Laurence Rees is the author of several acclaimed books on the Second World War and is a former Head of BBC TV History programmes. His work includes the television series and bestselling books The Nazis: A Warning from History, Auschwitz: The Nazis and the 'Final Solution', World War II: Behind Closed Doors, The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler and The Holocaust: A New History, which was a Sunday Times bestseller. Rees holds honorary doctorates from the University of Sheffield and the Open University. His many and varied awards include a British Book Award, a BAFTA, a George Foster Peabody award, a Broadcasting Press Guild award, a Grierson award, a Broadcast award, two International Documentary awards and two Emmys.