By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:03 PM on 11th April 2010


Henry VIII

Attack: Historian David Starkey has branded work by female historians as being like Mills & Boon

Historian David Starkey has made an astonishing swipe at his female competitors by comparing their work to 'historical Mills & Boon'.

Mr Starkey, who famously enjoys his status as the 'rudest man in Britain', said that most women who write history books are 'usually quite pretty' and keen to show off their looks on their book covers.

And he said that most have names that 'usually begin and end with A'.

He has made the attacks despite criticism that his documentaries are 'gossipy'.

Mr Starkey, 65, was speaking in a television interview with broadcaster Laurie Taylor, but it is not the first time he has attacked 'feminised' history.

He last year accused women of turning Tudor history into a 'bizarre soap opera' by focusing on Henry VIII's personal life rather than the political and religious conflict during his reign.

But female historians have now hit back at the veteran presenter.

Amanda Foreman, who wrote Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire - which was turned into a film starring Keira Knightley, said: 'There's something clearly wrong with a male historian whose name begins with a D and ends with a D.'

'He seems to be incredibly upset by women historians and probably feels under-appreciated.'

Names that 'usually begin and end with A': Lady Antonia Fraser and Professor Amanda Vickery hit back

Lady Antonia Fraser, who has written numerous biographies of historical figures, was bemused by Mr Starkey's comments.

Amanda Foreman

'Mills & Boon': Amanda Foreman, who wrote Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire, said Starkey seemed to be 'upset'

She said he had been very complimentary about a young female historian and wrote a line for the cover of her book.

'Starkey called it "an impressive and powerful debut",' she said. 'The writer's name is Anna Whitelock and I think Anna happens to begin and end with an A.'

Amanda Vickery, professor of history at Royal Holloway, University of London, told The Sunday Times that Mr Starkey was 'charming face to face'.

The historian, who has written on Georgian England and made A History of Private Life for Radio 4, found the comment about 'pretty' women amusing.

'Who knew that David finds me attractive?' she said. 'Maybe he has a secret weakness for feminists?'

In the interview Mr Starkey, who taught at Cambridge University, spoke about 'academic poverty' in Britain.

He also opened up about his childhood and being born with a 'double club foot'.

The historian, who is openly gay and has been with his partner for 15 years, was also dismissive of civil partnerships and said it was little short of a 'public pat on the back'.


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Perhaps it s sour grapes at not having secured a better place for himself in history and more than a touch of misogyny from Dr Starkey who has long been filled with his own pomposity and self importance, I find I cannot watch him for longer than two minutes , he always appears aggressive and on the attack no matter whom his focus of attention is turned to . Only Doctor Starkey appears to know anything about history and the making of it, whether it be ancient or more recent.

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David Starkey is a brilliant historian and he is correct that much of what now passes for history is pulp, written for a general consumption, and that a pretty face sells more of this nonsense than not.

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I watched David Starkey on BBC 'Question Time' recently. He has an overbearing sense of his own importance. He was truly awful making efette gestures and shouting down anyone with an opinion other than his own. He was hoisted by his own petard though when he got some of his facts wrong and was corrected by another member of the panel. He didn't like it one bit and went a bright red colour.

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Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire was a fantastic book - LOVED it. A great read. I couldn't care less whether a boy or a girl wrote it.

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Sounds like a deliberately controversial statement in order to get back in the papers. Yawn.

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