Robert Hutchinson Biography

Robert Hutchinson, author and broadcaster started his working life as a reporter on regional newspapers before joining The Press Association, (the news agency for UK and Irish media) as a night sub-editor. He returned to reporting, later becoming Defence Correspondent. In late 1983 he joined Jane’s Publishing Company as one of the team that successfully launched Jane’s Defence Weekly and became Publishing Director of Jane’s Information Group in 1987, responsible for its magazines, newsletters, books and digital products.

Leaving a decade later, he compiled and edited two editions of Jane’s Warship Recognition Handbook and wrote an acclaimed history of submarines: Jane’s Submarines – War Beneath the Waves (2002), both published by HarperCollins. Weapons of Mass Destruction was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2004.

He retired as chairman of the media side of the Defence Press Broadcasting Advisory Committee (formerly the ‘D-Notice system’) on November 2007. He was appointed OBE in the 2008 New Year’s Honours List.

Hutchinson was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1997 and has published numerous papers on aspects of church archaeology for learned journals. He was a contributor to the Archaeology of the Reformation (2004). He is an Associate Tutor in church archaeology for the University of Sussex’s Centre for Community Engagement. He is a regular lecturer and broadcaster and was co-presenter of History Channel’s Inside the Body of Henry VIII in February 2009. He has a doctorate from the University of Sussex.

How I Found the Agency

I was impressed greatly by Andrew’s commitment, realism and fresh, workable ideas in our preliminary conversation. I saw three agents and afterwards there was absolutely no question in my mind who should be my agent.Last Days of Henry VIII Weidenfeld 2005.