National Rivalries at the Ancient Olympics
The ancient Greek Olympics were just as enmeshed in international politics, national rivalries and commercial pressures as their modern counterpart.
Feature
How Oil Became King
The great historical shifts in energy use, from wood to coal, to oil, nuclear power and beyond, have transformed civilisation and will do so again, as Richard Rhodes explains.
Iraq’s Revolution: Bastille Day in Baghdad
The chain of events that led to the rule of Saddam Hussein began with the murder of the 23-year-old King Faisal during the 14 July Revolution.
London's Olympics: Political Games
David Runciman compares the 2012 games with the London Olympics of 1908 and 1948 to see what they reveal about the changing relationship between politics and sport over the last century.
Still Sacred? The Coronation Rite
Ian Bradley looks at the fundamentally religious nature of monarchy and the persistence of its spiritual aspects in a secular age.
Yorkshire’s Luddites: At War with the Future
In 1811 skilled textile workers in Britain attacked factories and factory owners to defend their livelihoods. By the time the Luddite cause hit Yorkshire in 1812, it had become a genuine mass movement.
Painted out of History
The abdication crisis of 1937 forced a royalist magazine to present a different face to the world, as Luci Gosling reports.
Panipat: The Mughals Strike Twice
The two 16th-century battles of Panipat are little known in the West. But they were pivotal in establishing the Mughal Empire as the dominant power of northern India.
Titanic: A Night to Forget
For a century the sinking of the Titanic has attracted intense interest. Yet there have been many vested interests keen to prevent media attention.
Titanic: Southampton’s Deep Sorrow
The impact of the Titanic disaster on Southampton, the city from which it sailed and home to more than a third of those who lost their lives, was immense.