BBC History Magazine
How Napoleon (almost) destroyed the French Revolution
The Corsican general proclaimed himself a defender of republican ideals – while doing all he could to dismantle them
10+ min |
April 2022
BBC History Magazine
An Island Mystery
Three centuries ago, when European explorers first sighted the Pacific island of Rapa Nui, it was home to a thriving population and hundreds of haunting moai statues. But, within a few generations, the landscape was decimated and its population in sharp decline. So what happened? Cat Jarman untangles
10 min |
April 2022
BBC History Magazine
Mirroring Multicultural Britain
From its inception the BBC has featured entertainers of colour, but they were often reduced to "exotic” attractions. David Hendy explores how the corporation tried to include diverse voices, from the 1930s to the postwar years
7 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
ON THE PROWL
Hunting witches was a lucrative profession, giving plucky vigilantes the opportunity to earn high wages and gain social standing within communities gripped by fear and worry
4 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
A CAULDRON OF CULTURES
Professor Ronald Hutton reveals how ancient civilisations helped shape early modern beliefs about witches and witchcraft
5 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
ISLAND OF THE DEAD
In Haiti and the Dominican Republic, some people still claim they have the ability to practise magic and command zonbi spirits. Professor Lauren Derby explores the history behind this unique form of Caribbean sorcery
5 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
FACT OR FICTION?
Most people's knowledge of 'witches' stems from popular horror tropes involving warty-faced women stirring cauldrons, or innocent young girls being drowned in ponds. But how much of this is based on pure mythology? Professor Owen Davies addresses eight popular misconceptions about the history of witchcraft in Europe
5 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
ROUGH INJUSTICE
Professor Marion Gibson reveals how England's early modern legal system dealt with suspected 'witches'
6 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
SEEING DOUBLE
As German aircraft attacked Paris during WWI, one man had an idea: what if you could fool the enemy into dropping their bombs elsewhere? Gavin Mortimer tells the story behind an audacious wartime ruse...
6 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
SARAH BIFFIN Artist, writer, trailblazer
Nige Tassell explores the life and career of the disabled English painter whose work is set to be the focus of a major new exhibition later this vear
8 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY
Vincent van Gogh's stark portrayal of physical and mental ill-health carries an important message of hope and determination
3 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
WHAT IF...THE OTTOMANS HAD WON AT LEPANTO?
Professor Marc David Baer talks to Jonny Wilkes about the infamous 1571 naval battle, and whether or not an Ottoman victory against the Catholic Holy League would have made a substantial a difference to the empire's ambitions anyway
4 min |
April 2022
History Revealed
WICCA'S WORLD
Claire Slack reveals how a new magical movement flourished in the 20th century
3 min |
April 2022
All About Space
PENTAGON LAUNCHES NEW UFO OFFICE
A new office in the Pentagon will investigate sightings of unidentified flying objects – but longtime extraterrestrial enthusiasts are sceptical
3 min |
Issue 127
All About Space
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE : WHAT DISTURBED A DISTANT STAR SYSTEM?
Astronomers are a step closer to understanding how our Solar System formed, all thanks to a chance encounter
9 min |
Issue 127
All About Space
HOW TO SPOT THE INTERNATIONAL
The International Space Station can be seen from Earth; You just need to know where and when to look
6 min |
Issue 127
All About Space
GALAXY PROFILE THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD
This nearby dwarf galaxy is a satellite in orbit around our own
6 min |
Issue 127
All About Space
FINDING AND DEFINING EXOMOONS
As our catalogue of exoplanets grows, the hunt is on for moons around distant worlds
10+ min |
Issue 127
All About Space
COMPLETE GUIDE TO NASA
IT’S AN ORGANISATION KNOWN THE WORLD OVER, WITH ITS AMBITIOUS GOALS INSPIRING OTHERS TO DREAM OF TRAVELLING AMONG THE STARS. HERE’S YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE HISTORY OF NASA
10+ min |
Issue 127
All About Space
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SATURN
With its moon system, rings of dust and ice and occasionally tempestuous atmosphere, there’s more to this gas giant than meets the eye
10+ min |
Issue 127
All About Space
NASA ASTRONAUT VICTOR GLOVER “BEING IN SPACE IS LIKE LIVING A DREAM”
Serving as a pilot on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, the astronaut reveals the most scary thought that’s entered his head, his thoughts on spacewalking and returning to Earth during a pandemic
6 min |
Issue 125
All About Space
COLD, DAMP MARS MAY HAVE HOSTED AN ANCIENT OCEAN
Northern parts of the Red Planet could have supported bodies of liquid 3 billion years ago
3 min |
Issue 127
BBC History Magazine
“We have believed the Normans' view of themselves for too long”
JUDITH A GREEN talks to David Musgrove about her new book, which takes readers far beyond the familiar story of 1066, and provides a richer understanding of the Normans’ complex place in the wider history of Europe
10+ min |
March 2022
BBC History Magazine
“THE WEEK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD”
Following years of icy silence between the US and China, on 21 February 1972 president Richard Nixon arrived in Beijing for an unprecedented diplomatic mission. Rana Mitter explores how the two sides viewed an encounter that augured China’s entrance onto the global stage
10 min |
March 2022
BBC History Magazine
The secrets of the stones
Where did Stonehenge’s megaliths come from? Were they transported to Wiltshire by glacier or human hand? And how long did this Neolithic building project take? As a major exhibition on Stonehenge opens at the British Museum, Mike Pitts uses the latest research to answer the big questions about the construction of this ancient wonder
10+ min |
March 2022
BBC History Magazine
MY HISTORY HERO
Actor, comedian and BBC DJ Craig Charles chooses
2 min |
March 2022
BBC History Magazine
A SPACE MENAGERIE
During the space race, animals pavedthe way for humans to travel beyond Earth. Stephen Walker shines a light on these largely forgotten creatures and their often fatal journeys
10 min |
March 2022
BBC History Magazine
What Drove the Witch-Hunters' Cruel Crusade?
They tortured, tricked and terrorised suspects into confessions - often with undisguised relish. So, asks Marion Gibson, should the witchfinders of 16th and 17th-century Europe be dismissed as sadists and charlatans?
10+ min |
March 2022
BBC History Magazine
Digging for Victory
When war broke out in 1939, food shortages posed just as grave a threat to Britons as a German invasion. From Dig for Victory to the land girls, John Martin charts a nation’s battle with starvation
10+ min |
March 2022
BBC Countryfile Magazine
The Magic of Wild Words
In 2017, a children’s book was published to treasure the disappearing language of nature. It became a worldwide hit that has now spawned two musical albums. Annabel Ross met author Robert Macfarlane to explore the phenomenal power of The Lost Words
6 min |