Kathleen Mildred Burk[1] (born March 1946) is Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London.
[5] Her early books focused on economic diplomacy and were driven by her insight that “While governments come and go, the need for money is inexorable.”[6] After finishing her studies, she was Tutorial Assistant in Modern History at Dundee University (1976–77).
She started at University College London in 1990–1992, becoming Reader in Modern and Contemporary History in 1993 and a Professor in 1995.
[9] Burk founded the journal Contemporary European History in 1992, taking the role of editor for the first 13 years.
[12][13] In October 2023, Burk discussed The Federalist Papers on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time and has previously spoken on the programme about Franco-American Alliance (2021), Congress of Vienna (2017), Thomas Paine's Common Sense pamphlet (2016), the California Gold Rush (2015), the War of 1812 (2013), Custer's last stand (2011), Thomas Edison (2010), Thoreau and the American Idyll (2009), the Statue of Liberty (2008) and the Pilgrim Fathers (2007).