SOME of the finest military historians in the world will be coming to the Malvern area later this year for a unique literary festival.

The first Festival of Military History. will be taking place in October in the grounds of historic Severn End at Hanley Castle, home of the Lechmere family.

It will be looking at fiction and non-fiction, ranging from Agincourt to modern-day Afghanistan, and covering warfare on land, at sea and in the air.

Top speakers include Sir Max Hastings on Vietnam, Damien Lewis on the SAS, Nicholas Shakespeare and Andrew Roberts on Churchill and Adam Zamoyski on Napoleon.

Max Hastings is the author of several books, many about warfare. The most recent is the bestselling and critically-acclaimed Catastrophe: Europe Goes to War 1914. In his early career as a war correspondent, he reported on the 1982 Falklands War.

Top military historians in their fields will also debate key issues in important battles and wars through the ages in a series of panels.

These include Agincourt, the English Civil War, the Royal Navy, Waterloo, 19th century colonial wars, World War One, World War Two and post-1945 wars and insurgencies.

There will also be a panel of novelists discussing the challenges of writing fiction based on historical events and characters.

All the talks and panels will be followed by book signings and an opportunity for the audience to meet these renowned authors.

There is also an exhibition of war art, which attendees can browse during breaks in the programme, while taking their refreshment from a range of food and drink outlets.

On Friday night the New Scorpion Band perform a set of traditional folk tunes from the 18th and 19th centuries.

And Saturday is the turn of the RAFA Concert Orchestra, which will play a selection of war movie themes including The Dam Busters, The Great Escape and Saving Private Ryan.

This event is not to be missed by anyone interested in military history. Full details and booking options can be found at enlightenmentevents.com.