About

Joshua Levine’s career has taken some fascinating turns, starting out as a criminal barrister before making the leap into the world of acting. He appeared in acclaimed productions like Dreyfus at the Tricycle Theatre and Solid Gold Cadillac at the Garrick. But it wasn’t long before storytelling in all its forms became his true calling.

Joshua began writing for the stage, with his first play Crash debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2001. It was praised for its sharp, authentic dialogue, and he followed it up with Intent to Supply, a BBC Radio 4 drama starring Bill Nighy and set in a barristers’ chambers, bringing his legal background full circle.

He published his first book, Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for Britain, in 2006, marking the start of a successful career as a social and military historian. His early works, including Forgotten Voices of the Somme, drew on first-hand accounts to explore key moments in history through the eyes of those who lived them. 

His book Forgotten Voices of Dunkirk inspired Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Dunkirk (2017) for which Joshua served as the film’s historical advisor. His follow-up book, Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture became a No. 1 Sunday Times and No. 2 New York Times bestseller. He subsequently collaborated closely with director Steve McQueen on Blitz (2024), a film drawing heavily on Joshua’s own work.

The bulk of Joshua’s writing has consisted of finely crafted narrative histories. The Secret History of the Blitz was longlisted for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize, while a year spent in Northern Ireland resulted in Beauty and Atrocity, a thorough exploration of The Troubles which was shortlisted for the Writer’s Guild Best Non-Fiction Award. 

Other books have included On a Wing and a Prayer, a tribute to the pioneers of First World War aviation while Operation Fortitude explained how an unlikely cast of eccentrics fooled the Nazis in the build-up to D-Day. Most recently Joshua has authored The Illustrated History of the SAS (2023), written with exclusive access to the regiment’s archives and featuring a candid, wide-ranging interview with legendary SAS navigator Mike Sadler.

His articles have appeared in The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, Independent, The Times, Daily Telegraph and The Herald, covering everything from wartime evacuees and the Blitz to the history of Jewish humour.

Joshua is also a familiar voice and face on radio and TV. He’s written and presented BBC documentaries like The Real Rachman and The Little Stamp That Became the Most Valuable Thing in the World, and Handel’s Water Music, and appeared in series such as Who Do You Think You Are?, My Grandfather’s War, Netflix’s Greatest Events of World War II in Colour, and Channel 4’s Fighting the Red Baron. 

A passionate speaker, Joshua is an International Ambassador for the Royal Air Force Museum and has given talks in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Gibraltar as part of the Hidden Heroes project, shining a light on the often-overlooked role of Jewish servicemen during WWII. As part of that series, he interviewed actress Minnie Driver about her father’s wartime service in the RAF.

Whether he’s writing books, advising films, speaking on stage, or sharing stories on air, Joshua brings history to life with depth, empathy, and a deep curiosity for the people behind the events.