David John Starkey (born 20 September 1954) is a specialist in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British maritime history.
His research focuses on shipping, seafaring, privateering, fisheries and marine environmental history.
[1] Starkey earned a degree in Economic History from the University of Leeds, an MA in the History of the Atlantic Economy and a PhD on 'British Privateering in the 18th Century' from the University of Exeter.
He has been based since 1994 at the University of Hull, where he was founding director of the Maritime Historical Studies Centre.
He was head of the Department of History from 2011 to 2016, and subsequently Academic Manager for the Faculty of Arts, Cultures and Education.