Our historians are leaders in their field, authors, podcast hosts, documentary filmmakers and sought-after experts for articles, movies and TV shows.

But who are they really? To give you an inkling, we’ve modified the Proust Questionnaire for our historians. Popularized by Marcel Proust, this set of questions is said to reveal a person’s true nature.

Today, senior historian Chris Anderson answers our Historians Proust Questionnaire. Chris is well versed in many aspects of American history with special expertise in the Normandy Invasion, Band of Brothers, 101st Airborne and the American Revolution. He is one of the original creators of our Band of Brothers® Tour and was a personal confidant of Major Dick Winters, Commander of Easy Company, as well as many other veterans of WWII.

This year, Chris is excited about the opportunity to take a deep dive into history with guests on the 80th Anniversary of VE Day Tour and Normandy Campaign Tour.

Chris Anderson Answers the Historians Proust Questionnaire

What is your idea of perfect happiness on tour?

Telling my guests about one of the veterans I knew. Standing on the spot where a very ordinary person did something extraordinary that changed the course of events. Watching as the lightbulb goes off and I can see my guests making their own connections with the past.

What is your greatest fear on tour?

The bus breaking down.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue of a historical figure?

Charisma.

What is the quality you most like in a historical figure?

Persistence and determination. As Winston Churchill said, “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

Which words or phrases do you most overuse on tour?

“Actually” and “Pear Shaped.”

When and where were you happiest when on tour?

With my guests in a pub at the end of a day’s touring, having a great discussion about what we have seen, discovered and learned together.

Which talent of a historical figure would you most like to have?

Tenacity.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I think that I’d like to be able to slow down a bit, to be content with what I know and what I’ve seen. This year, for the first time ever, I went to a resort for a week and did nothing. It drove me crazy. I wish at times I could have just enjoyed just sitting on the beach in Crete, but my curiosity got the better of me and I had to get out and explore. I’m sure the inability to sit still drives my wife crazy at times.

What do you consider your greatest achievement on tour?

I am always so happy when I can take a guest to the exact spot where a relative or descendent had been. The absolute pinnacle for me was when I took a veteran back to Bastogne for the first time since 1944 and helped him find his foxhole. Shortly afterward we came back with his family, and he was able to show them where he had fought.

A second highlight would be when I was invited to a West Point graduation ceremony by parents who told me that the Band of Brothers® Tour they took with me and some of the Easy Company veterans had completely changed the direction of their son’s life. It was a concrete lesson in the value of the study of history.

If you were to die and come back as a historical figure, who would it be?

I have a hard time imagining myself filling the shoes of the people that I study and talk about, but I’d sure like to have been the guy standing just outside the door at Southwick House as Eisenhower made the final decision to launch Operation Overlord.

In which period of history would you most like to live?

For all its turbulence and uncertainty, I’m pretty happy living in the present. There are moments in the past I’d like to see, but I’m not sure if I’d have the fortitude of so many of those who have gone before me.

What is your most treasured possession?

Unquestionably my most treasured possession is the toy cricket my dear friend Jack Agnew gave me. Jack jumped on D-Day as a member of the 101st Airborne’s 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment and had the cricket in his pocket when he landed just outside of St Come du Mont. Every time I hold it in my hand I get a tingle. It is a concrete reminder of some of great people and tremendous events.

What is your most marked characteristic as an historian?

I’d like to think it is empathy and humility.

What do you most value in your guests?

Curiosity.

Who are your favorite writers?

Non-Fiction: John Keegan-his book, The Face of Battle was a game changer in terms of how I looked at history. Max Hastings, Richard Overy, David Hackett Fischer, E.B. Sledge, George MacDonald Fraser, Adam Hochschild, Martin Middlebrook, Christopher Duffy.

Fiction: P.G. Woodhouse, Patrick O’Brien, William Thackery, Robert Graves, Dorothy Sayers, Volker Kutscher, Phillip Kerr, Robert Graves.

Who is your hero of historical fiction?

I don’t know if hero is the right word, but I’ve always felt an affinity for the character of Stephen Maturin in Patrick O’Brien’s Master and Commander series.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

I think it is a bit presumptuous to compare yourself to anyone in the past. We are all so unique that I think comparisons can be dangerous. I am utterly fascinated by Winston Churchill, however, and try to read something by him every day.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Nana, a widow, for her strength in raising two children on her own.
Jack Agnew for maintaining his decency in the midst of horror.
My wife Anna for her love and strength in always keeping me moving forward.
My daughter Madeleine for striking out on her own and creating her own world.

What is your motto?

“The Best Revenge is Living Well,” A quote attributed to George Herbert.