Rory Cox (1994-2000) is Director of Impact and senior lecturer at the University of St Andrews. Here’s an insight into his role and life in Scotland.
Your role(s) at St Andrews must keep you extremely busy, was it difficult to find time to write your latest book or did your research sit alongside the day job, so to speak?
Research and writing are part of my job as an academic, but teaching and administrative roles take up a huge amount of time during semester. This means that most of my research and writing are done during the parts of the year when the undergraduate students are on holiday, especially the long summer break. I was also lucky enough to be awarded a twelve-month fellowship at Caltech and the Huntington Library in southern California, which helped a lot. This book was a big project, taking more than eight years to complete, but I was also working on many other writing projects during this time, so sometimes it’s difficult to keep all the balls in the air at once!
Who or what inspired your love for history, and what initiated your interest in the history of war specifically?
My passion for history definitely came from my father, who read the Greek myths to my sister and me when we were children. I’ve always loved the mysterious elements of history: that’s what keeps me interested. I think I’m especially interested in war because I’m fascinated by how people behave in extreme situations – and you can’t get much more extreme than war. When it’s a case of living or dying, kill or be killed, the superfluous things are jettisoned and you’re afforded a glimpse at the things a society really values.
When not researching, reading, and lecturing (to name but a few!) what else keeps you busy and/or what do you do to relax?
My two wonderful kids keep me busy, but I really enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. I’m very lucky to live in Scotland, which has so many stunning landscapes, so I do a lot of running, cycling, and hiking. I also love Wahammer fantasy and 40k. It’s very geeky, but I find the painting a form of active meditation. I actually got back into the hobby a few years ago after a serious cycling accident…I couldn’t do any exercise for months and it prevented me from going crazy!
Is there a teacher or memory from Exeter School you think of fondly now?
I remember my time at Exeter School very fondly and still have many, many good friends with whom I keep in regular contact. Mr Leader had the patience of a saint whilst trying to teach me French, and I always enjoyed Mr Davidson’s geography lessons and Mr Poustie’s somewhat irreverent approach to history.
