Life Lessons with Dan Snow
Currently on a UK tour, historian and broadcaster Dan Snow discusses why he never stops working and how history can make you happier
■ Surround yourself with great people
I’d never planned to go into TV. I was simply rowing at the Oxford and Cambridge boat race when someone from the BBC watched it and thought I’d be good on telly. It was pure luck. However, it took a lot of work to get used to TV and I mainly learned by working with the best, people like Sian Williams, Kate Humble and of course my dad [the broadcaster Peter Snow] who I think is amazing. Their main advice was if you’re thinking something, make sure you say it. It’s not a very natural thing to do to give a running commentary, but you’ve got to do that on telly as the audience can’t see what you’re thinking through the screen.
■ TV can be lonely
When you work on television it can be a bit lonely as you’re never really sure if anyone’s actually behind the camera watching it. That’s why I love doing a tour where you meet actual people and think oh my, there’s someone out there. It’s quite cool.
■ History makes you happy
I think history makes you realise that we’re so lucky not to be living in the past. I’m so happy that my family don’t face physical threat, disease or hunger like people used to do years ago. So I think studying history can really cheer you up!
■ Appreciate how lucky you are
I feel like the most privileged man in the world as I love my job, so much so that I’d do it even if no one was paying me. One of the luckiest things I ever got to do was fly in a Battle of Britain RAF Lancaster bomber on the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid. I was also lucky to meet the man who had dropped the torpedo that hit the Bismark. On the other hand, one of the scariest things I ever did was visiting Syria during the civil war for a documentary. You’re always hearing the sound of fighting and I found I came back from that experience feeling changed by it.
■ Work never really ends
I spend my free time mainly doing history things, so for me, work doesn’t stop. I love reading books and thinking and talking about history as well as visiting places. In fact, any time we’re visiting a friend’s house I’ll always stop at a castle on the way to have a look round!
■ Dan’s nationwide tour, ‘An Evening with the History Guy’ runs until July 11. To book, contact your local theatre or visit www.ticketline.co.uk/ dan-snow#tour
■ He was talking to Katharine Wootton