David Olusoga: A Gun Through Time

David Olusoga is a familiar face from TV having brought his idiomatic talent for poignant and informative storytelling to us through his documentaries Black and British: A Forgotten History and A House Through Time. Now, David is on tour sharing the stories of how three particular firearms influenced and shaped our modern world as we know it. In the UK our relationship with guns has been shaped by responding to violence and recognising the permanent and exponential harm which they can cause. In A Gun Through Time, David Olusoga, explores how the invention of three particular weapons changed the world and decided the paths of our ancestors.

He’ll be starting with the Thompson Sub-Machine gun, a weapon ironically designed to end the mindless killing of the First World War, by doing some way more efficient killing. However, it is probably more recognised today as the gun of choice amongst Prohibition-era American gangsters. (It’s the ones from Bugsy Malone, but with real bullets rather than mashed potato.)

Following this you’ll be taken into the world of the Maxim Gun. This firearm was notably used by Europeans when they were colonising Africa in the 1890s, causing centuries of hurt and subsequent murder. It became famous again after being directly responsible for much of the slaughter on the Western Front and is still being used today in the conflict in Ukraine. This gun’s legacy is one of brutal military and is still shaping nations as you read this. 

Finally, you’ll discover the very British history of the Lee Enfield rifle. These particular guns have nuanced and fascinating social histories that are intertwined with the British army. Having been used across both world wars, their impact beyond the battlefield is mind-bending.

There will be a chance at the end of A Gun Through Time for audience questions for David, where you can ask him about any historical topic. Whether you’re fascinated by social, military or mechanical history you can be sure the three will be told with compelling narrative and charismatic knowledge.