- Published: 25.03.2025.
Croatian History Book by Robin Harris Presented in London
Dr Robin Harris is a historian, biographer and journalist, and a former advisor to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
His latest book is written as a synthesis of modern and contemporary Croatian history, covering the period from the mid-19th century to the creation of the modern Croatian state.
At the book presentation in London, British historian David Abulafia also participated as an introductory speaker. The guests were welcomed by the Chargé d’Affaires ai of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in the United Kingdom, Davor Ljubanović.
“I wanted to explain the historical truth about Croatia, the fact that Croatia is an important part of Western civilization. I wanted to bring more recent Croatian history closer to an English-language readership in a clear and, I hope, interesting way” - said historian Robin Harris ahead of the book's launch.
Robin Harris was born in 1952 in Falmouth, Cornwall, England. He studied history and received his PhD from Exeter College, Oxford. He lives in Croatia and holds Croatian citizenship, and speaks Croatian. Mr Harris moved to Zagreb in 2016, where he taught history at the Catholic University of Croatia. For most of his professional life he has worked either for the British Conservative Party or for the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. From 1978 he was a member of the Conservative Party's Research Department, later becoming its director (1985). During the 1980s he was a special adviser to the Treasury, then to the Home Office, and finally a member of the government's policy-making body, the Downing Street Policy Unit. He left government at the same time as Mrs Thatcher and continued to assist her with advice, in speechwriting and in several books, including two volumes of her memoirs.
In 1988, he was awarded the CBE (Order of the British Empire) for political and public service. In 2008, he was also awarded the Order of the Croatian Morning Star with the image of Marko Marulić for his special contribution to the development of cultural ties between Great Britain and the Republic of Croatia.
As a journalist, he has written regularly for newspapers and magazines such as the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The (London) Times, Spectator, Standpoint, Catholic Herald and National Review.
As a historian, he has written books on Britain, France and Croatia. Among the topics of his previous works on Croatia, the history of Dubrovnik and the life of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac stand out the most.
Mr Harris is the president of the Center for the Renewal of Culture (COK), based in Zagreb.