Today’s featured articles
Anglo-Norman French was the only language worth speaking in medieval Britain – and not just by the upper classes.
Before the Spanish conquest, the history of the Aztec Empire was recorded orally and with hieroglyphs. In danger of being lost or forgotten, Indigenous historians began to write it down.
Westminster Abbey was the focus of many during King Charles III’s coronation. How and why was it built?
Most recent
Kathleen Lonsdale’s Atom Patterns
The discovery of the molecular structure of benzene by Kathleen Lonsdale helped to reveal the secrets of carbon-based life, but the scientist responsible is far from a household name.
‘The Barrel of a Gun’ by Ruth First review
The Barrel of a Gun: Political Power in Africa and the Coup d’État by Ruth First is a timely reissue from the first wave of Africa’s ‘coup contagion’.
‘Master of Rome’, ‘The Roman World War’, and ‘Livia’ review
What can three recent books – Master of Rome by David Potter, The Roman World War by Giusto Traina, and Livia by Caitlin C. Gillespie – tell us about Rome’s political personalities?
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.
Current issue
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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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