History: research specialisms

The History research group at Plymouth has an established tradition of internationally recognised research excellence in the fields of social and cultural history, political and diplomatic history, and military, maritime and naval history. 

Explore the research specialisms listed and select one that ignites your interest and find which history team members will be supervising your research in this area. Learn more about them, their personal and professional interests, by selecting them from the staff list.

Specialisms and associated staff

Maritime history

Histories of renaissance, reformation and counter reformation Europe

Gender history

History of sexuality

Crime and society

Early modern book and letter writing histories

Diplomatic history

Global and transnational histories

Modern German history

Early modern Irish and modern Irish history

Early modern British history

Modern British history

History of the USA and transatlantic cultures

Early modern French history

Material culture and histories of British / transatlantic landscape and building

Oral history


Heritage and Local History

Modern Chinese history


Recent significant research successes include:

  • Darren Aoki – with Professor Carly Adams (University of Lethbridge) – was awarded a five-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant for their project, 'Transforming Canadian Nikkei: Co-Creating Histories of Southern Alberta, 1950 to the Twenty-First Century' (2019–2023).
  • ElaineMurphy was awarded a one-year Leverhulme Research Fellowship for her project,‘Women and the Stuart Navy: Uncovering a Hidden History (2022–2023).
  • Daniel Maudlin won a major three-year Leverhulme award for the project, 'The Inn and the traveller in the British Atlantic World' (2014–2017).
  • James Daybell was awarded a British Academy/Leverhulme grant for the project 'Women's Early Modern Letters Online' (2013–2015).

Academic staff