Science Museum Group Chief Executive Sir Ian Blatchford is joined in conversation by Labour MP Chris Bryant, author of a new book which tells the story of unsung bravery at a defining moment in Britain's history.
Too often the work of diverse figures is either unrepresented, overlooked or totally scrubbed out from the history books. The latest book by Chris Bryant (author of several historical nonfiction publications including Entitled: A Critical History of the British Aristocracy and Parliament: The Biography) aims to shed light on and commemorate a particularly poignant example of this.
The Glamour Boys: The Secret Story of the Rebels Who Fought for Britain to Defeat Hitler tells the story of the remarkable contribution to Britain's involvement in the Second World War made by a group of young, queer British MPs. At a time when even the suggestion of homosexuality could land you in prison, the bravery these men were forced to show in their personal lives gave them extraordinary courage in public. On a series of trips in the early 1930s, these MPs witnessed the brutality of Hitler’s Germany up close as the Nazis arrested their gay and Jewish friends. Speaking out against the British government’s policy of appeasement, this group of extraordinary young men put their careers, their privacy and their very lives on the line. Without them, Britain would have never faced down Nazism.
Broadcast live from the Science Museum’s Information Age gallery, this free virtual event will delve into this extraordinary story and celebrate the stories of these almost forgotten men.
This is free event but booking is essential.