sections:
Simon Fowler is one of Britain’s most eminent specialists in researching family history. He is an experienced writer and magazine editor specialising in modern British social and military history.
By training an archivist, he has worked at the Public Record Office (now The National Archives) more or less since 1979. At present he is editor of Ancestors magazine, published by The National Archives monthly.
He has published a wide range of well-regarded books from research guides for family historians, including a recent ground breaking title on tracing Second World War ancestors. His latest, for Pen & Sword, on tracing Army ancestry, is already in its second reprint within five months of publication.
Simon Fowler also has written several social history books. The first Family Skeletons (with co-author Ruth Paley) looked at twenty types of criminal or anti-social behaviour over the past three centuries. Among the chapters he contributed were ones on burglary, drunkenness, gambling, pornography, and white collar fraud.
Simon’s latest book is Workhouse: the people, the places, life behind doors, (The National Archives, 2007) which tells the story of the poor law through the people who implemented it and the paupers who endured it. In researching the book, Simon found a number of important neglected sources, both archival and published, which offers a striking alternative to the familiar stories of neglect and misadventure commonly associated with the poorhouse.
He has written for a variety of magazines from BBC History to Retail Newsagent via History Today, Guardian Public Magazine and Family Choice.
Simon is an experienced lecturer and radio broadcaster.
subscribe to agency's newsletter
Andrew Lownie writes a monthly newsletter, which includes details of the Agency's latest news as well as advice for authors. If you would like to receive this free newsletter, please enter your email address in the box below.