THE BEARDY HISTORIAN – Tony McMahon – as seen on TV!
Contact: tonymcmahon@rostraconsulting.org
Join me on YouTube: @tonymcmahon_historybear
Hi, I’m Tony McMahon – investigative historian, author, and journalist.
Email: tonymcmahon@rostraconsulting.org
Here I am with Dr Alice Roberts in her 2026 quest for the Holy Grail, produced by 9 of Cups and broadcast by Hearst Networks/History. We were examining an alleged Templar relic in the Somerset village of Templecombe. I film in the studio and on location in the UK and globally. As a former BBC news producer and print journalist, I also muck in with the writing, research, and identifying the best locations.
In 2025, I appeared alongside Bradley Walsh as he investigated various theories about the builders of the Pyramids and other wonders of Ancient Egypt. I’m first and foremost a storyteller who can take complex ideas and involved stories and make them relatable to mass audiences in a way that is compelling and entertaining.
Email: tonymcmahon@rostraconsulting.org
In February 2026, I was once more in Toronto filming with some great Canadian producers – in this case, Blue Ant. We nailed eight episodes for an amazing new documentary series. For every shoot, I come prepared having immersed myself in the topics and coming up with additional angles.
I’m an award short-listed author who has penned biographies, political analysis, history, and true crime. Over the last two years, I’ve been writing a trilogy on the Knights Templar for the publisher, Pen & Sword.
Email: tonymcmahon@rostraconsulting.org
Always enjoy speaking at book festivals, meeting the reading public and history enthusiasts. Recent highlights were the Battle of Evesham festival and the Oundle festival.
I was a reporter and producer at Sky News and the BBC in the early days of rolling news. So, I’ve always felt at home in a newsroom environment. Of late, I’ve been appearing on live TV news as an expert historian – and on occasion, having my own books reviewed.
Email: tonymcmahon@rostraconsulting.org
TONY MCMAHON – HISTORIAN AND LONDONER
Born: Walthamstow, east London
Have lived in east, north, west, and south London – currently near the Oval cricket ground.
People make cities. In this blog, I’m going to introduce you to centuries of Londoners – villains, heroes, kings and paupers – who made London what it is today. As a former journalist and inveterate gossip, I love finding out juicy morsels about people. They don’t have to be famous – just the events in their lives should command your attention.
So where do I find my material? This blog brings together stories and anecdotes from my large collection of antiquarian books on London going back to the 17th century. Most of them were bought on e-bay and some at antiques fairs. I also collect vintage newspapers so some future stories will be picked up from those sources.
The people you will meet in London Ghosts will date all the way back to pre-Roman times through to recent decades. Their one common characteristic is that they’ll all be very dead. Some will have died peacefully but let’s face it, you’d rather read about the ones who met a gruesome fate. I know what you’re like!
I won’t always attribute sources as this isn’t an academic blog – just some fun for lovers of London. But if you want me to note a source on a blog post – just ask and I’ll post it. All stories are to the best of my knowledge, true. And you can add your own stories of Londoners long gone. I’m happy for this to be a collaborative process where we share tales.
Regarding visuals – many of the photographs I’ll be using come from my own camera lens but there will be plenty of photos, engravings, graphics and videos from other hands. I do check for copyright clearance and as a published author and former journalist understand the need to respect other people’s intellectual property. Do please flag up if you think I’ve not respected somebody’s artistic rights.
Other London blogs and websites look primarily at buildings – which is great. But I want to see the faces and hear the voices of those who’ve lived, worked and died here. My own house near the Thames dates to 1830. I often wonder – who lived here? What did they do? What tragedies befell them? Etc. So – without further ado – let’s go find some dead Londoners!