Martin Thomas is a professor of imperial history at the University of Exeter, where he also serves as director of the Centre for Histories of Violence and Conflict. His research specializes in the history of colonialism, decolonization, and conflict in the modern French Empire, with a particular focus on North Africa and Southeast Asia. Thomas has authored numerous influential works, including Violence and Colonial Order and Fight or Flight, and is recognized for his archival scholarship and analysis of state power, repression, and resistance. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and contributes widely to academic and public discussions on imperial legacies and international history.