The Speed of Early Modern News
How did Western Europe learn of the fall of Constantinople, the loss of Negroponte, and the Ottoman defeat at Lepanto? In the early modern era all news was slow news.
Feature
Gods at the Margins: How European Paganism Survived
By the 14th century Christianity had swept many of Europe’s indigenous religions aside, but not all. At the continent’s peripheries paganism survived and, in some cases, thrived.
Did Germany Read Mein Kampf?
A huge bestseller and undisputed guide to the Nazi worldview, did Germans actually read Mein Kampf?
Europe and the End of Old Java
In 1825 Java’s old order rose up against encroaching European colonialism. What – and who – were the Javanese rebels fighting for?
Medieval Queen by Grace of God
Queenship was transformed in the early Middle Ages, as power came to be derived not just from marriage, but from God.
The Black Chamber: Opening Europe’s Post
In the febrile political climate of early modern Europe, letters – and the information they contained – were dangerous. Notorious ‘black chambers’ turned postmasters into spies.
Nasser, Suez, and the Muslim Brotherhood
As Nasser moved to nationalise the Suez Canal in 1956, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood was forced to choose between faith and freedom.
The Victorians, Creation, and the Dinosaur Problem
The Earth was created in seven days. On which day were the dinosaurs made? Discoveries in geology and palaeontology forced Victorian creationists to be especially creative.
The Hidden Diary of Samuel Pepys
When Samuel Pepys’ diary was first published 200 years ago it was an instant hit, but rumours soon spread about what had been cut and why.
The Merovingians: ‘Do-Nothing Kings’?
The Merovingians have a reputation for long hair and barbarity. Instead, the dynasty, born out of the chaos of civil war, was one of peace, diplomacy, and bureaucracy.