Talks

"Philip Yorke talks authoritatively, with a real understanding of his subject, bringing this long forgotten and important period to life in a very compelling way."

Audience feedback | September 2024

When Parliament fought King Charles I, it was the bloodiest and most turbulent time in British history. It is a period that fascinates me and has led to me writing The Hacker Chronicles series of novels. My talks, all linked to my book research, cover the following:

Enduring legacy

Hinckley: the small Leicestershire town that spawned giants of industry, law, literature and religion.

Duration: 45-75 minutes

Killers of the King

Unmasking some of the men responsible for condemning Charles Stuart to death in January 1649.

'At all times, I served my country'

The remarkable story of Francis Hacker, the country squire who would become a regicide.
Duration: 45-75 minutes

Fourteen days...

Just two weeks separated the King's victory at Leicester in May 1645 and his Naseby defeat. So what went so badly wrong for the Royalists?

The King's Fist

The deeds that defined Henry Hastings, the bravest of Cavaliers and the scourge of Parliament.
Duration: 45-60 minutes

Female intelligencers

Revealing the feats of the fearless women who became spies – and redefined the art of spycraft.

The Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Examining why the conflicts started, how they ended, their legacy – and the cost to local people.

Duration: 45-75 minutes

Dog Eat Dog

Peeling the lid off life as an investigative reporter on Fleet Street – this talk examines the good, the bad, and the ugly practices of the national media. It also covers the threat of being sued by prominent figures for defamation!

Duration: 45-60 minutes

George Fox

Founder of the worldwide Quaker religious movement, George Fox was a man of uncompromising and unshakeable faith.

Thomas Babington Macaulay

Working alongside William Willberforce, a fellow Cambridge graduate, Thomas Babington Macaulay helped to abolish slavery in 19th Century Britain.

The Baptists of Barton

In the 17th Century, a handful of souls from the sleepy village of Barton in the Beans transformed the faith landscape of the East Midlands.

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