Jan Ruger teaches history at Birkbeck, University of London, having previously held a post-doctoral fellowship at Yale. He is particularly interested in comparative and transnational history, the cultural history of conflict, and the history of Anglo-German relations. His previous book is The Great Naval Game: Britain and Germany in the Age of Empire (2007), which explores the theatre of power and identity that unfolded between Britain and Germany in the decades before the First World War.

Shortlisted for the 2018 Wolfson History Prize

"Resonant... a prism through which to view the entire span of Anglo-German rivalry, conflict and, eventually, reconciliation." -- The Guardian

"Visitors today may be quite unaware of Heligoland's curious history or of the weight of symbolism it once bore. Day trippers come now to enjoy the bird watching, the 1950s architecture, the duty-free cigarettes. Before setting out, they should read Mr. Ruger's fascinating book." -- The Wall Street Journal

"Mr Ruger makes his case that Heligoland's fortunes are a useful bellwether of wider relations and he relates his story in an engaging style ... More people should know Heligoland's story for the echoes it has today." -- The Economist

"One of the book's greatest advantages is its periodization and long-term perspective. It makes it easy to follow, and it places the narrative within broader processes and events. The main arguments are clearly presented and the text is highly readable. Personal stories and anecdotes contribute to this readability. Numerous illustrations are interspersed in the text and support it nicely... the book is a brilliant example of the way in which geographical features can serve as an axis for the study of history." -- Daniel Uziel, H-Soz-Kult

"Heligoland is recommended for readers of maritime history with an interest in the two world wars." -- Chris Madsen, The Northern Mariner

"He provides a rich and highly readable study that is a valuable addition to the literature on Anglo-German relations in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries." -- Colin Storer (University of Warwick), European History Quarterly, Vol. 47

"Jan Rüger, professor of history at Brikbeck College of the University of London, demonstrates in this sweeping, incisive and highly informed book [that] Heligoland once loomed large in European great power politics." -- Martin Rubin, The Washington Times

"Rüger is able to provide excellent new information...[He] makes an important contribution to our understanding of the complexity of the British war effort up to 1815." -- Dr. John R. Davis, Reviews in History

"Pacey and erudite... succeeds admirably." -- European History Quarterly

"A thought-provoking treatise of how nations coexist - or dont." -- Joseph Callo, H Net

"Ruger's Heligoland: Britain, Germany, and the Struggle for the North Sea succeeds brilliantly in exposing how Britons and Germans moved from admiration to antagonism, from cooperation to conflict, intermingling elements of both during the long nineteenth century, between the world wars, and after the Second World War. Focusing on the specific, it illustrates the shifting dynamics of the general relationship. The micro-study references higher level diplomacy and the military dimensions of the Anglo-German relationship but focuses on how art, poetry, music, and the everyday interactions of islanders, visitors, and representatives of the state made Heligoland into something more than two small islands buffeted by the waves of the North Sea." -- Douglas Peifer, H-War