Geopolitical Realities
The depth of China’s influence over South-East Asia.
History Today
An Outbreak of Heartbreak
‘Crazy Jane’ was ubiquitous in the late 18th century, the archetypal figure of those driven mad by heartbreak. Was the plight of the love sick a performance or a pandemic?
The Prehistoric Horses of Lascaux
What’s the meaning of the galloping herds painted on the walls of Lascaux’s cave system?
‘Agent Sonya’ by Ben Macintyre review
Agent Sonya: Lover, Mother, Soldier, Spy by Ben Macintyre punctures the myths surrounding Russian spy Ursula Kuczynski
Father Figure
A 17th-century depiction of Joseph and Jesus marks a shift in the status of the nuclear family.
Was Thomas Becket a Saint or an Arrogant Troublemaker?
We ask four historians to consider the reputation of Henry II’s Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered 850 years ago this month.
Beneath the Bombs
Understanding the immediacy and confusion of the Blitz.
Flannelled Fools
A history of sport in England hits a six.
On the Spot: Vincent Brown
‘History unfolds in discernible but unpredictable patterns.’
When They Get to the Border
The Aliens Act of 1905 was the culmination of decades of anxiety about migrants – some of whom attempted to reach Britain by clandestine means.