Graham Stewart was born in Edinburgh in 1969 and went to school at Daniel Stewart’s and Melville College.  After reading Modern History at St Andrews University, he gained his PhD from Cambridge University for his thesis, ‘Winston Churchill and the Conservative Party 1929-1937.’  Whilst a student at St John’s College, he was active in the Cambridge Union and on the river.

During the next four years he gained valuable insights into public life as the assistant to the politician and diarist, Alan Clark.  In 1999, his first book was published: internationally acclaimed, BURYING CAESAR : CHURCHILL, CHAMBERLAIN AND THE BATTLE FOR THE TORY PARTY was a “Book of the Year” in the New Statesman.

The following year he joined The Times. Arriving initially as a leader writer, he was commissioned to write volume seven of the official history of the newspaper.  Covering the years 1981 to 2002, it was subtitled THE MURDOCH YEARS and greatly contributed to the debate about Rupert Murdoch’s role in the British media.  Between 2005 and 2010, Graham wrote the weekly “Past Notes” column for The Times on Saturdays, drawing historical comparisons with contemporary events.  He also regularly reviews books for The Spectator and the Literary Review.

In 2007 Weidenfeld & Nicolson published FRIENDSHIP AND BETRAYAL : AMBITION AND THE LIMITS OF LOYALTY which explored the fragility of personal relationships in public life and asked whether it is possible - or even desirable - to put friends before principles.  It was a "book of the year" in the Sunday Telegraph.   HIS FINEST HOURS: THE WAR SPEECHES OF WINSTON CHURCHILL was published later that year by Quercus,

BRITANNIA: 100 DOCUMENTS THAT SHAPED A NATION was published in 2010 by Atlantic Books.  They published Graham’s latest book  BANG! A HISTORY OF BRITAIN IN THE 1980s earlier this year.

Besides his historical research, Graham is particularly interested in architecture and is an active member of Sons of the Thames Rowing Club.  He lives in London and Kent.

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