Sam Willis

Samuel Bruce Adlam Willis, born on April 24, 1977, is a distinguished British historian, television presenter, and writer. His academic foundation began at Exeter University, where he graduated in 2000 with a degree in History and Archaeology. He furthered his studies, earning a PhD in Naval History from Exeter, under the guidance of Professor Nicholas Rodger, focusing his doctoral thesis on ‘Capability, control and tactics in the eighteenth century Royal Navy’. Following this, he pursued and completed an MA in Maritime Archaeology at the University of Bristol, studying with Professor Mark Horton. Dr. Willis is recognized for his contributions to the field as a visiting Fellow in Maritime and Naval History at the University of Plymouth and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He also serves as the editor of Navy Records Online, an online publishing division of the Navy Records Society.

Willis transitioned his academic expertise into public engagement, making numerous appearances as an expert on television and radio. In 2012, he presented “Nelson’s Caribbean Hell-Hole,” a BBC4 film about the excavation of a naval burial site in Antigua. His television career expanded significantly in 2013 with a three-part BBC4 series on the cultural history of shipwrecks. The following year, 2014, saw him participate in and present a BBC2 series documenting a recreation of John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Colorado River voyage. He also presented “Castles: Britain’s Fortified History,” a three-part BBC4 series in October 2014. These early television roles established his presence as a presenter capable of delivering complex historical narratives to a broad audience.

His career continued to progress with a variety of projects across different platforms. In 2015, he presented “Britain’s Outlaws: Highwaymen, Pirates & Rogues” for BBC4. The year 2016 marked the broadcast of “The Silk Road” on BBC, charting his journey from Xi’an to Venice, and his first series for National Geographic, “Nazi Weird War Two.” He returned to BBC4 in 2017 with “Sword, Musket and Machine Gun: Britain’s Armed History” and presented “Maritime Silk Road Reborn” for National Geographic, along with “Invasion!” for BBC Four. His work with National Geographic further includes “Silk Railroad” (2018) and “China Relics Decoded” (2019). Willis is also a prolific author with fourteen books and numerous academic articles, including the “Hearts of Oak Trilogy” and “Fighting Ships series.” His book, “The Glorious First of June,” earned him the Society for Nautical Research’s Anderson Medal in 2011. He co-writes the “Histories of the Unexpected” book series alongside James Daybell, complementing their popular podcast of the same name. He also hosts the “Mariner’s Mirror Podcast” focusing on maritime and naval history.