Thomas Williams is a historian of warfare, identity and power

““An historian not afraid of the dark and with eyes adapted to it – what he sees is assessed sagely and described beautifully“

Christopher Hadley, author of The Road: A Story of Romans and Ways to the Past

Thomas is a historian, archaeologist and former British Museum curator whose work engages with ritualized geography, warfare, identity and power across medieval northern Europe. He is the author of the best-selling and critically acclaimed Lost Realms, Viking London, and Viking Britain. His work frequently explores how the past continues to inform contemporary geopolitical and cultural narratives.

Thomas has worked for the British Museum for many years as a curator and, more recently, as a freelance consultant. He was project curator of the BM’s international exhibition Vikings: Life and Legend (2014), and has lectured at UCL and the University of Cambridge. He is a Fellow and former Trustee of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

As a consultant, Thomas has worked with Royal Mail, English Heritage and others, as well as the British Museum. He has delivered lectures and briefings to leading global firms including Morgan Stanley, Citi, and BP; to government and policy institutions including HM Treasury and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office; and privately for senior political figures and international leaders.

Thomas has been published in academic journals and in public outlets including BBC History Magazine, Medieval Warfare Magazine, The Scotsman and The Idler. His forthcoming book, God’s Hammer (2026), examines the Holy War in Scandinavian perspective and traces the intersection of the Viking phenomenon with faith, violence and capital across medieval Europe.

He lives in North London with his family.