Pause and Effect
The past and future of punctuation marks.
History Today
Defeat of the Dutch Fleet
On 23 January 1795, William of Orange's fleet, stuck in frozen waters of the Zuiderzee, was attacked by the French cavalry.
Solving a Renaissance Murder Mystery
The most powerful family of Florence and the most powerful man in the world offer a new solution to one of the most notorious crimes of the age.
Removing That Little Knot
A Victorian doctor offering to cure female ‘lunacy’ came under fire for his scandalous new operation: female genital mutilation.
1933: The Death of German Democracy
On 1 January 1933, Germany was a democracy with a range of political parties. By the end of the year its parliament was a rubber stamp for Adolf Hitler’s will.
On the Spot: Sophie Hay
‘If I was let loose in the archives of the Archaeological Museum in Naples I might never emerge.’
Don’t Dismiss Damsels
It is a pity when specialist historians condescend to an enthusiastic public.
Jesus the Medieval Feminist
Medieval women’s bodies were a battleground: they were either irretrievably sinful, or they were Christ-like.
How Not to Prepare for Nuclear War
The 1980 Protect and Survive booklet opened government plans to ridicule.
The Aztec God of the Dead
An ‘almanac of destiny’ predicts the fortunes of the harvest.