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Everything you need to know about Union presenter David Olusoga

The BBC star has an impressive CV


David Olusoga in Union with David Olusoga© BBC
Aisha Nozari
Online Writer
Updated: October 2, 2023
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Historian extraordinaire David Olusoga is back on our screens on Monday night in his new BBC Two series, Union With David Olusogawhich sees the presenter explore the events of the 17th century that led to the creation of Great Britain. 

But how much do you know about host David? Here's all you need to know...

WATCH: The trailer for the BBC Two documentary series, Union with David Olusoga

Who is David Olusoga?

David Olusoga is a historian, writer, broadcaster, presenter and film-maker. David is also a professor of Public History at the University of Manchester, and has fronted many programmes for the BBC, as well as often writing for prestigious publications such as The Guardian.

Born in Lagos, David migrated to Britain when he was five, and grew up in Gateshead. His move into television came when David realised that black people were not represented in the media landscape, so following his graduation from university the 53-year-old became a producer.

Nowadays, David lives with his partner and their daughter in Bristol. 

David Olusoga © Photo: Getty Images
David is a historian and presenter

When did David Olusoga first start presenting? 

David's first presenting gig came in 2014, when he fronted The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire, which spotlighted the African and Asian Troops who fought in WWI. Soon after came appearances on The One Show, and the rest, as they say, is history.

What books has David Olusoga written?

David's first big hit, Black and British: A Forgotten History, hit shelves in 2016. He has also authored The World’s War, winner of the First World War Book of the year in 2015, and The Kaiser’s Holocaust: Germany’s Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism, which David co-authored with Casper Erichsen in 2011. Of course, one of his best-known books is Civilisations, which was published in 2018.

David Olusoga in Union with David Olusoga© BBC
David Olusoga has written several books

His more recent works include, The Cult of Progress and Black and British: A Short Essential History.

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What is Union With David Olusoga about? 

David's new series explores the events of the 17th Century which led to the Act of 1707, creating a new nation - Great Britain. It delves into the long history of the UK's union and disunion over the centuries. 

David Olusoga in Union with David Olusoga © BBC
David Olusoga in Union with David Olusoga

In the first episode, the presenter looks into the first attempts to form a united Britain in the 17th and early 18th centuries, a period defined by religious and cultural divisions.

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