David Olusoga

Have you ever considered how a single weapon could change the course of history? What stories lie behind the guns that shaped empires, wars, and even criminal underworlds? How did these firearms influence not just battles, but entire societies? 

Known for his acclaimed documentaries Black and British: A Forgotten History and A House Through Time, as well has his appearance on Celebrity Traitors, David Olusoga  offers remarkable storytelling in this powerful, unexpected and enlightening social narrative.  

Join David as he uncovers the story of four firearms that changed the world and the lives of our ancestors.  

The Thompson Sub-Machine Gun was the wonder weapon that was supposed to end to the slaughter of the First World War. But in the hands of the gangsters of Prohibition-era American it became the infamous 'Tommy Gun'. 

The Maxim gun enabled Europeans to conquer Africa in the 1890s, but 20 years later it became one of the biggest killers in European history when deployed on the Western Front. It is still being used to considerable effect on the battlefields of Ukraine.  

The Brown Bess flintlock musket, standard issue to the British Army from the early 18th to mid-19th century, was famously used in conflicts from the American War of Independence to Waterloo, symbolising the height of British imperial military power.  

The Lee Enfield rifle was woven into the lives of two generations of our ancestors. With 17 million of them produced it was the weapon the British Army took to war in 1914 and 1939.   

See these legendary firearms up close on stage and delve into their mind-bending hidden social histories.

"This is not a show about guns and how they work technically, and it’s not about the tactics of battle. It’s about the cultures that emerged from the millions of people for whom these weapons became part of their lives. I am excited to be touring the UK in November 2025 - with 3 iconic weapons - each with remarkable and very different stories and journeys through time." David Olusoga

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