Peter Clarke (historian)

Peter Clarke (born 6 April 1942) is a British historian, specialising in modern British political and social history. He is known for his scholarly work on the Liberal Party, the Labour Party, and the development of the welfare state in Britain.

Clarke was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a BA, MA, and PhD. He held academic positions at University College London and St John's College, Cambridge, where he was a Fellow. He has also held visiting professorships at institutions in the United States and Australia.

His major publications include:

• Liberals and Social Democrats (1978)
• Lancashire and the New Liberalism (1971)
• Liberals and Social Democrats (1978)
• Hopes and Fears: Modern Britain, 1900-1945 (1996)
• The Keynesian Revolution in the Making, 1924-1936 (1988)
• Keynes: The Rise, Fall and Return of Keynesian Economics (2009)
• Mr. Churchill's Profession: Statesman, Orator, Writer (2012)

Clarke's work is characterized by its meticulous research, insightful analysis, and clear prose. He is considered a leading authority on British political history in the 20th century. He has also written extensively on the life and work of John Maynard Keynes. He is a Fellow of the British Academy.