Laurence Rees
Encyclopedia
Laurence Rees is a British historian. He is the former Creative Director of History Programs for the BBC
, a documentary
filmmaker, and the author
of five books on war.
and Oxford University, and began his career as an editor on the BBC
series Timewatch
.
He wrote, directed and produced the 1997
series The Nazis: A Warning from History
, the 2001
series Horror in the East
, and the 2005
Auschwitz: The Nazis and the 'Final Solution'. He has won many awards for his television films, including a BAFTA, a Grierson Award, an International Documentary Award, a British Press Guild Award and a BANFF
festival award. He also wrote, directed and produced the documentary, World War II Behind Closed Doors.
He also wrote the companion books to his series The Nazis: A Warning from History, Horror in the East: Japan and the Atrocities of World War II, The War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin and Auschwitz: A New History. In 2006 he won History Book of the Year at the British Book Awards
for his book on Auschwitz making him the first person to win both a BAFTA for a television series he has written, produced and directed, as well as a British Book Award for a book he has written.
His latest book, titled Their Darkest Hour: People Tested to the Extreme in WWII
, was released in September 2007 by Ebury Press.
In 2005 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Sheffield University for services to history and television.
In May 2010 he launched WW2History.com, a subscription multimedia educational resource on World War II.
In 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (DUniv) by The Open University.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
filmmaker, and the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of five books on war.
Biography
Rees was educated at Solihull SchoolSolihull School
Solihull School is a British Independent school situated near the centre of Solihull, West Midlands, England.2010 saw Solihull School celebrate its 450th anniversary since its foundation in 1560....
and Oxford University, and began his career as an editor on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series Timewatch
Timewatch
Timewatch is a long-running British television series showing documentaries on historical subjects, spanning all human history. It was first broadcast on 29th September 1982 and is produced by the BBC, the Timewatch brandname is used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual...
.
He wrote, directed and produced the 1997
1997 in television
The year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don...
series The Nazis: A Warning from History
The Nazis: A Warning from History
The Nazis: A Warning from History is a 1997 BBC documentary film series that examines Adolf Hitler and the Nazis' rise to power, their zenith, their decline and fall, and the consequences of their reign. It featured archive footage and interviews with eye witnesses and was shown in six...
, the 2001
2001 in television
The year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
series Horror in the East
Horror in the East
Horror in the East: Japan and the Atrocities of World War II , is a BBC documentary film series that examines certain actions, including atrocities, and attitudes, of the Imperial Japanese Army in the lead up to and during World War II. The film also examines attitudes held by the British and...
, and the 2005
2005 in television
The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
Auschwitz: The Nazis and the 'Final Solution'. He has won many awards for his television films, including a BAFTA, a Grierson Award, an International Documentary Award, a British Press Guild Award and a BANFF
Banff
-Places:In Canada:*Banff, Alberta, a town in Alberta, Canada**Banff Airport**Banff railway station **Banff National Park**Banff **Banff-Cochrane, another provincial electoral district...
festival award. He also wrote, directed and produced the documentary, World War II Behind Closed Doors.
He also wrote the companion books to his series The Nazis: A Warning from History, Horror in the East: Japan and the Atrocities of World War II, The War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin and Auschwitz: A New History. In 2006 he won History Book of the Year at the British Book Awards
British Book Awards
The Galaxy National Book Awards are a series of British literary awards focused on the best UK writers and their works, as selected by an academy of members from the British book publishing industry...
for his book on Auschwitz making him the first person to win both a BAFTA for a television series he has written, produced and directed, as well as a British Book Award for a book he has written.
His latest book, titled Their Darkest Hour: People Tested to the Extreme in WWII
Their Darkest Hour: People Tested to the Extreme in WWII
Their Darkest Hour: People Tested to the Extreme in WWII, is a book written by Laurence Rees which explores the stories of soldiers and civilians involved in the second world war. It examines the experiences of Western Allied soldiers during the war, as well as the experiences of Axis and Soviet...
, was released in September 2007 by Ebury Press.
In 2005 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Sheffield University for services to history and television.
In May 2010 he launched WW2History.com, a subscription multimedia educational resource on World War II.
In 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (DUniv) by The Open University.
Filmography
- 19821982 in televisionThe year 1982 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1982.For the American TV schedule, see: 1982-83 American network television schedule.-Events:...
TimewatchTimewatchTimewatch is a long-running British television series showing documentaries on historical subjects, spanning all human history. It was first broadcast on 29th September 1982 and is produced by the BBC, the Timewatch brandname is used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual...
editor - 19921992 in televisionThe year 1992 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1992.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:*Hallmark Hall of Fame .*Guiding Light .*The Today Show ....
We Have Ways of Making You Think producer & writer - 19941994 in televisionThe year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
Reputations: Beria - Stalin's Creature executive producer - 19951995 in televisionThe year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
Reputations: Pope Pius XII - the Pope, the Jews and the Nazis executive producer - 19951995 in televisionThe year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
CrusadesCrusades (BBC TV series)Crusades was a 1995 historical documentary series presented by former Monty Python member Terry Jones. It looked at the crusades and included elements of black comedy.-1...
executive producer - 19971997 in televisionThe year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don...
The Nazis: A Warning from HistoryThe Nazis: A Warning from HistoryThe Nazis: A Warning from History is a 1997 BBC documentary film series that examines Adolf Hitler and the Nazis' rise to power, their zenith, their decline and fall, and the consequences of their reign. It featured archive footage and interviews with eye witnesses and was shown in six...
producer, director & writer - 1997 TimewatchTimewatchTimewatch is a long-running British television series showing documentaries on historical subjects, spanning all human history. It was first broadcast on 29th September 1982 and is produced by the BBC, the Timewatch brandname is used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual...
: Secret Memories executive producer - 1997 Tales from the Tomb: Lost Sons of the Pharaohs executive producer
- 19981998 in televisionThe year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great executive producer - 19991999 in televisionThe year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
War of the CenturyWar of the CenturyThe War of the Century: When Hitler Fought Stalin, is a BBC documentary film series that examines Adolf Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and the "no holds barred" war on both sides...
producer & writer - 20002000 in televisionThe year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
Hitlers Krieg im Osten director - 2000 Sleeping with the Enemy producer
- 2000 Conquistadors executive producer
- 20012001 in televisionThe year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
Horror in the EastHorror in the EastHorror in the East: Japan and the Atrocities of World War II , is a BBC documentary film series that examines certain actions, including atrocities, and attitudes, of the Imperial Japanese Army in the lead up to and during World War II. The film also examines attitudes held by the British and...
producer & writer - 2001 TimewatchTimewatchTimewatch is a long-running British television series showing documentaries on historical subjects, spanning all human history. It was first broadcast on 29th September 1982 and is produced by the BBC, the Timewatch brandname is used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual...
: Bombing Germany executive producer - 20022002 in televisionThe year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
The ShipThe Ship (TV series)-External links:* * *...
executive producer - 2002 Christmas Under Fire executive producer
- 20032003 in televisionThe year 2003 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2003.For the American TV schedule, see: 2003-04 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
Colosseum: Rome's Arena of DeathColosseum: Rome's Arena of DeathColosseum: Rome's Arena of Death aka Colosseum: A Gladiator's Story is a 2003 BBC Television docudrama which tells the true story of Verus a gladiator who fought at the Colosseum in Rome.-Production:...
co-executive producer - 20052005 in televisionThe year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
Auschwitz: The Nazis and the 'Final Solution' producer, director & writer - 2005 Hitler's Place in History executive producer
- 2008 World War II: Behind Closed Doors
External links
- Laurence Rees official website
- WW2History.com From Hitler to Churchill - the history of World War Two