HOW did York come to be one of the most important cities in England?

Look no further than controversial television historian and author Dr David Starkey for the answer when he gives his insight into York’s place in the landscape of English history at the 2015 York Literature Festival next month.

Dr Starkey will present York's Place In History at the Grand Opera House on Sunday, March 22 at 7.30pm, much to the pleasure of festival director Miles Salter. "We are delighted to welcome Dr David Starkey, one of England’s most respected historians, to York to talk about the important role that the city has played in shaping our nation," he says.

Since his television debut in 1977, Dr Starkey's acerbic tongue has brought him the sobriquet of "the rudest man in Britain", but that status only whets the appetite for his appearances on BBC1's Question Time or his history documentaries.

He has been a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's debate forum The Moral Maze; has written several books on the Tudors; was honoured with a CBE in 2007 and is an honorary associate of the National Secular Society and a supporter of gay equality movements.

Tickets are on sale on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york