Peter Caddick-Adams

What things are worth fighting for? What things are worth dying for? Are some wars ‘better’ than others? Are some weapons too terrible to use? If so, who gets to decide? In short, what makes a ‘just war’? From ancient Egypt to imperial China, from medieval Europe to the modern world, societies have wrestled with these difficult questions. Join Dr Rory Cox and Peter Caddick-Adams as they discuss ancient and medieval warfare and military ethics, and what they can teach us about today’s international conflicts.

During the Second World War, 1944 was certainly a momentous year and the festival will mark the 80th anniversary with a focussed morning that draws on experts, new thinking, and very special artefacts and museum pieces that bore witness to extraordinary events. We are also confident that one or more veterans of D-Day will be at the festival to share their experiences of the Battle for Normandy. From new analysis of the fighting experienced in Normandy, through to a fresh look at the role of the Navy in D-Day, this specially curated morning will also offer a unique chance to step inside Field Marshal Bill Slim’s personal HQ caravan. The Second World War remains an enduringly fascinating subject for so many, and we are thrilled to be offering a very special, fresh and original programme this June to commemorate those world-changing events.

Britain is sleepwalking to disaster, because London has abandoned all forms of proper strategy. That is the sobering conclusion from a powerful analysis, which exposes the great failings of British security and defence policy. General the Lord David Richards of Herstmonceux, former Chief of the Defence Staff and a National Security Council member, and Julian Lindley-French, Eisenhower Professor of Defence Strategy at the Netherlands Defence Academy, discuss their reasoning, moderated by author, military historian and former lecturer of Military and Security Studies at the UK Defence Academy, Peter Caddick-Adams.