I am very excited to be already planning for next April and May with a new project for Prof Ian Bickerton; Next year we will review our concepts of Italy at War as engendered by the media and films about how the media dealt with some of the Issues in Europe during WW2. Ian Bickerton, pictured above in his library back at home in Australia, is one of the few American trained US diplomatic historians in Australia, but this certainly doesn’t mean that he follows slavishly the American Diplomatic regime.

In fact he would like us to discuss some of the more controversial decisions made by the US Government in relation to waging war or not – and has suggested an interesting range of books to read before the course starts and some potentially startling films, such as Wag the Dog, to watch as part of the 2015 programme.

Other films that we will watch that I am really looking forward to – include the remake of Graham Greene’s – The Quiet American starring Brendan Frazer and Michael Caine.

and the amazing story of Ed Murrow  starring David Strathairn and George Clooney – Good Night and Good Luck.