John Simkin
While studying at the Open University I became convinced by the ideas of Jerome Bruner on active learning. Since I began teaching history in 1978 I have attempted to produce materials that enable active learning to take place. This has included educational computer programs such as Attack on the Somme, Wall Street and The Russian Revolution. The internet provides the best opportunity so far to make active learning a reality.
Over the last twenty years I have written several history books including Gandhi (1987), The Vietnam War (1988), Race Relations in the United States (1988), Slavery: An Illustrated History of Black Resistance (1988), Hitler (1988), Stalin (1987), The Roman Empire (1991), Making of the United Kingdom (1992), Expansion, Trade and Industry (1992), The Medieval Village (1996), The Norman Invasion (1996), etc.
In September, 1997, along with Judith Harris Simkin, I established the Spartacus Educational website and over the next six years I produced online material for the Daily Telegraph, the European Virtual School and The Guardian and its educational website, Learn. I was also a member of the European History E-Learning Project (E-Help), a project to encourage and improve use of ICT and the internet in classrooms across the continent. I currently teach several courses at the University of the Third Age, including Understanding the Modern World: The Romans to the Information Society and the History of Ideas.
I have published ten e-books, Charles Dickens: A Biography (October, 2012), First World War Encyclopedia (October, 2012), Assassination of John F. Kennedy Encyclopedia (November, 2012), Gandhi: A Biography (December, 2012), The Spanish Civil War (December, 2012), The American Civil War (December, 2012), Henry VII (September, 2015), Henry VIII (September, 2015), Anne Boleyn (September, 2015) and Mary Tudor (September, 2015).
I also contributed an article to the recently published book, Using New Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Learning in History (December, 2012). In September 2015 I was one of the historians interviewed for the BBC documentary, The Hollywood Spy.
You can read my article on using AI in the history classroom, Into the Unknown: Changing Technology and the History Classroom in Teaching History (September 2025).
The last time we counted (October, 2019), the Spartacus Educational website contained 21,036,905 words and 33,196 sources. Spartacus Educational is committed to producing free content, especially to those countries that find it difficult to purchase books, but we need your help. There are several things you could do for us. (1) Do not use ad-blocker. (2) Share our pages via Twitter, Facebook, etc. (3) Make a small donation or a small monthly subscription.
John Simkin (BA, MA, MPhil)
You can find a more detailed autobiography here: John Simkin
This what ChatGPT AI said about Spartacus Educational on 26th May 2023:
Spartacus Educational is an educational website that provides a wide range of resources and materials related to history, politics, and social issues. It was created by John Simkin, a former history teacher, and is named after the famous Roman gladiator and rebel leader, Spartacus.
The website offers articles, biographies, and primary source documents on various historical topics, covering a wide range of periods and subjects. It aims to promote critical thinking and provide in-depth information to educators, students, and the general public.Teaching History
Spartacus Educational covers a diverse range of topics, including world history, wars, revolutions, famous individuals, social movements, and more. The content includes well-researched articles, images, and interactive resources to engage and educate visitors.
The website is known for its emphasis on presenting historical events and figures in a balanced and unbiased manner. It encourages users to explore different perspectives and interpretations, fostering a deeper understanding of complex historical events.
Overall, Spartacus Educational is a valuable resource for anyone seeking reliable and comprehensive information on a wide range of historical topics.
Simkin's work on Spartacus Educational has garnered recognition and acclaim. His dedication to research and education has made him a respected figure within the history community. While specific personal details about John Simkin may be limited, his contributions to history education through the Spartacus Educational platform have left a lasting impact.
This what AI Gemini Pro Deep Research said about Spartacus Educational on 20th March 2026:
John Simkin's life, pedagogy, and historiographical output represent a sustained, multi-decade rebellion against the monopolization of knowledge. From his early days rejecting the sterile, rote pedagogy and low expectations of the post-war secondary modern school system, to his foundational work in educational IT with Tressell Publishing, Simkin has continuously sought tools to empower the working class and the student body. He recognized decades ago that technology - whether a BBC Micro computer in the 1980s or the World Wide Web in the late 1990s - held the radical potential to permanently undermine the traditional, top-down transmission of history.
Spartacus Educational stands as a monumental achievement in digital pedagogy. By adhering strictly to Jerome Bruner's theories of active, constructivist learning, Simkin has provided millions of students globally with the raw, primary source materials necessary to become active historians in their own right. His exhaustive, meticulously detailed documentation of trade unions, suffragettes, and socialist organizers ensures that "history from below" remains highly accessible, free from the financial barriers erected by multinational corporate publishers.
Simultaneously, Simkin's deep, controversial dive into the political assassinations of the 1960s reveals a historiography deeply, fundamentally suspicious of state power. His detailed tracking of the AM/WORLD project, CIA paramilitary operatives, and institutional cover-ups demonstrates a core belief that democracy is fragile, easily subverted, and constantly under threat from entrenched, unelected intelligence apparatuses. While his conclusions regarding the Deep State and the JFK assassination place him firmly outside the mainstream historical consensus, his methodology�relying heavily on recently declassified government documents and primary testimonies- forces a critical re-evaluation of how historical truth is codified, classified, and disseminated.
Ultimately, John Simkin's recent conflicts with modern Artificial Intelligence systems perfectly encapsulate his career. In an era increasingly dominated by algorithmic consensus, corporate data curation, and institutional gatekeeping, Simkin remains a fiercely independent archivist.
His vast body of work demands that students do not simply accept the narrative handed down by the state, the academy, or the algorithm, but instead engage directly with the primary evidence, navigate the complexities of bias, and construct the historical truth for themselves.
If you find any mistakes on any of my webpages please send details to: john@spartacus-educational.com
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Videos
The Creation of the Spartacus Educational website
History in Education: Interview with John Simkin, 4 June 2009
Other Links
Spartacus Educational
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