I am a historian of politics, industry and technology in Britain and the wider world. I am particularly interested in the socio-economic impact of these areas, and in the competing interests that existed within industry and science; interests such as the academy, business, government and workers themselves. 

My current research project explores the impact of the Concorde supersonic aircraft on Bristol, as well as its wider impression in Britain and internationally. I am interested in how Concorde represented Britain’s political, scientific and technological aspirations despite its contested commercial viability and social-economic value. This research will involve collaborations with local archives and museums in addition to interviews with workers and their families who were involved in one of the largest technological projects of the twentieth century.

My first book, Rockets, Guns and Kidney Machines, was published by Manchester University Press. This book explores a disarmament movement that aimed to cut defence expenditure and divert spending to ‘socially useful’ production in healthcare and public infrastructure. The failure of the movement at the hands of business, government and the trade unions revealed the extent to which defence was valued by the political elite, not just in the context of the Cold War but for its impact on employment and the economy.

I have published articles in Contemporary British History, as well as in media outlets such as The Conversation, Huffington Post and the Western Morning News.