History Today

In 19th-century America abortion was weaponised as part of a culture war.

In The World of the Cold War: 1945-1991 Vladislav Zubok argues that chance rather than characters shaped the clash between communism and capitalism.

Queenship was transformed in the early Middle Ages, as power came to be derived not just from marriage, but from God.

Canada and the US have often been uneasy neighbours; the roots of the latest political flare up can be found in their tangled history.

In the febrile political climate of early modern Europe, letters – and the information they contained – were dangerous. Notorious ‘black chambers’ turned postmasters into spies.

Britain’s self-styled ‘Thief-Taker General’ was not all he seemed. On 24 May 1725 Jonathan Wild was finally brought to justice.

As Nasser moved to nationalise the Suez Canal in 1956, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood was forced to choose between faith and freedom.

The medieval era did not wallow in savage, ignorant darkness, despite what some would have us believe.

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.

Hitler’s Deserters: Breaking Ranks with the Wehrmacht by Douglas Carl Peifer surfaces the stories of those who sought to sit out the Second World War.