The 14th Century… When Things Weren't What They Used To Be

Hannah Skoda explores how late medieval Europe saw an upsurge in misty-eyed yearning for the ‘good old days’

Politicians cherry pick from history, if they take much notice of it at all

Why do so many politicians write history books? Does a knowledge of the past help with the challenges of today? And should MPs pay more attention to history? Our reviews editor, Matt Elton, headed to Westminster to ask a panel of history-loving politicians.

A Surgeon With A Secret

As part of our occasional series profiling remarkable yet unheralded characters from history,  introduces Dr James Barry, the medical pioneer and eminent surgeon to aristocracy, who was forced to conceal a fundamental fact – that ‘he’ was in fact a ‘she’.

7 Ways To Say “I Love You”

In medieval Europe, young lovers used all manner of media to declare their passion for one another – from exquisite French songbooks to lowly pieces of cattle bone. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Kimberley-Joy Knight introduces seven tokens of love from the Middle Ages

The Anglo - Saxons' Last Stand

The spirit of the Anglo-Saxons didn’t die at the battle of Hastings. William I faced years of resistance from a populace resentful of the Norman takeover. Marc Morris charts the defiant attempts to fight the conquerors

How should history remember Fidel Castro?

To many, he was a heroic champion of the disenfranchised; to others, a cruel tyrant. Following Fidel Castro’s death in November, we asked five historians to offer their verdicts on the Cuban leader’s life and legacy

Why Separatism Is Turning Up The Heat On European States

As the dust settles on Catalonia’s contested independence referendum, Dr Angel Smith offers a historical perspective on the region’s relationship with Madrid. Then Professor Martin Conway considers why Spain is far from the only European country to be convulsed by a separatist movement

“Our View Of Imperialism Needs Constant Interrogation”

“Our View Of Imperialism Needs Constant Interrogation”

Lettice Knollys Was A Favourite Of Elizabeth I… Then She Stole The Queen's Sweetheart

Nicola Tallis tells the story of a Tudor love triangle

The Great American U-Turn

In November 1916, US president Woodrow Wilson won re-election on an isolationist ticket. But just a few months later, he was issuing an impassioned call to arms. On the centenary of its entry into the First World War, Adam IP Smith traces America’s journey from neutrality to committed combatant.

Verona, Italy

For the latest in our historical holiday series, Paul explores the romance of Verona, a veritable Mecca for lovers across the world.

Field Marshal Bill Slim - 1891-1970

Comedian, actor and television presenter Griff Rhys Jones chooses.

Margaret Beaufort Mother of the Tudors

She was pregnant at 12, widowed by the Wars of the Roses and almost died at the hands of Richard III. But, writes Michael Jones, nothing could prevent the indomitable Margaret Beaufort from engineering the rise of her son, Henry VII, to the English throne

When Britons were slaves in Africa

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, pirates operating out of north Africa enslaved thousands of men, women and children from the British Isles. Adam Nichols describes the often faltering attempts to release the captives from a life of hard labour and torture

Napoleon III Surrenders To The Prussians

The ailing French emperor suffers a humiliating defeat at the battle of Sedan.

What Lies Beneath

NICK RENNISON enjoys a lurid tale of treasure hunting, murder and mayhem set in 19th-century England

Not So Sweet Stuff

DAVID OLUSOGA admires a new work tracing the history of our damaging love affair with sugar

Paupers' Brave New World

In the 1840s, the government began sparing Britain’s most deprived children the Dickensian hell of the workhouse and placing them in schools that promised good food, healthcare and an education. But did the reality live up to the ideal?

Elizabethi's Irish Nemesis

Hiram Morgan tells the story of the Irish earl Hugh O’Neill, a brilliant warrior and slippery negotiator who ran rings around Elizabeth I’s greatest generals and almost ended English rule in Ireland

Who blundered in The Valley of Death?

The Charge of the Light Brigade is one of the most notorious fiascos in British military history. But who should shoulder the blame for this suicidal assault on Russian guns? Saul David considers the evidence

The Fight For Black America

Characterising Black Power as the civil rights movement’s ‘evil twin’ masks its considerable achievements over the past 50 years

Expertise Is Not Just A Man In A Suit Anymore

What is it like to be a female historian in the 21st century? Ellie cawthorne spoke to four leading academics about internet trolls, juggling work and family, and their plans to shake up the study of history.

Are We Witnessing A ‘Post-Truth' Nadir In Media Influence?

The issue of ‘fake news’ has barely been out of the news in recent weeks. With this in mind, we asked two historians to offer their perspectives on the ‘post-truth’ era and explore the rocky relationship between politicians and the press

New Zealand Makes Suffrage History

Twenty years of campaigning sees New Zealand women given the right to vote, to the dismay of many men

The US Constitution Is Signed

Thirty-nine men put pen to paper in Philadelphia

Have High-Rises Ever Been The Answer To Our Housing Woes?

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, we asked two experts to offer their perspectives on the impact of multi-storey public housing on Britain’s social landscape since the Second World War

Primo Levi 1919 - 87

Television presenter Nick Hewer chooses.

Florence, Italy

For the latest in our historical holiday series, Joanne explores Florence, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance

A Nerveless Nazi-Killer

As part of our occasional series pro ling remarkable yet unheralded characters from history, Gavin Mortimer introduces Johnny Hopper, the British lone-wolf ghter who embarked on a campaign of violence that made him one of the most wanted men in Nazi-occupied France

On The Warpath

MILES RUSSELL enjoys a richly descriptive work following Caesar’s path to victory over the Gauls