Today’s featured articles
The belief that you are what you eat emerged in 19th-century France, where the pleasures of the table were sautéed with philosophy and medicine.
In 1938 a sensational spy trial exposed a Nazi plot to seduce and blackmail US officers. Despite America’s technological might, counterintelligence had been slow on the uptake.
Forced into exile following the death of Haiti’s first and only king, Queen Marie-Louise and her daughters sought refuge from the turbulent events that engulfed their homeland.
Most recent
After the Aberfan Disaster
It has been 60 years since the Aberfan disaster of 1966, but memories of corporate failings and injustice persist.
On the Spot: David Kynaston
‘What’s the most exciting field in history today? The continuing retrieval of forgotten voices.’
Millais, Bubbles, and the Copyright Act
In the 19th century nascent copyright law allowed brands to use fine art in their advertising. It raised prestige, sales, and controversy.
Selling Horse Meat to the Victorians
With the price of meat soaring, a new source offered a cheap solution – if only the Victorian public could be convinced of the benefits of hippophagy.
Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament
On 6 October 1802 Ludwig van Beethoven confessed his despair at the loss of his hearing in the Heiligenstadt Testament.
‘Burn This Letter’ by Susan Pedersen review
Burn This Letter: Love and Trouble in a Marriage of Four by Susan Pedersen wonders whether a radical relationship might offer inspiration for a radical restructuring of society.
‘Neanderthals Among Us’ by Peter Sahlins review
Neanderthals Among Us: The Making of a Prehistoric Human by Peter Sahlins charts the ascent of an idea from prehistory to popular culture.
25 Years of Wikipedia
Wikipedia turns 25 this year. Its success was not a given and reveals much about our changing relationship with information online.
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In the October 2026 issue:
Hirohito’s return to Europe, the lost history of the Aztec Empire, the decline of the medieval Carolingians, the FBI and the Nazi Spies, and the 18th-century search for the soul.
Plus: reviews, opinion, crossword, debate, and much more!
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