Mark Dunton
- Roles
- Researcher
- Author
Principal Records Specialist (Contemporary records)
About
Mark has written and broadcast extensively on the modern period. He joined The National Archives in 1983 and has an in-depth knowledge and experience of researching public records, specialising in 20th-century Britain (political, social and economic history): Prime Minister’s Office records, Cabinet Papers, and the records of the Security Service (MI5). Mark curated the Protect and Survive: Britain’s Cold War Revealed exhibition at The National Archives in 2019 and is the lead curator of our 2025 exhibition MI5: Official Secrets.
Research activity
Mark has a BA in History from Exeter University, an MA in Archives and Records Management from University College London and an MA in War Studies from King’s College London. His research interests include post-1945 British political, social and economic history, British Prime Ministers of the 20th Century and the Cold War. His areas of expertise include The Heath Government (1970–1974) and The Thatcher Governments (1979–1990).
He is particularly fascinated by ‘marginalia’ (handwritten comments) in the Prime Minister’s Office records. He has an interest in economic history and knowledge of 20th Century Treasury records.
Mark was lead contact for The National Archives on ‘A Publishing and Communications History of the Ministry of Information, 1939–1946’, a collaborative project with the Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London.
He is co-supervisor on the CDA PhD Project: State Secrets and the Public Archive: Cold War Spycraft and the Literary Heritage of British Espionage, working with the University of Roehampton (School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences).
Publications
- Prime Ministers of the 20th Century (Pen & Sword, 2021)
- M. Dunton, Public Relations and the Price Commission, 1973–74, Archives, Volume LII, Number 134 (April 2017)
- M. Dunton, Probing the 1970s: A Case Study: Inflation, Public Relations, and the Heath Administration, 1972, Archives, Volume XXXVIII, Number 126 (April 2013)
Contact
If you are interested in collaborating on an academic research project, please get in touch.
Articles
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Blog post
On the Record: MI5: Official Secrets
In celebration of our new exhibition featuring these secret files and spy gadgets, this episode of our podcast delves into the real world of espionage.
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Focus on
Olga Gray and the Woolwich Arsenal Spy Ring
In 1938, thanks to years of work by a remarkable female agent, MI5 ensured a package of British defence plans stayed secret.
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Blog post
Confessions from the Cambridge Five: a file release from MI5
Over 100 Security Service (MI5) files are being released today covering a wide range of subjects and individuals. Most notably, the Cambridge Five spy ring.
