In this issue

RUSSIA’S DOOMED REVOLUTION
Antony Beevor on why the uprisings of 1917 descended into disaster.

Normans in Africa
Levi Roach explores a little-known and short-lived Norman attempt to forge a north-African kingdom in the 12th century..

THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN SCANDAL

Fifty years ago, the US government was embroiled in a conspiracy that became a constitutional crisis - eventually toppling a president. Clifford Williamson charts the fallout from the 1972 Watergate affair

10+ mins

Snuffers, scrapers and murder-holes

From medieval portcullises to the Regency craze for "Wellington" knockers, the evolution of the front door offers a unique entry point to British history. Rachel Hurdley looks at six ways in which doors reflect our desire to avert danger, and impress our neighbours

9 mins

NORMAN ADVENTURES IN AFRICA

Less than a century after William the Conqueror's invasion of England, his compatriots embarked on another ambitious military assault - on the southern shores of the Mediterranean. Levi Roach tells the story of the Norman kingdom of north Africa

8 mins

New light on the Dark Ages

The past 40 years have witnessed a revolution in our understanding of early English history, which has inspired Michael Wood to update his landmark book In Search of the Dark Ages. Here, Michael chronicles the great leaps forward that have lit up this thrilling era

9 mins

RUSSIA'S DOOMED REVOLUTION

With the world's attention fixed firmly on the invasion of Ukraine, Antony Beevor's new history of Russia's 1917 revolutions and subsequent civil war is especially timely. He explains to Rob Attar how the fall of the last tsar launched a chain of events leading to millions of deaths and one of history's most brutal dictatorships

10+ mins

Into the wild

From its earliest days, the BBC set out to chronicle the natural world - an ambition that, as DAVID HENDY explores, reached new heights from the late 1970s with David Attenborough's string of wildlife blockbusters

7 mins

Accessorising the past

We've added accoutrements to our outfits for centuries, from buckles to buttons - but they aren't just important for fashion's sake. Cordula van Wyhe and Susan Vincent reveal what six accessories can tell us about historical attitudes to gender, empire and more

6 mins

'This was a time when losing a limb made you a hero, but losing a face made you a monster'

Lindsey Fitzharris talks to Rhiannon Davies about her book on a pioneering plastic surgeon who rebuilt men's shattered faces during the First World War

10+ mins

A yearning process

HELEN CARR applauds a timely examination of the great British obsession with venerating the past, and its impact on our understanding of the challenges we face in the present

4 mins

A global revolution

John Harris is impressed by a wide-ranging and clear-eyed work exploring the mechanisms of the slave trade and its enduring legacy in shaping the modern world order

2 mins

Read all stories from BBC History UK

BBC History UK Magazine Description:

BBC History Magazine is Britain’s bestselling history magazine devoted to history enthusiasts of all levels of knowledge and interest. Published 13 times a year, BBC History Magazine brings history to life with informative, lively and entertaining features written by the world’s leading historians and journalists. Whether it is the history of our politics and institutions, or the fascinating stories of our private lives through the ages, BBC History Magazine sheds new light on the past and helps make more sense of today’s world.Covering the latest new developments in history and archaeology from Britain and around the world, the latest, most thought provoking historical research and strong links with TV and radio programming maximizing use of BBC’s existing expertise in the genre.