Julian Saul David (born 1966) is a British academic military historian and broadcaster. He is best known for his work on the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the Anglo-Zulu War, as well as for presenting and appearing in documentaries on British television covering imperial and military themes.
Of Armenian ancestry through his father and originally named Davidian,[1] David was born in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, and was educated at various local schools in Herefordshire and Monmouthshire before studying for his A-levels at Ampleforth College.[2] He studied for an MA in history at Edinburgh University, for which he was awarded an upper-second class degree, and read for his PhD at the University of Glasgow.[2][3] He was Visiting Professor of Military History at the University of Hull for 2007 – 2008.[4] In 2009 he was appointed professor of Military History at the University of Buckingham and has since been directing the institution's MA programme.[5]
David's books include The Indian Mutiny, which was shortlisted for the Duke of Westminster's Medal for Military Literature,[3] Military Blunders, Zulu: the Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year[6]) and Zulu and Victoria’s Wars. He has presented and appeared in a number of BBC programmes, including Zulu: The True Story, Time Commanders, The Greatest Knight (2008) and Bullets, Boots and Bandages: How to really win at war (2012).[7][8]
