ALTON and Basingstoke Cardiac Rehab’s 12th annual lecture takes place next month.

The lecture, at the Alton Maltings Centre on December 2, is designed to offer a fascinating insight into our military history.

One of the charity’s important fundraising events, this year’s lecture will feature well-known historian and TV pundit Professor Sir Hew Strachan, who will talk about the First World War and the influences upon it of the Battle of Waterloo fought 100 years earlier.

This is an opportunity to hear about the way in which these two important military conflicts were fought and how the First World War generals used history to determine their strategy.

Professor Strachan will describe the ways in which the experiences of 1792-1815 affected Europe’s understanding of the First World War and even shaped their thoughts about future war after the fighting had ended.

A group spokesman said that “for anyone interested in the story of military conflict, it will be a treat”.

Sir Hew Strachan is best known for the first volume of his proposed three-volume history – The First World War – and his frequent appearances on television programmes about modern warfare, including his multi-part documentary series, also entitled The First World War. This was also released on DVD by Image Entertainment.

And it is rare to find a television programme on recent military history which does not include Sir Hew as an expert witness.

The evening starts at 7pm and there will be a selection of Sir Hew’s books on sale which can be autographed, while the lecture itself starts at 8pm for about one hour, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Tickets, priced £25, are available from Denise at Cardiac Rehab on 01420 544794.