Feature

The Rise of the Turkey

The turkey’s path to festive supremacy was much more unexpected – and glorious – than it might seem.

When Alexander met Thalestris

The romantic liaison between the great Amazon warrior queen and the conqueror of the known world has been much mythologised. But did such a pairing really happen?

Saving Life at Sea

‘Valour and virtue have not perished in the British race’, said Winston Churchill, describing the long record of the national life-boat service.

Banks to the Rescue

The opening battle of the First World War was won by the Bank of England before the British had so much as fired a shot.

Washington is Burning

Graeme Garrard describes the events that led to the torching of the new US capital by British troops in August 1814 and considers the impact of the ‘greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms’ on the US, Britain and Canada.

The Iron Amir: Britain in Afghanistan, 1880

In 1880, after an unsuccessful attempt to occupy the southern half of the country, British forces withdrew from Afghanistan. Bijan Omrani describes how the new ruler installed in their wake, Abdur Rahman, unified the fractured nation at a terrible cost.

Black Equestrians

Africans in Georgian Britain have often been portrayed as victims of slavery, unfortunates at the bottom of the social heap. The reality was far more fluid and varied, with many African gentlemen sharing the same cultural and social aspirations as their fellow Englishmen.

An African Holocaust: Rwanda, 1994

In Rwanda, Hutu turned on Tutsi and a genocide lasting 100 days began, an episode of intense violence many thought impossible in the late 20th century.

The Presidential Election of 1876

In the centenary year of the Declaration of Independence, a deeply troubled American Republic went to the polls to elect a new president. A close and bitter election followed, fought in the shadow of scandal and fraud.

Scottish Independence: Roots of the Thistle

At what point did the Scots first see themselves as a distinct kingdom separate but equal to that of England? Dauvit Broun explores the medieval origins of Scottish sovereignty and independence.