From Joanna to Boris, stars sign up for Mail's history festival where subject will be brought to life

One minute, Roman legionaries will cross swords in a historical re-enactment, the next a Spitfire could roar overhead.
Or if you fancy something more sedate, there is a dazzling cast of speakers to choose from at this year’s Chalke Valley History Festival, sponsored by the Daily Mail.

An incredible line-up of household names including Boris Johnson, Joanna Lumley, Rupert Everett, Tom Stoppard, Sebastian Faulks, Ian Hislop, Paddy Ashdown and Max Hastings is confirmed for the event, which combines Britain’s largest festival devoted entirely to history with imaginative ‘living history’ displays.

A brilliant set of speakers: Joanna Lumley will appear at the Chalke Valley History Festival, sponsored by the Daily Mail

Also among the speakers will be Conn Iggulden, author of the best-selling Emperor and Conqueror historical fiction series and co-author, with his brother Hal, of 2006’s British Book of The Year, The Dangerous Book for Boys.

At the festival’s launch event yesterday at Waterstones in Piccadilly, central London, he said: ‘The way I look at it, the French have got cooking, the Italians have got style and the British have got history.

‘We have the best stories and they make us who we are. I’m very much looking forward to a crowd who have come to see and talk about history.’

A new feature will be an air show featuring Second World War planes like Hurricanes, Mustangs, Messerschmitts and Spitfires (pictured)

Explaining the appeal of the festival, now in its third year and held in an area of outstanding natural beauty near Salisbury, Wiltshire, fellow author Tom Holland, who will also appear, said: ‘It’s a  magical world. The setting is absolutely stunning, like a vision of Wessex.
‘The roster of speakers is amazing – it’s not often you get the chance to see Boris Johnson and Tom Stoppard in the same field as someone dressed up in Dark Ages armour.’

Knight in shining armour: There will be a variety of historical displays and re-enactments

He added: ‘Even if you think you know nothing about history, you do because the raw material of history is what goes into films, novels and television.

‘When you come to the festival you feel you’re going into a slightly different dimension of reality – it has the feel of a Doctor Who episode where they have to time-travel and gather people from different eras.’

The festival, which runs from June 24 to 30, also hosts a history writing prize, in partnership with the Daily Mail and Penguin Books.

Mr Iggulden said: ‘The thrill in historical writing is you get the facts and you want to know more. Historical fiction helps you to imagine what it was like to be there.’

A new feature will be an air show featuring Hurricanes, Mustangs, Messerschmitts and Spitfires.
Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown, a former Royal Navy officer and test pilot who has flown more types of aircraft than anyone else in history, will also give a talk.
Other speakers include the team behind the recent discovery of Richard III’s bones in a Leicester car park.

Living history events include ‘Have-a-Go Archery’ and a First World War trench experience.
For the first time, there will also be a two-day schools programme, delivered by leading historians, for Year 10 and 12 students.