The historian behind The Ruin of All Witches visits Foyles for the launch of The Glass Mountain, Gaskill’s remarkable account of his great-uncle’s experiences in wartime Italy.
Malcolm Gaskill knew two things about his great-uncle Ralph’s wartime adventures: he had been a prisoner in Italy, and he had cut his way out of a train with a knife and fork. Apart from that, he had faded into family folklore, lost to view. Until, one hot afternoon in an English country garden, a chance conversation set Gaskill on his uncle’s trail.
History at its most compelling and powerfully empathetic, in The Glass Mountain what starts as one family’s history deepens to become a story about stories, history, and truth.
Malcolm Gaskill taught history at British universities for nearly thirty years, where he developed an interest in mentalities, emotions and inner lives. Since leaving academia in 2020 to become a full-time writer, he has spent much of his time thinking about war and memory and different ways of engaging with the past. He is the author of six books, including Hellish Nell and The Ruin of All Witches, a Sunday Times bestseller, which was shortlisted for the 2022 Wolfson History Prize. He writes regularly for the London Review of Books, and lives with his family in Cambridge.
A host for this event will be announced shortly.
The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Your ticket includes a complimentary glass of wine.
