In the earlier years of his life, Arthur was an actor appearing in a number of minor roles on television. Most notably as Zuko in the Doctor Who episode Planet of Fire.^[1] He also appeared in the film Bloodbrothers (1978 film) and the television series Grange Hill.^[1]

Later in his life he changed direction and became a historian. As a historian his scholarship focussed in drawing together testimony from soldiers of their experiences during wartime.^[1] His most noted works were Forgotten Voices of the Great War (2002) and Forgotten Voices of the Second World War (2004) both in association with the Imperial War Museum.^{[citation needed]}

He also presented two television documentaries: The Brits Who Fought For Spain (2008-9), for The History Channel UK and 'Dambusters' for Optimum Releasing.^{[citation needed]}

Arthur was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to military history.^[2]

On 2 May 2019, Arthur died of leukaemia aged 80.^[1][3]

• Arthur, Max (23 July 1992). Men Of The Red Beret. Sphere. ISBN 978-0747411949.
• Arthur, Max (2 December 1993). There Shall Be Wings: RAF from 1918 to the Present. Coronet Books. ISBN 978-0-340-60386-4.
• Arthur, Max (4 December 1997). The Navy: 1939 to the Present Day. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-68469-6.
• Arthur, Max (2 October 2003). Forgotten Voices of the Great War. Ebury Press. ISBN 978-0-09-188887-9.
• Arthur, Max (18 June 2004). Symbol of Courage: A History of the Victoria Cross. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 978-0283073519.
• Arthur, Max (11 April 2005). Lost Voices of The Royal Navy: Vivid Eyewitness Accounts of Life in the Royal Navy from 1914-1945. Hodder. ISBN 978-0340838143.
• Arthur, Max (5 May 2005). Forgotten Voices of the Second World War. Ebury Press. ISBN 978-0-09-189735-2.
• Arthur, Max (1 June 2005). Lost Voices of the Royal Air Force. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0340998694.
• Arthur, Max (1 March 2007). Above All, Courage: The Eyewitness History of the Falklands War. Phoenix. ISBN 978-0304362578.
• Arthur, Max (2 April 2007). Lost Voices of the Edwardians. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-09-188887-9.
• Arthur, Max (17 January 2008). The Busby Babes: Men of Magic. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1845963415.
• Arthur, Max (6 November 2008). When This Bloody War Is Over: Soldiers' Songs of the First World War. Piatkus. ISBN 978-0749923549.
• Arthur, Max (7 May 2009). Dambusters: A Landmark Oral History. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1573-0.
• Arthur, Max (29 April 2010). Fighters against Fascism: British Heroes of the Spanish Civil War. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-733080-5.
• Arthur, Max (6 June 2010). Last of the Few: The Battle of Britain in the Words of the Pilots Who Won It. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-2227-1.
• Arthur, Max (14 October 2010). The Road Home: The Aftermath of the Great War Told by the Men and Women Who Survived It. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0753827208.
• Arthur, Max (21 September 2011). The Real Band of Brothers: First-hand Accounts from the Last British Survivors of the Spanish Civil War. Collins. ISBN 978-0007295104.
• Arthur, Max (7 May 2012). The Faces of World War I: The Great War in words & pictures. Cassell. ISBN 978-1844037124.
• Arthur, Max (22 May 2014). The Silent Day: A Landmark Oral History of D-Day on the Home Front. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1444787542.
• Arthur, Max (19 June 2014). Last Post: The Final Word From Our First World War Soldiers. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-1780227412.
• Arthur, Max (31 July 2014). Lest We Forget: Forgotten Voices from 1914-1945. Ebury Press. ISBN 978-0091960179.
• Arthur, Max (15 October 2017). Churchill: The Life: An authorised pictorial biography. Cassell. ISBN 978-1788400022.
• Arthur, Max (2 November 2017). The Paras. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1444787580.

• Forgotten Voices website