Dr William King
William King joined the GHIL in April 2021. He is a historian of modern Britain and Europe, and his current research examines the history of Euroscepticism in Britain. Prior to joining the GHIL, he was a Teaching Fellow in History at Sciences Po. William holds an MPhil in Historical Studies from the University of Cambridge and a Ph.D. in International History from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Research Project
Euroscepticism in history
William King is a postdoctoral researcher on a European-wide project exploring Euroscepticism in history. The project includes researchers from the German Historical Institutes in London, Rome, Warsaw, and the Hamburg Institute for Social Research. The GHIL, reflecting the importance of studying and reflecting on both Brexit and the history of Eurosceptic views, is acting as an important bridge between British and European academics and scholarship on Euroscepticism.
William’s research focuses on British history and Euroscepticism. This research will shed new light on the important and underexplored dimension of Euroscepticism in Britain during the 1970s and 1980s, through original archival research exploring rhetoric, the Civil Service, and the mass media.
Responsibilities at the GHIL
- Research Fellow in Modern History
Research Interests
- British History
- Euroscepticism
- Chemical, Biological, Nuclear and Radiological Weapons (previous research)
- Twentieth Century International Politics
- European History
- History of Emotions
Education and Academic Background
| Since 2021 | Research Fellow, German Historical Institute London |
| 2020–2021 | Teaching Fellow, Sciences Po |
| 2015–2019 | PhD in International History, London School of Economics and Political Science |
| 2014–2015 | MPhil in Historical Studies, St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge |
| 2013–2014 | MA in International Security and Intelligence, King’s College, London |
| 2010–2013 | BA in Politics and International Relations, University of Lancaster |
Fellowships, Grants, and Scholarships
| 2018- | Fellow of The UK Higher Education Academy |
| 2015-2019 | LSE PhD Studentship - Funding for tuition fees and maintenance |
Honours and Distinctions
| 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 | LSE Class Teacher Award (for excellence in teaching) |
Publications
Monographs and Edited Volumes
Nerve Agents in Postwar Britain: Deterrence, Protests and Disarmament, 1945-1976 (Palgrave Macmillan) [forthcoming, 2021].
Articles and Chapters
‘A Weapon Too Far: The British Radiological Warfare Experience, 1940-1955’, War in History, 2021 [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0968344520922565].
With Jeanne Guillemin, ‘The price of alliance: Anglo-American intelligence cooperation and Imperial Japan’s criminal biological warfare programme, 1944–1947’, Journal of Intelligence & National Security, 34:2 (2019), 263–77.