{{Short description|Author, social historian, and journalist (born 1970)}} {{Infobox person | name = Joshua Levine | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|04|09|df=y}} | birth_place = Nassau, The Bahamas | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Historian, journalist and author | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = ''Dunkirk'' | website = {{URL|joshualevine.co.uk}} }} '''Joshua Levine''' (born 9 April 1970) is an author, social historian and journalist known for his extensive work on social and military history. He has written a number of books which have been translated into many languages and was the historical advisor for Christopher Nolan’s ''Dunkirk'' (2016) and Steve McQueen’s ''Blitz'' (2024).<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bakare |first1=Lanre |last2=Arts |first2=Lanre Bakare |last3=correspondent |first3=culture |date=2024-10-04 |title='I wasn't interested in Churchill': Steve McQueen on the 'ordinary people' in his film Blitz |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/oct/04/steve-mcqueen-ordinary-people-film-blitz-war |access-date=2025-01-22 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Buckley |first=Cara |date=2017-07-12 |title=Christopher Nolan's Latest Time-Bending Feat? 'Dunkirk' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/12/movies/dunkirk-christopher-nolan-interview.html |access-date=2025-01-22 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-30 |title=Blitz and the truth about London's greatest wartime horror |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20241029-blitz-and-the-truth-about-londons-greatest-wartime-horror |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>
His book ''Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture'' reached Number 1 in the ''Sunday Times'' Bestseller List.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |title=Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture: Film tie-in edition |url=https://www.williamcollinsbooks.co.uk/products/dunkirk-the-history-behind-the-major-motion-picture-joshua-levine-9780008227876/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=William Collins |language=en-GB}}</ref> Levine has written and presented programmes for radio and television and has been described as the "ideal interlocutor" due to his background as a barrister, actor and historian.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Joshua Levine |url=https://felicitybryan.com/fba-author/joshua-levine/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Felicity Bryan Associates |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Liam |date=2010-07-18 |title=The road out of the ruins |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/the-road-out-of-the-ruins-vj9f57zlpn7 |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Early life == Levine was born on 9 April 1970 in Nassau, Bahamas to an English father and American mother. He has a degree in law.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Joshua Levine |url=https://levinehistory.wordpress.com/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Joshua Levine |language=en}}</ref>
== Career == Levine started his career as a barrister and practised criminal law before pivoting towards the arts and acting.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |title=Joshua Levine |url=https://levinehistory.wordpress.com/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Joshua Levine |language=en}}</ref> As an actor he performed in productions such as ''Dreyfus'' at the Tricycle Theatre and ''Solid Gold Cadillac'' at the Garrick Theatre.<ref name=":12" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=A CurtainUp London Review, Dreyfus the Comedy |url=http://www.curtainup.com/dreyfus.html |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.curtainup.com}}</ref>
Shifting his focus to writing, he debuted his first play, Crash, at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2001.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Reviews of Edinburgh Festival and Fringe - 2001 |url=http://www.theatreguidelondon.co.uk/reviews/edinburgh2001.htm |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.theatreguidelondon.co.uk}}</ref> It was described by Nick Awde as having 'near flawless dialogue'.<ref name="auto" /> Levine followed this by writing a BBC Radio 4 play set in a barristers’ chambers called ''Intent to Supply'' starring Bill Nighy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5tqmQMNZb8&ab_channel=Oldtuberadio |title=Intent To Supply by Joshua Levine. BBC RADIO DRAMA |date=2024-11-27 |last=Oldtuberadio |access-date=2025-01-22 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
His debut book ''Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for Britain'' was an oral history published in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle for Britai… |url=https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/2355672.Forgotten_Voices_of_the_Blitz_and_the_Battle_for_Britain |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Goodreads |language=en}}</ref> Levine followed this with several other books, including ''Forgotten Voices of the Somme'' in 2009 and ''Forgotten Voices of Dunkirk'' in 2011, continuing his exploration of pivotal wartime events through the voices of those who lived them.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Levine |first=Joshua |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5135174-forgotten-voices-of-the-somme |title=Forgotten voices of the Somme: the most devastating battle of the Great War in the words of those who were there |date=2008 |publisher=Ebury |others=Imperial War Museum (Great Britain) |isbn=978-0-09-192627-4 |location=London |oclc=233787748}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Levine |first=Joshua |title=Forgotten Voices of Dunkirk |publisher=Ebury |year=2010 |isbn=9780091932213}}</ref>
Other works include the narrative histories ''On a Wing and a Prayer'' (2008), a history of aerial combat in World War I, and ''Beauty and Atrocity: People, Politics and Ireland’s Fight for Peace'' (2010), an account of the Northern Ireland Troubles which was short-listed for the Writer's Guild Best Non Fiction Book award and reviewed in ''The Sunday Times'' which said "This exemplary survey gets into the mindsets of the people at the centre of the Troubles - and every minister should be handed a copy.”<ref>{{Cite book |last=Levine |first=Joshua |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bOdwpQKUZpEC |title=On a Wing and a Prayer |date=2008 |publisher=Collins |isbn=978-0-00-726945-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Levine |first=Joshua |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQtdsPS2vUIC |title=Beauty & Atrocity: People, Politics and Ireland's Fight for Peace |date=2010 |publisher=Collins |isbn=978-0-00-730947-4 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Writers' Guild Awards 2010 – shortlists announced |url=https://writersguild.blogspot.com/2010/10/writers-guild-awards-2010-shortlists.html |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=writersguild.blogspot.com}}</ref><ref name="auto22">{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Liam |date=2010-07-18 |title=The road out of the ruins |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/the-road-out-of-the-ruins-vj9f57zlpn7 |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref> ''The Secret History of the Blitz'' (2015) was long-listed for the 2016 PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize, while ''Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture'' (2017) reached Number 1 in the ''Sunday Times'' Bestseller list and Number 2 in the ''New York Times'' Bestseller list.<ref name="auto12">{{Cite web |title=Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture: Film tie-in edition |url=https://www.williamcollinsbooks.co.uk/products/dunkirk-the-history-behind-the-major-motion-picture-joshua-levine-9780008227876/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=William Collins |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Paperback Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Aug. 6, 2017 - The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2017/08/06/paperback-nonfiction/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Recently he wrote ''The Illustrated History of the SAS'' (2023) with the full cooperation of the SAS and exclusive access to their archives, the book featured an exclusive interview Levine conducted with SAS navigator Mike Sadler who also wrote the book's foreword.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who Dares Wins - RIP Mike Sadler, 103, the oldest survivor of the early SAS, who fought his way through the unforgiving deserts of North Africa |url=https://www.theoldie.co.uk/article/who-dares-wins-mike-sadler-103-the-oldest-survivor-of-the-early-sas-fought-his-way-through-italy-france-and-the-unforgiving-deserts-of-north-africa |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=The Oldie |language=en-gb}}</ref>
Levine has written many articles for national newspapers as well. These include pieces for ''The Sunday Times'' on the real child evacuees of World War II and the history behind Dunkirk, a feature for ''The Sunday Telegraph'' about the early days of flying, as well as pieces for the ''Daily Express'' on the Blitz, and for ''The Oldie'' on the history of Jewish humour.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Joshua |date=2024-11-03 |title=The real child evacuees who inspired Steve McQueen's film Blitz |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/lost-stories-of-the-blitz-kids-jbmdnwtcf |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Joshua |date=2017-07-15 |title=The real history behind Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/christopher-nolan-dunkirk-historical-accuracy-k02sq0csb |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-05-04 |title=Those magnificent men of the RAF... |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1925057/Those-magnificent-men-of-the-RAF....html |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=The Telegraph |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Joshua |date=2024-11-22 |title=From looting to oppression, the 'Blitz spirit' hid a mass of contradictions |url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1979590/blitz-spirit-world-war-two |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-oldie/20180501/281569471317263?srsltid=AfmBOorQAZXAlpY_iVJc8HmEnOHZZbatG6vhJowRYFXGryxJwotBNhwv |access-date=2025-01-27 |via=PressReader}}</ref>
In addition to his historical writing, Levine has been a regular presence on television and radio. He wrote and presented the BBC documentaries ''The Little Stamp That Became the Most Valuable Thing in the World'' and ''The Real Rachman,'' described by Miranda Sawyer in ''The Observer'' as 'fascinating and thoroughly entertaining'''.'' He has also fronted Channel 4’s ''Fighting the Red Baron'' (an adaptation of his book ''On a Wing and a Prayer'') and ''Dunkirk: The New Evidence.''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sawyer |first=Miranda |date=2012-10-27 |title=Rewind radio: The Real Rachman; Law in Action; Victoria Derbyshire – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/oct/28/real-rachman-lord-of-slums |access-date=2025-01-27 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}</ref>''<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Little Stamp that Became the Most Valuable Thing in the World |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0477j4l |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Spencer |first=Christopher |title=Fighting the Red Baron |date=2010-06-04 |type=Documentary, Drama, History |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1667833/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |others=Alexandra Churchill, Jamie Lee, Joshua Levine |publisher=Darlow Smithson Productions}}</ref>''
Levine appeared as an expert in Patrick Stewart's episode of ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' and Kristin Scott Thomas's ''My Grandfather's War''.<ref>{{Citation |last=Crisp |first=Mary |title=Patrick Stewart |date=2012-08-29 |work=Who Do You Think You Are? |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2338148/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |others=Patrick Stewart, Mark Strong, Joshua Levine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-11 |title=What's on TV and radio tonight: Wednesday, December 11 |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/whats-on-tv-and-radio-tonight-wednesday-december-11-q9fnvr36v |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref> He was also the historical advisor for the BBC's ''Lucy Worsley’s Blitz Spirit'' (2021) and contributed to Netflix’s ''Greatest Events of World War 2 in Colour'' and ''Road to Victory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is "Blitz Spirit" a myth? |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/az/podcast/is-blitz-spirit-a-myth/id256580326?i=1000509244421 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Apple Podcasts |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Greatest Events of WWII in Colour |date=2019-06-24 |type=Documentary, History, War |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9103932/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |others=Derek Jacobi, Geoffrey Wawro, James Holland |publisher=World Media Rights Productions}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=WWII in Color: Road to Victory |date=2021-12-28 |type=Documentary, History, War |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16477402/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |others=Trish Bertram, James Holland, Roman Töppel}}</ref>''
Levine has also worked in the world of film. His book ''Forgotten Voices of Dunkirk'' inspired Christopher Nolan to make the film ''Dunkirk'' (2017), for which Levine was historical advisor.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shone |first=Tom |title=The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan |publisher=Faber and Faber |year=2020 |isbn=9780571347988 |edition=1st |pages=284–285 |language=En}}</ref> More recently, he worked as the historical advisor on Steve McQueen’s film ''Blitz'' (2024), his book ''The Secret History of the Blitz'' informed the project.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ravindran |first=Manori |date=2024-12-24 |title=Why Steve McQueen's Second World War drama 'Blitz' is so relevant today |url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/why-steve-mcqueens-second-world-war-drama-blitz-is-so-relevant-today/5200191.article#:~:text=Source:%20Apple-,Why%20Steve%20McQueen's%20Second%20World%20War%20drama%20'Blitz'%20is%20so,now,%E2%80%9D%20says%20the%20UK%20filmmaker&text=Second%20World%20War%20drama%20Blitz,in%20a%20bombed-out%20city. |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Screen }}</ref>
Levine is an International Ambassador for the Royal Air Force Museum and has given talks in London, New York, Los Angeles and Gibraltar.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Ambassadors |url=https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/about-us/our-ambassadors/#:~:text=Tony%20Edwards,Chairman%20of%20The%20Air%20League |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=RAF Museum |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bolser |date=2020-05-24 |title=Hidden Heroes |url=https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/hidden-heroes/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=RAF Museum |language=en-GB}}</ref> The talks are part of a series entitled Hidden Heroes, investigating the role of Jewish servicemen during the Second World War in order to counteract the myth that wartime Jews did not fight back.<ref name=":2" /> He has also interviewed actress Minnie Driver, asking her about her father's wartime role in the RAF.<ref name=":2" />
== Personal life == Levine lives in London with his partner, actress Claire Price, and their daughter.
== References == <references />
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levine, Joshua}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Social historians Category:Military historians Category:21st-century dramatists and playwrights Category:Barristers and advocates Category:21st-century male actors Category:People from Nassau, Bahamas