link with thisisnorthumberland.com - a new website intended to promote travel, tourism and leisure in the region, check it out.

On Saturday we were filming at Alnwick Castle, magnificent in snow, much clashing of swords in knightly combat, yet, somewhat bizarrely this was for BBC 1 and will form part of 'Strictly Come Dancing' to be aired on 17th December next, (I'm not joking).

I have been a visiting lecturer at the University of Sunderland Centre For Lifelong Learning since 1998 and have delivered a range of courses, primarily on military history.

These have included:

• 'The Vikings'
  
• 'The Crusades'
  
• 'The Hundred Years War'
  
• 'The Wars of the Roses'
  
• 'The Border Reivers'
  
• 'The Jacobites'
  
• 'The American Civil War'
  
• 'World War One - the Western Front'
  
• 'World War One - The Eastern Front
  
• 'The Road to Dunkirk'
  
• 'Barbarossa'
  
• 'D-Day to Berlin'
  
• 'Swordplay - the Sword in History'
  
• 'Terrorism post 1945'
  
• 'Arab Israeli Wars 1948 - 2006'
  
• 'The English Civil Wars
  
• 'The War in Afghanistan'
  
• 'The Second Gulf War'
  
  I also supervise mature students at degree level.
  
  My primary occupation is writing with some two dozen non fiction titles in print. I tend to undertake commissioned work only and, at the end of last year, I was engaged by the Army Benevolent Fund to write a history of the Field Gun Race for the revived Royal Tournament.
  
  For a considerable number of years I have given public lectures to local history groups, community associations, at the Durham Light Infantry Museum, The National Army Museum, The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, and to Rotary and Round Table clubs. I am available for public and after dinner speaking, the cost ranges from £100 - £500 depending on circumstances. Any talks to charitable or voluntary sector groups are delivered free of charge.
  
  I am an experienced battlefield tour guide and have taken a range of school, adult, services and veterans groups on tours of the main Western Front Battlefields. I have also taken student groups around most of the major UK battle sites. I have full CRB clearance. I have worked, in this capacity extensively for Tyne and Wear Museums and English Heritage.
  
  For some years, starting back in the 1970's, I have been engaged as a project manager/curator and fundraiser for heritage based projects, most recently the Heritage Centre, Bellingham, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Association and the Durham Light Infantry Museum.
  
  From time to time I have been involved in film work, True North Productions filming of 'The Tale of the Long Pack' near Wark in North Tynedale, together with the 'Clans' series for Mentorn & BBC Scotland (series two and three), 'Buildings that Shaped England' for Channel 4, local BBC & ITV and recently as historical consultant for Arpeggio Films 'Siege & Storm'.
  
  I hope, in the course of this year, to be able to start working toward the award of a PhD under the aegis of the University of Sunderland, my topic 'Dunkirk to Belsen - the DLI at War 1939 - 1945'.
  
  My approach to military history, in terms of writing, is based firstly, upon acquiring a thorough knowledge of the primary sources, supplemented by the insight gained from walking the ground. I am of the opinion that there can be no full understanding of events unless there we have knowledge of the ground. We are fortunate in Britain that, the pace of development notwithstanding, many of our battle sites, if not untouched, are still recognisable and this obtains particularly in the northern region and the borders. Equally and with only a few exceptions we do very little to commemorate many of our historic battles.