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Dr Adam Claasen staff profile picture

Contact details +6492136370

Dr Adam Claasen BA(Hons), PhD

Senior Lecturer in History

Doctoral Supervisor
School of Humanities Media and Creative Comm

I publish on the two world wars, the New Zealand and Anzac experience of war, war and society and military intelligence. My most recent book, Fearless: The extraordinary untold story of New Zealand’s Great War airmen was longlisted for the Ockham New Zealand book of the year, and I was part of the First World War Century Project team that was awarded a Ƶ Research Medal. My next book, a substantial biography of an important First World War New Zealand commander is being published in 2024 by Ƶ Press. Currently I am working on two projects: an interdisciplinary and comparative examination of the treatment of prisoners of war (1914-1918) and the contested commemoration and memorialisation of the past in Aotearoa New Zealand.

I am a Smithsonian Institute Fellowship recipient, a Fulbright Scholar (Visiting Lecturer in New Zealand Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.), and a Vice Chancellor’s Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching awardee. I have coordinated and taught courses on New Zealand and global politics, international relations, world history, German history, popular culture and history, and currently run courses on American foreign policy in the twentieth century and the history and legacy of the Second World War. For my research click 

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Professional

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) - University of Canterbury (1995)
  • Doctor of Philosophy - University of Canterbury (1998)

Research Expertise

Research Interests

  • Global Politics
  • Twentieth Century Europe
  • Modern Culture and History
  • First and Second World Wars

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
British History (210305): European History (excl. British, Classical Greek and Roman) (210307): Historical Studies (210300): History And Archaeology (210000): New Zealand History (210311)

Research Outputs

Book

Claasen, AR.(2017). Fearless: The extraordinary untold story of New Zealand's Great War airmen. Auckland, New Zealand: Ƶ Press
[Authored Book]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2016). From artilleryman to airman: Keith Park. In J. Crawford, D. Littlewood, & J. Watson (Eds.) Experience of a Lifetime: People, Personalities and Leaders in the First World War. (pp. 166 - 182). : Ƶ Press
[Chapter]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, ARA.(2012). Dogfight: The Battle of Britain. : Exisle Publishing
[Authored Book]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007). The German invasion of Norway 1940: The operational intelligence dimension. In . Jeremy Black (Ed.) The Second World War: Volume 1, The German War 1939-1942. (pp. 63 - 68). Burlington, USA: Ashgate Publishing Company
[Chapter]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007). Blood and iron and der geist des atlantiks: assessing Hitler's decision to invade Norway.. In . Jeremy Black (Ed.) The Second World War: Volume 6, Causes and Background. (pp. 239 - 264). Hampshire, UK: Ashgate Publishing Company
[Chapter]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR.(2001). Hitler's northern war: The Luftwaffe's ill-fated campaign, 1940-1945. Lawrence, K.S: University Press of Kansas
[Authored Book]Authored by: Claasen, A.

Journal

Claasen, A. (2015). Death from the skies: How the British and Germans survived bombing in world war II Dietmar Süss, Oxford: OUP, 2014. Britain and the World. 8(1), 107-109
[Book Review]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2014). Pope and devil: The Vatican's archives and the third reich. The Historian. 76(3), 655-656Retreived from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hisn.12048_67/full
[Book Review]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2013). 1939: Countdown to war. The Historian. 75(3), 628-629Retreived from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1540-6563
[Book Review]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, A. (1997). Blood and Iron, and der Geist des Atlantiks: Assessing Hitler's Decision to invade Norway. Journal of Strategic Studies. 20(3), 71-96
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2011). Pius XII: The hound of Hitler - By Gerard Noel. The Historian. 73(1), 200-202 Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hisn.2011.73.issue-1/issuetoc
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2010). Randell Hansen. Fire and Fury: The allied bombing of Germany 1942-45.. The International History Review. 32(1), 170-171 Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07075330903516611
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2010). Treason on the Airwaves: three Allied broadcasters on Axis radio during World War II. By Judith Keene. Westport, CN and London, Praeger, 2009. vi+288 pp., illus., endnotes, bibliog., index. ISBN 978-0-313-35328-4. US$49.95, 34.95stg.. The Journal of Pacific History. 45(1), 168-169
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2008). Donald Caldwell and Richard Muller. The Luftwaffe over Germany: Defense of the Reich. The International History Review. 30(2), 412-413 Retrieved from http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rinh
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007). Author's perspective. World War II Quarterly. 4(1), 49-55
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2005). The effect of science on the second world war by Guy Hartcup. The Historian. 67(1), 175-176
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2004). [Untitled]. Journal of New Zealand History. 38(2), 320-321
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, A. (2004). The German invasion of Norway, 1940: The operational intelligence dimension. Journal of Strategic Studies. 27(1), 114-135
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2002). [Untitled]. History Now. 8(1), 23-23
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2002). The Balkans, 1804 - 1999: Nationalism, war and the great powers. History Now. 8(4), 26-27
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2002). How Hitler could have won World War II: The fatal errors that led to Nazi defeat. The Historian. 65(1), 198-199
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2002). Attack of the Airacobras: Soviet aces. The International History Review. 24(4), 933-934
[Journal article]Authored by: Claasen, A.

Conference

Claasen, AR. (2017, November). The New Zealand Air War 1917. Presented at New Zealand Historical Association: Tamaki Herenga Waka: Where Histories Meet. University of Auckland.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2014, August). Major Park: Artilleryman to Airman, 1915-1918. Presented at The Experience of a Lifetime Conference. Ƶ, Wellington.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2012, July). Antipodean gods-of-the-air: an analysis of Anzac airmen in the Battle of Britain. Presented at New Zealand and Europe: Borders, Nations, Identities. University of Gdansk, Poland.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR.(2011, September). 'Bloody Coloured Troops': New Zealand Airmen finding a home in the RAF. .
[Conference]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2011, November). Fighting for Empire: Anzac Airman at War Over Britain. Presented at New Zealand Historical Association. University of Waikato.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2011, January). Reflections on Australian and New Zealand social and cultural experiences of War, July-October 1940. Presented at Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2011, September). 'Bloody Coloured Troops': New Zealand airmen finding a home in the RAF. Presented at Man Alone. Stout Research Centre, Victoria University, Wellington.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2009, July). New Zealanders in the Battle of Britain. Presented at New Zealand, Germany and the (Post) Colonial Pacific. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR.(2007). Blockbuster history. . Auckland, NZ
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2005). Germany's expeditionary operation: The invasion of Norway, 1940. In P. Dennis, & JG. Eds (Eds.) The 2004 Chief of Army Military History Conference: Battles near and far: A century of overseas development. (pp. 141 - 162). Canberra, Australia
[Conference Paper in Published Proceedings]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2004, October). The German invasion of Norway, 1940. Presented at The Chief of Army's History Conference. Canberra, ACT.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2001, July). Hitler's plans for Norway. Presented at 18th biennial conference of the Australasian Association for European History: Writing Europe's pasts. Auckland University, Auckland, N.Z.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.

Other

Claasen, AR. (2008, July). Fact or fiction in the da vinci code. In U3A. Presented at Auckland, NZ.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2008). History: Biopics at the movies. Presented at Ƶ, Auckland, NZ.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007, November). Zeal: Leadership and William Wilbeforce. In Westlake Girls High School Zeal Graduation. Presented at Auckland, NZ.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007, November). Zeal: Leadership and Harriet Tubman. In Kelston Girls College Zeal Graduation. Presented at Auckland, NZ.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007, November). Zeal: Leadership and Sir Edmund Hillary. In Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Zeal Graduation. Presented at Auckland, NZ.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007, October). Bones of contention: The lost tomb of Jesus. In School of Social and Cultural Studies Free Lecture. Presented at Ƶ, Auckland, NZ.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007). Cracking the movie code.
[Other]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007). History paper probes WWII. News Item, Dominion Post. (pp. B7).
[Other]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2007). Jesus 'discovery' to be challenged.
[Other]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2005, July). Blockbusters and biopics: History at the movies. Presented at St Cuthbert's College, Auckland, NZ. : Auckland History Teachers Association.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2005). Understanding and interpreting what history and popular culture tell us about Christianity. KingsWay School
[Other]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2005). The Da Vinci code, Christianity and critical thinking. Hebron Christian College
[Other]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2005, September). Fact and fiction in the Da Vinci code. Presented at Rotary. : Rotary Club of Albany.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2005, August). Fact and fiction in the Da Vinci code. : Wanaka Luxury Apartments.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR. (2005). The Da Vinci code and accepted history. Orewa College
[Other]Authored by: Claasen, A.
Claasen, AR.The Theology of Prince Caspian.
[Other]Authored by: Claasen, A.

Teaching and Supervision

Summary of Doctoral Supervision

Position Current Completed
Main Supervisor 0 1
Co-supervisor 2 1

Current Doctoral Supervision

Co-supervisor of:

  • Grace Penlain - Doctor of Philosophy
    Fourth Service, Forgotten Service: New Zealand’s Merchant Seafarers in the Second World War
  • Jessica McLean - Doctor of Philosophy
    Myth-making and Story-telling: Comparing New Zealand's Centennial Narratives of World War One

Completed Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • 2024 - Kenneth Dawson - Doctor of Philosophy
    Propaganda, Profit and Remembrance: The Role of Postage and Cinderella Stamps of New Zealand and Australia Relating to the First World War

Co-supervisor of:

  • 2023 - Shaun Mawdsley - Doctor of Philosophy
    'Fighting Reputations ' Combat Effectiveness in the Western Desert Campaign: A Comparison of the 9th Australian and 2nd New Zealand Divisions, 1941-19

Media and Links

Media

  • 17 Dec 2012 - Radio
    'Afternoons with Jim Mora', National Radio
    Interview: "Dr Adam Claasen talks about his new book, Dogfight and the role of the ANZACs in the Battle of Britain."
  • 09 Dec 2012 - Radio
    "Sounds Historical", National Radio
    Interview: "The Battle of Britain by Adam Claasen"
  • 06 Dec 2012 - Radio
    Christchurch Newstalk ZB, Mike Yardley
    Interview: publication of book Dogfight
  • 05 Dec 2012 - Radio
    Hokonui Gold, Wal Addell
    Interview: Publication of book Dogfight
  • 05 Dec 2012 - Radio
    Radio Southland, Gordon Crombie
    Interview: Publication of book Dogfight.