Today’s featured articles
Viewed from Prague, the collapse of communism in Czechoslovakia was ‘joyful’. But as some Czechs would discover, not all revolutions are equal.
Is the soul immortal, or does it die with the body? At the turn of the 18th century, amateur theologians like Henry Layton began to speculate, much to experts’ chagrin.
Just two countries supported the Republic during the Spanish Civil War: the Soviet Union and Mexico. While Soviet help came with strings attached, Mexico’s reflected the country’s contentious relationship with its old colonial master.
Most recent
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.
Death of Musical Coalman Thomas Britton
Coal merchant and concert promoter Thomas Britton passed away on 27 September 1714 after a prank went awry.
Count Binface Should Read Bartolus
The jurisprudence of the Middle Ages may complement the legal efforts of today’s environmentalists.
‘A History of the Novel in Britain’ by Philip Hensher review
Philip Hensher’s A History of the Novel in Britain is certainly novel but how does it fare as history?
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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