Dr. Dean Allen

Based upon his new books, join author and historian Dr Dean Allen in Frontier Land as he explores one of South Africa’s most captivating regions.

The Eastern Cape is a land of rich history and fascinating people and as the birthplace of Nelson Mandela, it has been at the frontier of shaping modern-day South Africa.

This fully illustrated talk will take you on a fascinating journey and tell the stories of the people and places at the heart of this wonderfully diverse province. Tales of regeneration and hope will leave you inspired. 

Based upon his best-selling book, Empire, War and Cricket, author and historian Dr Dean Allen presents this fully illustrated talk that has entertained and inspired international audiences around the world.

It tells the story of James Logan, a young Scottish entrepreneur who made his name and fortune in South Africa during the late 1800s.

An important figure culturally and politically, at the age of just 24 Logan created the famous Victorian town of Matjiesfontein in the Karoo.

He was also responsible for bringing international sport to South Africa.

Based upon his current research and book, The Man Who Changed a Landscape, join author and historian Dr Dean Allen for this fascinating talk that will reveal the project to rewild large parts of the African continent and return it to its natural state.

Some examples from Botswana as well as South Africa’s Eastern Cape shall be explored where, recently, elephants were re-introduced to areas where they had once roamed 200 years ago.

It is a truly inspirational story. 

The African slave trade has shaped our modern world.

Join author and historian Dr Dean Allen on an emotive journey as he traces the story of one of the most tragic events in human history.

Learn how slavery started and how it affected the African Continent and its people. For anyone interested in African, American and world history, this is not to be missed. 

During the era of ‘New Imperialism’ in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the main 7 Western European powers decided to partition the African continent into protectorates, colonies and 'free-trade areas' to serve their own interests.

Join author and historian Dr Dean Allen as he explores the infamous ‘Scramble for Africa’, as it became known, and how this period in history still impacts Africa and its people to this day. 

Sailing the high seas, searching for buried treasure, and engaging in epic battles are all part of the romanticised notion of pirates that has become ingrained in popular culture.

Join historian Dr Dean Allen as he debunks some of the myths of piracy and explores its history as well highlighting its continued impact today. 

Rugby in South Africa is a religion. Author and historian Dr Dean Allen presents this inspirational talk that will explore the development of the game and how, in 1995, President Nelson Mandela embraced the sport to unite a divided nation.

It is a story that inspired a Hollywood movie directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.

The talk includes first-hand interviews with some of those involved, including Francois Pienaar. 

Sport is big business and an important part of modern society.

This fully illustrated talk takes the audience on a fascinating journey through history from the Greek and Roman Empires to the creation of modern sport in the Victorian era to the multi-billion-dollar industry that sport has become in today’s world.

The talk, based upon my years of teaching at leading international universities, provides the audience with lessons from history in terms of business development, societal change as well as inspirational stories of the human ability to develop and adapt. 

In 2010 Shakira sang “This Time for Africa” and the world’s focus was on the African continent, as for the first time in history, a major international mega-event was held in South Africa.

This illuminating talk describes the significance and legacy of hosting the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup as part of South Africa’s global development.  

This thought-provoking talk will explore how gender roles have evolved throughout history.

Using sport as an example, it will investigate the development of male and female standing in society. 

It is a talk that has been presented to a wide variety of international audiences.

On the back of the world’s ‘Great War’, the Spanish Flu pandemic that began in 1918, infected over a quarter of the world’s population with a death-toll as high as 100 million.

It remains the planet’s worst natural disaster.

This impactful talk will hold the attention of the audience as it brings to life the tragedy of those times while drawing valuable parallels with our recent challenges involving COVID. 

This inspirational and thought-provoking talk has been delivered to audiences around the globe and is not to be missed. 

The beautiful countries of Japan, Italy and Greece are among those who could provide us with the secret to a long and happy life.

Join author and historian Dr Dean Allen as he explores the fascinating story of the so-called ‘Blue Zone’ locations around the world.