James’s first two novels were both Sunday Times bestsellers in the late 1990s. He published four more, one of which, “Speak for England” (2005) predicted Brexit. “The Shortest History of Germany” reached #2 in the Sunday Times in 2018 and has been translated into 20 languages; it is also a bestseller in Germany. The "Shortest History of England” reached #4 in the Times in July 2021. In 2022 he was Series Story Consultant and primary on-screen contributor on a major eight-part BBC TV history of creativity in Britain, "Art That Made Us". He also wrote the accompanying book. His journalism and reviews have appeared in every UK broadsheet and many quality magazines. He has appeared on many live TV/Radio news programmes in the UK plus flagship TV shows in Germany and Denmark. He is married to Dr Karoline von Oppen and has three sons.
