History Today

A selection of readers' correspondence with the editor, Paul Lay.

The story of the most famous of the Victorian 'suburban ghosts'.

One of the strangest literary figures of his time died on June 17th, 1963.

The suffragette jumped in front of the King's horse on June 4th 1913

The future French empress was born on June 23rd, 1763.

The study of the religious upheavals that took place in England during the 16th and 17th centuries has proved one of the most provocative areas of recent scholarship. Alec Ryrie looks at some of the key works of recent years.

Peering through the pines, a German cycle company of the First World War is captured on camera. Roger Hudson explains.

When major political figures die, history is put on hold and the simplicities of myth take over, argues Tim Stanley.

Jonathan Conlin considers a 1990 article on the past, present and future of history broadcasting, whose pessimistic forecasts have not quite come to pass.

The English aversion to eating horse flesh, recently highlighted in a number of food scandals, dates back to the coming of Christianity, as Jordan Claridge explains.

A clear-headed account of demonic possession from the ancient world to the present.

Guy Atkins explains what made the postcard such an extraordinary and successful phenomenon of the early 20th century and draws parallels with today’s social media.

Kathryn Hadley visits an exhibition in Paris that sheds light on the multifarious pre-colonial histories and identities of the Southeast Asian archipelago.