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Mike Loades is a British historian, author, television presenter, and director renowned for his expertise in historical weaponry, military history and social history. With a career spanning over many decades, he has contributed significantly to both academic and entertainment fields, bringing history to life with his signature hands-on style.
Loades gained prominence as the presenter of Channel 4's Weapons That Made Britain (2004) and as a regular pundit on the BBC series Time Commanders (2003-2005). In the US he was a presenter for Discovery's Weapon Masters (2007) and H2's Going Medieval (2012).
Loades has also directed several historical documentaries for television, including USS Constellation: Battling for Freedom (2007), The Plot to Kill Reagan (2005), Jesse James: American Outlaw (2007) and The Hunt For Lincoln's Assassin (2007).
Loades has authored several books on historical arms and combat, including Swords and Swordsmen (2010), The Longbow (2013), The Composite Bow (2016), The Crossbow (2017) and War Bows (2019) and has been a contributing author to other works such as The Worldwide History of Warfare (2009) and Masters of The Steppe (2020).
In addition to his work on historical weapons, Loades has explored the historical roles of dogs. His book Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks (2020) delves into the evolution of various dog types and their traditional roles. Loades has also written, directed and presented dog-focused history documentaries for History Hit. These include Dogs of the Tudors (2025) and Dogs in the Age of Revolutions (2025), examining the intersections of human and canine history at various periods. Additionally, for History Hit, he has written, directed and presented several other films on topics ranging from the Napoleonic Wars to Highwaymen and from Stagecoaches to the history of Duelling.
Beyond television and writing, Loades has served as a historical consultant for video games such as Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and Total War: Rome II, and directed several mini-documentaries for Age of Empires IV. Prior to his on-screen career Loades also worked as a fight arranger, specializing in historical combat styles.
Loades's multifaceted career reflects his dedication to making history accessible and engaging, whether through the written word, on-screen presentations, or interactive media.
