Steve Murdoch

Steve Murdoch is an academic and writer. He is author on the history of Scotland and the Wider World in general and of Scotland and Scandinavia in particular. His monographs include Britain, Denmark-Norway and the House of Stuart, 1603-1660 (2000/2003); Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (2006) and the book The Terror of the Seas? Scottish Maritime Warfare, 1513-1713 (2010). In 2014 he published the co-authored book (with Alexia Grosjean) Alexander Leslie and the Scottish Generals of the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648. He has edited several volumes including Scotland and the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648 (2000) and with Alexia Grosjean Scottish Communities Abroad in the Early Modern Period (2005). This same pairing created the Scotland, Scandinavia and Northern European Biographical Database (SSNE). This database was created in 1995 and has been online and open access ever since.

Murdoch's first job after gaining his PhD from the University of Aberdeen in 1998 was as a research associate at The Roehampton Institute (based in Scandinavia as a researcher for Professor Peter Edwards in 1999). He thereafter gained a four-year AHRC funded post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Aberdeen (2000-2003) in which also had responsibility for another post-dotoral scholar. Upon leaving this role on 31 December 2003, Murdoch was awarded a lectureship at the University of St Andrews (School of History) in January 2004. After only two years in post he was promoted Reader in 2006 and, four years later, full-Professor in 2010. Murdoch was nominated for, and won, the Olof Palme Professorship in Peace Studies by Vetenskapsrådet (The Swedish Research Council) for the academic year 2013–2014.

In 2018, Murdoch was awarded an honorary five year Visiting Professorship at the UHI Institute for Northern Studies for services to the institute. This was extended in 2023 for a further five years.

Murdoch left the University of St Andrews in September 2021 after 17 years of service to that University, and as part of the teaching staff that saw the university gain top spot in the UK University rankings for the first time.

In April 2022 Murdoch began working at The Swedish Defence University (Försvarshögskolan) as a lecturer. His promotion to Professor of Military History was confirmed the following month on 1 May. In January 2023, Murdoch became head of the Military History Department (MHA), then a part of War Studies (IKVM). From January 2024, a new Institute of Military History and Centre for Languages (IMH) was created after both History and Languages left War Studies. Murdoch was selected to serve as Prefekt (Chair) for this new Institution. Since January 2026, Murdoch demitted office as Prefekt but remains one of three employed Professors of History.

Main publications The Business of War in the Early Modern Baltic Sea Region 1530–1765 edited by Steve Murdoch, Sebastian Schiavone, Anu Lahtinen and Jaakko Björklund (2026) Connected Oceans: A Festschrift to Leos Muller, edited by Lisa Hellman, Hanna Hodac, Aryo Makko and Steve Murdoch (2022) Unimpeded Sailing: A Critical Edition of Johan Grönings Navigatio libera (Extended 1698 Edition) (2019) with Peter Maxwell-Stuart (translator) and Leos Müller (co-editor) (2014) with Alexia Grosjean The Terror of the Seas? Scottish Maritime Warfare, 1513-1713 (2010) The Navigator. The Log of John Anderson, VOC Pilot-Major, 1640-1643 (2010) with co-editors Victor Enthoven and Eila Williamson Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (2006) Scottish Communities Abroad in the Early Modern Period (2005) with Alexia Grosjean Steve Murdoch and A. Mackillop (eds.), Military Governors and Imperial Frontiers c.1600-1800 (2003). Steve Murdoch and A. Mackillop (eds.), Fighting for Identity: Scottish Military Experiences, 1550-1900 (2002). Scotland and the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648 (2001) Britain, Denmark-Norway and the House of Stuart, 1603-1660 (2000) Belhelvie: A Millennium of History (2000) with Alexia Grosjean