Christopher Duggan (historian)

Professor Christopher Duggan
Duggan at an award ceremony in 2013
Born	Christopher John Hesketh Duggan (1957-11-04)4 November 1957 Petts Wood, Kent, England, UK
Died	2 November 2015(2015-11-02) (aged 57) Twickenham, London, England
Title	Professor of Modern Italian History
Spouse(s)	Jennifer Mundy
Children	Two
Academic background
Education	Dulwich College Westminster School
Alma mater	Merton College, Oxford
Thesis title	Fascism's campaign against the mafia
Thesis year	1985
Doctoral advisor	Denis Mack Smith
Academic work
Discipline	History
Sub discipline	Modern Italian history Modern Italian culture Politics of Italy
Institutions	Wolfson College, Oxford All Souls College, Oxford University of Reading

Christopher John Hesketh Duggan (4 November 1957 – 2 November 2015) was a British historian and academic. He specialised in the political, social and cultural history of modern Italy. He began his career as a research fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford and then at All Souls College, Oxford. In 1987, he moved to the University of Reading where he remained until his death. He had been Professor of Modern Italian History since 2002.

On 4 November 1957, Duggan was born to Margaret (née Hesketh) and John Duggan in Petts Wood, Kent, England. His mother was a nurse and social worker, and his father worked as a shipbroker. He was educated at Dulwich College, an all-boys public school in London, and at Westminster School, an all-boys public school in the grounds of Westminster Abbey. At the age of 11, he won an essay competition and was awarded a Mediterranean cruise as the prize.

Between school and university, Duggan went on holiday to Italy and explored the country on a Honda CB175 motorbike. He then studied history at Merton College, Oxford. He was mostly interested in medieval history at the beginning of his studies, but became interested in the history of modern Italy after being taught by Denis Mack Smith. He graduated with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1979.