Making history cool for school

Ben Wilson 29, was educated at Cambridge. His third book, What Price Liberty, was published this year by Faber Photograph: Katherine Rose/Observer

Dan Jones 27, again educated at Cambridge. Summer of Blood, a history of the English peasants’ revolt, was published this year by HarperCollins Photograph: Katherine Rose/Observer

Francesca Beauman 31, another Cambridge alumnus. Her third book, Shapely Ankle Preferred, a history of lonely-hearts advertisements, will be published by Chatto & Windus in 2010 Photograph: Katherine Rose/Observer

John Bew 29, was educated at Cambridge. Has written a number of academic books; his latest, From Enlightenment to Tyranny, about Lord Castlereagh, is to be published by Quercus in 2010 Photograph: Katherine Rose/Observer

Claudia Renton 27, was educated at Oxford. Her biography of the Wyndham sisters is to be published by Quercus in 2010 Photograph: Katherine Rose/Observer

Simon Reid-Henry 31, was educated at Cambridge. His 'Fidel and Che' was published this year by Hodder & Stoughton Photograph: Katherine Rose/Observer